Mongolia

landlocked · Asia · steppes · desert

Huge and Empty. Mongolia is the 18th largest country in the world, but only about 3.5 million people live there, making it the most sparsely populated country on Earth. That means you could travel for a very long time and see mostly wide open spaces.

Three Great Landscapes. Mongolia has three main natural regions: grassy steppes where nomads once roamed, tall mountains in the north and west, and the famous Gobi Desert in the south. Each landscape is home to different plants and animals adapted to harsh conditions.

Capital City Crowded. About half of all Mongolians live in Ulaanbaatar, the capital and largest city, while the rest spread out across the countryside. This makes the capital feel very crowded compared to the empty steppes beyond it.

Landlocked Geography. Mongolia is surrounded entirely by land, with Russia to the north and China to the south, and it does not border any ocean or inland sea. It is the largest landlocked country in the world without access to a sea.

Historic Nomadic Lands. For centuries, Mongolian people were famous for living as nomads on horseback across the steppes, herding animals and following the seasons. This way of life shaped the country's culture and history in a way that still matters today.