Arbulag is a sum of Khövsgöl aimag. The area is about 3,360 km², of which 3,120 km² are pasture. In 2000, the sum had 4478 inhabitants, mainly Khotgoid

Khotgoid

Khotogoid is a subgroup of Mongol people in northwestern Mongolia. The Khotogoid people live roughly between Uvs Lake to the west and the Delgermörön river to the east...

 and Darkhad

Darkhad

The Darkhad is a subgroup of Mongol people living mainly in northern Mongolia. They living mainly in the Bayanzürkh, Ulaan-Uul, Renchinlkhümbe, and Tsagaannuur sums of Khövsgöl Province. The Darkhad valley is named after them...

. The center, officially named Mandal is located 75 km northwest of Mörön and 742 kilometers from Ulaanbaatar.

History

The Arbulag sum was founded, together with the whole Khövsgöl aimag, in 1931. In 1933, it had about 3,200 inhabitants in 911 households, and about 106,000 heads of livestock. In 1959, areas from Arbulag and Alag-Erdene sum

Alag-Erdene, Khövsgöl

Alag-Erdene is a sum of Khövsgöl aimag. The area is about 4,500 km², of which 1,460 km² are forest, and 2,760 km² are pasture. In 2005, the sum had 2992 inhabitants, incl. some Darkhad, Khotgoid, and Uriankhai...

 were joined the new Sümber sum, but this sum soon was joined to Arbulag again. The local negdel

Negdel

Negdel is the common term for the agricultural cooperatives in the Mongolian People's Republic. The full name is Khödöö aj axuin negdel .- Early attempts :...

 was founded in 1939, under the name Sörtiin negdel. Later the name was changed to Mandal.

Economy

In 2004, there were roughly 135,000 heads of livestock, among them 58,000 sheep, 58,000 goat

Goat

The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...

s, 9,700 cattle

Cattle

Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...

 and yak

Yak

The yak, Bos grunniens or Bos mutus, is a long-haired bovine found throughout the Himalayan region of south Central Asia, the Tibetan Plateau and as far north as Mongolia and Russia. In addition to a large domestic population, there is a small, vulnerable wild yak population...

s, 9,300 horse

Horse

The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...

s, and 200 camels

Bactrian camel

The Bactrian camel is a large, even-toed ungulate native to the steppes of central Asia. It is presently restricted in the wild to remote regions of the Gobi and Taklamakan Deserts of Mongolia and Xinjiang. A small number of wild Bactrian camels still roam the Mangystau Province of southwest...

. There are some phosphorite

Phosphorite

Phosphorite, phosphate rock or rock phosphate is a non-detrital sedimentary rock which contains high amounts of phosphate bearing minerals. The phosphate content of phosphorite is at least 15 to 20% which is a large enrichment over the typical sedimentary rock content of less than 0.2%...

 and bauxite

Bauxite

Bauxite is an aluminium ore and is the main source of aluminium. This form of rock consists mostly of the minerals gibbsite Al3, boehmite γ-AlO, and diaspore α-AlO, in a mixture with the two iron oxides goethite and hematite, the clay mineral kaolinite, and small amounts of anatase TiO2...

 reserves in the area.

Interesting Places

In 1953/56, remains of a palace and a stele from the time of Mönkh Khaan

Möngke Khan

Möngke Khan , born Möngke, , was the fourth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire from July 1, 1251 – August 11, 1259. He was the first Great Khan from the Toluid line, and made significant reforms to improve the administration of the Empire during his reign...

 were discovered near the border to Bürentogtokh

Bürentogtokh, Khövsgöl

Bürentogtokh is a sum of Khövsgöl aimag . The area is about 3,760 km², of which 2,870 km² are pasture. In 2005, the sum had 4251 inhabitants, mainly Khalkha and Khotgoid...

. About 10 km east of the sum center is a large Ovoo

Ovoo

An ovoo is a type of shamanistic cairn found in Mongolia, usually made from rocks or from wood. Ovoos are often found at the top of mountains and in high places, like mountain passes...

 known as Tsagaan chuluutyn ovoo that, according to local folkore, might be the grave of Chingünjav

Chingünjav

Chingünjav was one of the two major leaders of the 1755 - 1756 rebellion in Outer Mongolia. Although his rebellion failed, he is nowadays often hailed as a fighter for Mongolia's independence from the Manchu, who were ruling China at that time....

.