Mongolia

World Vision is committed to partnering with the people of Mongolia to improve their lives today and to help enact sustainable solutions for the future of their children, families, and communities. Highlights of World Vision’s programs include:

• Offering relief supplies and assistance to rural families affected by natural disasters.
• Providing shelter, safety, clothing, food, basic medical care, and educational programs for children living on the streets.
• Increasing access to education through workshops, technical and vocational training, and informal education programs, helping to reduce the cycle of poverty.

World Vision began working in Mongolia in July 1991, providing much-needed medical supplies to help clinics and hospitals that were facing a shortage. The supplies helped prevent the fast spread of disease among the people.

Since then, some major accomplishments include:

• Providing meat, vegetables, baby food, rice, flour, and medicine to thousands of people affected by severe snowstorms in 1993.
• Increasing access to healthcare for thousands of Mongolians during the 1990s.
• Distributing food supplies to families struggling with hunger since 1999 and into the 21st century.
• Helping children living in poverty attend school and enroll in other educational programs since beginning of the 21st century.

Geography and people

Mongolia sits in central Asia between Russia to the north and China to the south. Grassland and semi-desert cover most of the terrain. The Gobi Desert, contrary to its name, is not exclusively desert: it includes some forests, oases, and mountains. In the north lies Lake Khövsgöl, Mongolia’s largest freshwater lake.

The continental climate brings wide temperature and weather changes throughout the seasons. Summers are usually warm and mild, and winters are often long and cold. With an average of over 200 cloudless days per year, Mongolia has earned the name Land of Blue Sky.

Natural resources include oil, coal, copper, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, gold, silver, and iron.

Most Mongolians are of ethnic Mongol groups, with the Khalkha being the largest group. About 90 percent of Mongolians speak the Khalkha Mongol dialect; the rest of the population uses Turkic or Russian.

History

During the 13th century, leader Genghis Khan established a huge Mongolian empire. After his death, the empire dwindled and eventually fell under the control of China.

Centuries later, Mongolia gained independence in 1921. A Communist government established power in Mongolia in 1924. After a peaceful democratic revolution, the first free elections took place in July 1990. Free elections continue today.

Please pray for the people of Mongolia and for peace and stability in their country.