Hövsgöl Province
Encyclopedia
Khövsgöl is the northernmost of the 21 aimags
(provinces) of Mongolia
. The name is derived from Lake Khövsgöl.
The Aimag is quite mountainous. The south and southwest are dominated by the round-topped Tarvagatai, Bulnain and Erchim sub-ranges of the Khangai massif. The areas west and north of Lake Khövsgöl are formed by the alpine Khoridol Saridag
, Ulaan Taiga
, and Mönkh Saridag mountains. The center and east are less mountainous, but still hilly.
Within Mongolia, the region is well-known for its natural beauty, and Lake Khövsgöl is one of the country's major tourist attractions. The largest forest areas of Mongolia are located around and to the north of the lake, extending the south-siberian Taiga.
The aimag was founded in 1931. Khatgal was the administrative center until 1933, since when it has been Mörön.
The region is home to many ethnic minority groups: Darkhad
, Khotgoid
, Uriankhai
, Buriad
, and Tsaatan. Both the Darkhad and Tsaatan are famous for their practice of shamanism.
Famous people from Khövsgöl include:
Henning Haslund-Christensen, a Danish traveller and explorer, spent one or two years in a place that today is in Erdenebulgan sum
in the early 1920s. Some locals believe that Alan Gua
, a female ancestor of Genghis Khan
, hails from what is now Chandmani-Öndör.
s, 1,442,000 sheep, 322,000 cattle
and yak
s, 150,000 horse
s, 2,350 camels
, and 652 reindeer
.
(ZMMN/MXV) has one paved runway. It offers regular flights from and to Ulaanbaatar
, and also serves as intermediate stop into the western Aimags.
The Khatgal Airport
(HTM) only runs scheduled flights from and to Ulaanbaatar in summer, offering a more direct approach to Lake Khövsgöl for the tourists.
The road distance from Mörön
to Ulaanbaatar is 690 km. At present (2011), a new road is under construction from Mörön to Lake Khövsgöl.
Aimags of Mongolia
Mongolia is divided into 21 aimags . Each aimag is subdivided into several sums. The name aimag is derived from the Mongolian and Turkic languages word for "tribe". The modern aimags were established since 1921...
(provinces) of Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
. The name is derived from Lake Khövsgöl.
Geography and History
Khoridol Saridag mountains
The Khoridol Saridag mountains are a 90 km-long mountain range in Khövsgöl aimag, Mongolia, between Khövsgöl nuur and the Darkhad valley. The range covers parts of the Renchinlkhümbe, Ulaan-Uul and Alag-Erdene sums...
, Ulaan Taiga
Ulaan Taiga
Ulaan Taiga is a mountain range in northwestern Khövsgöl, Mongolia, between the Darkhad Valley and Mongolia's border with Tuva, Russia. The range covers parts of the Ulaan-Uul, Tsagaannuur and Bayanzürkh sums. Notable peaks include Mt. Lam Taiga and Mt. Belchir . The Shishged River and the...
, and Mönkh Saridag mountains. The center and east are less mountainous, but still hilly.
Within Mongolia, the region is well-known for its natural beauty, and Lake Khövsgöl is one of the country's major tourist attractions. The largest forest areas of Mongolia are located around and to the north of the lake, extending the south-siberian Taiga.
The aimag was founded in 1931. Khatgal was the administrative center until 1933, since when it has been Mörön.
Population
| 1956 census |
1960 est. |
1963 census |
1969 census |
1975 est. |
1979 census |
1981 est. |
1989 census |
1992 est. |
1996 est. |
1998 est. |
2000 census |
2003 est. |
2005 est. |
2007 est. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 58,200 | 64,000 | 63,700 | 74,800 | 82,300 | 88,200 | 91,100 | 101,800 | 119,133 | 113,312 | 117,123 | 117,914 | 124,126 | 123,416 | 123,275 |
The region is home to many ethnic minority groups: 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...
, 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...
, Uriankhai
Uriankhai
"Uriankhai" , also known as Urianhai or Uryangkhai, is a term applied to several neighboring ethnic groups...
, Buriad
Buryats
The Buryats or Buriyads , numbering approximately 436,000, are the largest ethnic minority group in Siberia and are mainly concentrated in their homeland, the Buryat Republic, a federal subject of Russia...
, and Tsaatan. Both the Darkhad and Tsaatan are famous for their practice of shamanism.
| Ethnic minority groups in Khövsgöl (self-identification), 2000 census | ||
|---|---|---|
| Group | Population | Percentage |
| 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... |
16,268 | 13.8% |
| 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... |
6229 | 5.3% |
| Uriankhai Uriankhai "Uriankhai" , also known as Urianhai or Uryangkhai, is a term applied to several neighboring ethnic groups... |
3036 | 2.6% |
| Buriad Buryats The Buryats or Buriyads , numbering approximately 436,000, are the largest ethnic minority group in Siberia and are mainly concentrated in their homeland, the Buryat Republic, a federal subject of Russia... |
996 | 0.84% |
| Tsaatan Tsaatan The Dukha are a small culture of reindeer herders living in northern Khövsgöl Aimag of Mongolia.The North Taiga band was organized under the Qing Dynasty from 1755-1912 as part of Toja or Uriyankhai banner... |
269 | 0.23% |
| Total population | 117914 | 100% |
Famous Khövsgölians
- ChingünjavChingünjavChingünjav 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....
