2.7 million Mongols live in Mongolia. Physically most Mongolians are stocky and of medium height with light brown skin and dark hair. As the name suggests, Mongolians  belong racially to the broad grouping called Asiatic, or Mongoloid.
Of the many Mongol groups, the largest is the Khalkha, who make up about 80% of the population and live mainly in the central and eastern areas of the country. Other Mongol groups include the Buryads, Dörwöds, Öölds, Bayads, Dzakhchins, Uriyankhais, Uzemchins, and Bargas. Each has its own dialect and traditions, but in general differences are small. Clan or tribal divisions are not a significant social or political issue in modern Mongolia. The largest non-Mongol ethnic group, comprising about 5% of the population, is the Kazakhs, a pastoral, Turkic-speaking, Muslim people who live in the extreme west.
About one third of the population lives in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, and another quarter live in other cities and settlements. About 40 % of the population is spread throughout rural Mongolia. The population density, at slightly more than 1.5 persons per square kilometer (4 persons per sq. mile), is the lowest of any country in the world.
 Nearly 400,000 herdsmen look after about 30 million livestock moving from place to place several times a year looking for better pasture, water and weather. The life of nomads is inextricably linked with the environment and the animal. Traditionally, Mongolians breed 5 domesticated animals that include sheep, cattle, horses, goats and camels. Among the cattle, yaks are common. In the most northern province, there is a small ethnic group named after the animal they breed, Tsaatan or "Reindeer breeders".
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 31 May 2007 )
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