Political parties and leaders:
Citizens' Will Party or CWP (also called Civil Will Party or Civil
Courage Party) [Sanjaasurengyn OYUN]; Democratic Party or DP [D.
DORLIGJAN]; Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party or MPRP [Nambaryn
ENKHBAYAR]; Mongolian New Socialist Democratic Party or MNSDP [B.
ERDENEBAT]; Mongolian Republican Party or MRP [B. JARGALSAIHAN]
note: the MPRP is the ruling party
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (observer), CP (provisional),
EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU,
MONUC, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ravdangiyn BOLD
chancery: 2833 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
consulate(s) general: New York
FAX: [1] (202) 298-9227
telephone: [1] (202) 333-7117
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela J. Slutz
embassy: Micro Region 11, Big Ring Road, C.P.O. 1021, Ulaanbaatar 13
mailing address: PSC 461, Box 300, FPO AP 96521-0002
telephone: [976] (11) 329095
FAX: [976] (11) 320776
Flag description:
three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), blue, and red;
centered on the hoist-side red band in yellow is the national emblem
("soyombo" - a columnar arrangement of abstract and geometric
representation for fire, sun, moon, earth, water, and the yin-yang
symbol)
Economy Mongolia
Economy - overview:
Economic activity traditionally has been based on agriculture and
breeding of livestock. Mongolia also has extensive mineral deposits;
copper, coal, molybdenum, tin, tungsten, and gold account for a
large part of industrial production. Soviet assistance, at its
height one-third of GDP, disappeared almost overnight in 1990-1991
at the time of the dismantlement of the USSR. Mongolia was driven
into deep recession, prolonged by the Mongolian People's
Revolutionary Party's (MPRP) reluctance to undertake serious
economic reform. The Democratic Coalition (DC) government embraced
free-market economics, eased price controls, liberalized domestic
and international trade, and attempted to restructure the banking
system and the energy sector. Major domestic privatization programs
were undertaken, as well as the fostering of foreign investment
through international tender of the oil distribution company, a
leading cashmere company, and banks. Reform was held back by the
ex-Communist MPRP opposition and by the political instability
brought about through four successive governments under the DC.
Economic growth picked up in 1997-1999 after stalling in 1996 due to
a series of natural disasters and declines in world prices of copper
and cashmere. In August and September 1999, the economy suffered
from a temporary Russian ban on exports of oil and oil products, and
Mongolia remains vulnerable in this sector. Mongolia joined the
World Trade Organization (WTrO) in 1997. The international donor
community pledged over $300 million per year at the Consultative
Group Meeting, held in Ulaanbaatar in June 1999. The MPRP
government, elected in July 2000, is anxious to improve the
investment climate; it must also deal with a heavy burden of
external debt. Falling prices for Mongolia's mainly primary sector
exports, widespread opposition to privatization, and adverse effects
of weather on agriculture in early 2000 and 2001 restrained real GDP
growth in 2000-2001. Despite drought problems in 2002, GDP rose
4.0%, followed by a solid 5.0% increase in 2003. The first
applications under the land privatization law have been marked by a
number of disputes over particular sites. Russia claims Mongolia
owes it $11 billion from the old Soviet period; any settlement could
substantially increase Mongolia's foreign debt burden.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $5.06 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.9% (2002 est.)