The most significant component of the country was the desert-like prairie or the steppes with somewhat limited natural fresh water resources in most areas. That was one of the reasons why the Mongols were Nomads for thousands of years. They would stay in one place only for as long as the area could support them and their animals. When the game, fish, grass, water, and the trees went down to a dangerous level, they would move on. There always were places left alone for long enough to regenerate the natural resources, and every tribe protected its own territory. That was the self-preservation technique employed ever since the beginning. One had to know precisely where the water wells and the grass were before starting an adventure. Every tribe had a guide whose job was to lead. The professional guides were driving the caravans through the Silk Road and the Mongolian steppes often because of that knowledge. They knew the places and understood the clues better than anyone else. Agreements between the tribes and regulations were followed religiously if one wanted to survive the trade and not to be traded for survival. Death and often violent were not strangers in the Mongolian steppes, and the punishments for violations were always severe. That was the lesson to the others as well. The local customs had to be obeyed with no questions asked. Yet, questions were often asked, and that usually led to the armed conflicts. Thus, many had died when that happened.
Environment, hardship, nature, armed conflicts, climate, and the self-preservation controlled the average age of survival, automatically limiting the levels of the population. Before the urbanization, the average age was higher than after, and population grows was just 1.43%. The policies of the former Communist regime promoted the rapid urbanization and the industrial growth throughout the country that had extremely adverse effects on the environment. Things were changing too fast for the Mongols to adopt and the society suffered. Burning of soft coal in multiple power plants and the lack of environmental regulations (while in place) enforcement severely polluted the air in Ulaanbaatar and other cities. Deforestation, overgrazing, water overuse, and the converting of virgin land to agricultural production had increased the soil erosion from often winds and rain. The Mongolian steppes were chocking lacking fresh air and water. And, the desertification and mining activities had a deleterious effect on the environment; thus, quality of life in the cities and the steppes. Mongolia was changing its face and the attractiveness for the Mongols rapidly. Tough was becoming tougher and fast. Many were immigrating, and even more, were planning to do so.
Present Mongolia consisted of twenty-one aymguud (provinces) and one hot (municipality). They are Arhangay, Bayanhongor, Bayan-Olgiy, Bulgan, Darhan Uul, Dornod, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Dzavhan, Govi-Altay, Govi-Sumber, Hentiy, Hovd, Hovsgol, Omnogovi, Orhon, Ovorhangay, Selenge, Suhbaatar, Tov, Ulaanbaatar (municipality), Uvs. The flag is 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). The population of Mongolia is about 2.2 million people, with about 60% living in towns and cities. And the towns mostly look like the Soviet era poorly ran developments, and one must see it to appreciate the statement. Even though it’s a small country with minimal resources, they improve the leftover Soviet horror with speed often matching the desire.
Soon, the Mongolian identity would be fully restored throughout the country. Even though the Mongols may keep a few ugly things just to remind how great it was in the Socialist camp and Socialism should never be again. The Soviet Union was the biggest Union of them all, and one could still see it here and there. After being forced to unite for so long, everyone was enjoying the liberation much even if they were still poor. The real Mongolian identity is not there yet, but the entire country was working very hard to establish it. The small beginnings of it could be seen already here and there, mostly there, but its growing, spreading out. The whole country and the whole people were experiencing pains of being born and growing again. It was not easy, but the Mongols wanted to ascertain their lives using the experiences and the traditions of the ancestors multiplied by the coefficient of the present and modern practices. They may still have the know-how, even if only on the genetic levels. Genes were such a powerful device. In short, Mongols wanted to be Mongols. That is why they wanted freedom and fought for it unselfishly. Do they have to be as the rest of the world? Maybe all you should be is yourself. That could be the best, but then, we do not really know.
This little country was permanently squeezed between the mighty power of Russia and the overpopulated power of China. There was a time when small Mongolia ruled both, but that time was gone. Russia and China went through some ups and downs and came out as even greater powers than before. And, Mongolia came out of centuries of fighting and dictating the world as a little country squeezed between the mighty powers. For five hundred years, they ruled half of the known world, and now, they had problems governing even themselves. What a sad story for Mongolia and the Mongols, and what a glorious tale for Russia and China. The giant prevailed again. Bleeding profusely, they won in the end. What was left for Mongolia after the centuries of dividing? No significant waterways were leading in or out of Mongolia. Mongols did not enjoy access to the sea or the ocean ports. They could not move freely around the world or even to the neighboring countries. There only was and continued to be the Silk Road and the still booming economy along its way. Why is the Silk Road? Why it has been so permanently attached to the Mongols, and still is so vital for the economy of Mongolia?
The region unraveling China and the Indochina from Europe and Western Asia was not the friendliest and the most hospitable territory in the world. Much of it was permanently claimed up by the Taklimakan desert. That is a vast region of the sand desert that stretches out over several hundred thousand square miles sitting in the depression between two high, rugged mountain ranges in the Xinjiang Region of Northwest China. The Taklimakan desert is one of the most hostile environments on our planet, and we have a few. There was very little, almost non-existent, vegetation there and virtually no rainfall. A few drops a year did not count. It was not a very good place to be. The sandstorms were very common there and have claimed the lives of countless people attempting to travel there over the centuries. The locals have very high respect for this “Land of Death,” and only a few travelers in the past have had anything good to say about it. What good was there? Nothing was there, but sand and more sand. It covers a vast area, through which only a few roads pass. Caravans of traders, warriors, and the dignitaries throughout history preferred to skirt its edges, from one remote oasis to the next.