ased soil erosion from wind and
rain; desertification; mining activities have also had a deleterious
effect on the environment

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography--note: landlocked; strategic location between China and
Russia

People

Population: 2,617,379 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 36% (male 480,087; female 464,609)
15-64 years: 60% (male 787,222; female 787,405)
65 years and over: 4% (male 42,219; female 55,837) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.45% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 22.51 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 7.97 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 64.63 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.81 years
male: 59.71 years
female: 64.02 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.6 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Mongolian(s)
adjective: Mongolian

Ethnic groups: Mongol 90%, Kazakh 4%, Chinese 2%, Russian 2%,
other 2%

Religions: predominantly Tibetan Buddhist, Muslim 4%
note: previously limited religious activity because of communist
regime

Languages: Khalkha Mongol 90%, Turkic, Russian, Chinese

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 82.9%
male: 88.6%
female: 77.2% (1988 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Mongolia
local long form: none
local short form: Mongol Uls
former: Outer Mongolia

Data code: MG

Government type: republic

Capital: Ulaanbaatar

Administrative divisions: 18 provinces (aymguud, singular--aymag)
and 3 municipalities* (hotuud, singular--hot); Arhangay, Bayanhongor,
Bayan-Olgiy, Bulgan, Darhan*, Dornod, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Dzavhan,
Erdenet*, Govi-Altay, Hentiy, Hovd, Hovsgol, Omnogovi, Ovorhangay,
Selenge, Suhbaatar, Tov, Ulaanbaatar*, Uvs