Political parties and leaders:
Citizens' Will Republican Party or CWRP (also called Civil Courage
Republican Party or CCRP) [Sanjaasurengiin OYUN]; Democratic Party
or DP [Tsakhiagiyn ELBEGDORJ]; Motherland-Mongolian New Socialist
Democratic Party or M-MNSDP [Badarchyn ERDENEBAT]; Mongolian
People's Revolutionary Party or MPRP [Miegombyn ENKHBOLD]; Mongolian
Republican Party or MRP [Bazarsadyn JARGALSAIKHAN]; People's Party
or PP [Lamjav GUNDALAI]
note: DP and M-MNSDP formed Motherland-Democracy Coalition (MDC) in
2003 and with CWRP contested June 2004 elections as single party;
MDC's leadership dissolved coalition in December 2004
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ARF, AsDB, CP, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO,
ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OPCW, OSCE (partner), SCO
(observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UPU, WCO, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ravdan BOLD
chancery: 2833 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 333-7117
FAX: [1] (202) 298-9227
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mark C. MINTON
embassy: Big Ring Road, 11th Micro Region, Ulaanbaatar
mailing address: PSC 461, Box 300, FPO AP 96521-0002; P.O. Box 1021,
Ulaanbaatar-13
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 in Mongolia has traditionally been based on
herding and agriculture. Mongolia 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 and 1991 at
the time of the dismantlement of the USSR. The following decade saw
Mongolia endure both deep recession due to political inaction and
natural disasters, as well as economic growth because of
reform-embracing, free-market economics and extensive privatization
of the formerly state-run economy. Severe winters and summer
droughts in 2000-2002 resulted in massive livestock die-off and zero
or negative GDP growth. This was compounded by falling prices for
Mongolia's primary sector exports and widespread opposition to
privatization. Growth was 10.6% in 2004 and 5.5% in 2005, largely
because of high copper prices and new gold production. Mongolia's
economy continues to be heavily influenced by its neighbors. For
example, Mongolia purchases 80% of its petroleum products and a
substantial amount of electric power from Russia, leaving it
vulnerable to price increases. China is Mongolia's chief export
partner and a main source of the "shadow" or "grey" economy. The
World Bank and other international financial institutions estimate
the grey economy to be at least equal to that of the official
economy, but the former's actual size is difficult to calculate
since the money does not pass through the hands of tax authorities
or the banking sector. Remittances from Mongolians working abroad
both legally and illegally are sizeable, and money laundering is a
growing concern. Mongolia settled its $11 billion debt with Russia
at the end of 2003 on favorable terms. Mongolia, which joined the
World Trade Organization in 1997, seeks to expand its participation
and integration into Asian regional economic and trade regimes.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$5.272 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.4 billion (2005 est.)