, leader of an anti-ManchuManchuThe Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
rebellion in 1756/57, - Öndör GongorÖndör GongorÖndör Gongor was a very tall man in early-20th century Mongolia. He was measured 2,36 m high by Roy Chapman Andrews, but some other sources even give 2,45 m . He is known all over Mongolia, and also mentioned or pictured in some accounts of contemporary western travellers.According to an...
, was a very tall man in early-20th century Mongolia, - Jalkhanz Khutagt DamdinbazarJalkhanz Khutagt Sodnomyn DamdinbazarThe Jalkhanz Khutagt Sodnomyn Damdinbazar was a high lamaist incarnation in northwestern Mongolia, and played a high-profile role in the country's independence movement...
, a prime minister of Mongolia in the early 1920s, - GelenkhüüGelenkhüüGelenkhüü , full name Khainzangiin Gelenkhüü , also known as Gelenkhüü Shükherch , is a semi-legendary figure from Northern Mongolia...
, an inventor and hero of local folklore. - Oyungerel Tsedevdamba, activist, first Mongolian to graduate from Stanford
Henning Haslund-Christensen, a Danish traveller and explorer, spent one or two years in a place that today is in Erdenebulgan sum
Erdenebulgan, Khövsgöl
Erdenebulgan is a sum of Khövsgöl aimag. The area is about 4,960 km². In 2000, the sum had 2739 inhabitants. The center, officially named Eg-Üür , is situated on the banks of the Egiin gol.- History :...
in the early 1920s. Some locals believe that Alan Gua
Alan Goa
Alan Gua is a mythical figure from the Secret History of the Mongols, eleven generations after the grey wolf and the white doe, and ten generations before Genghis Khan. Her five sons are described as the ancestors of the various Mongol clans...
, a female ancestor of Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
, hails from what is now Chandmani-Öndör.
Livestock
In 2007, the aimag was home to about 3.43 million heads of livestock, among them about 1,510,000 goatGoat
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, 1,442,000 sheep, 322,000 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, 150,000 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, 2,350 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...
, and 652 reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
.
Transportation
The Mörön AirportMörön Airport
Mörön Airport is a public airport located in Mörön, the capital of Khövsgöl Province, Mongolia.- Airlines and destinations:- External links :*...
(ZMMN/MXV) has one paved runway. It offers regular flights from and to Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar
Ulan Bator or Ulaanbaatar is the capital and largest city of Mongolia. An independent municipality, the city is not part of any province, and its population as of 2008 is over one million....
, and also serves as intermediate stop into the western Aimags.
The Khatgal Airport
Khatgal Airport
'Khatgal Airport' is an airport in Khatgal, Khövsgöl, Mongolia. It has a gravel runway. The small airport building was erected in 2006/2007....
(HTM) only runs scheduled flights from and to Ulaanbaatar in summer, offering a more direct approach to Lake Khövsgöl for the tourists.
The road distance from Mörön
Mörön
- Sights :* There were 60 temples and monasteries in Mörön at the end of the 19th century. Möröngiin Chüree Khiid Monastery in which about 2500 monks were living was the most important one. It was famous for its Tsam dances. In 1937, however, the monasteries and temples of Mörön were all destroyed...
to Ulaanbaatar is 690 km. At present (2011), a new road is under construction from Mörön to Lake Khövsgöl.
Administrative Subdivision
| Sum | Mongolian Mongolian language The Mongolian language is the official language of Mongolia and the best-known member of the Mongolic language family. The number of speakers across all its dialects may be 5.2 million, including the vast majority of the residents of Mongolia and many of the Mongolian residents of the Inner... |
Population 1987 (approx.) |
Population 1994 |
Population 2000 |
Population 2005 | Population 2009 |
Sum centre population (2009) |
Area (km²) |
Density (/km²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alag-Erdene 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... Khatgal |
|
2,300 7,000 |
2,809 3,756 |
2,825 2,498 |
2,992 2,831 |
2,980 2,952 |
744 2,952 |
3,591.5 911,4 |
0.83 3.24 |
| Arbulag Arbulag, Khövsgöl 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 and Darkhad. The center, officially named Mandal is located 75 km northwest of Mörön and 742 kilometers from Ulaanbaatar.- History :The Arbulag... |
3,100 | 4,272 | 4,487 | 4,164 | 3,989 | 728 | 3,529.21 | 1.13 | |
| Bayanzürkh Bayanzürkh, Khövsgöl Bayanzürkh is a sum of Khövsgöl aimag . The area is about 4,300 km², of which 2,600 km² are pasture.. In 2000, the sum had 4202 inhabitants, mainly Darkhad... |
3,300 | 4,180 | 4,202 | 3,863 | 3,964 | 742 | 4,299.14 | 0.92 | |
| 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... |
3,800 | 5,043 | 4,678 | 4,251 | 4,245 | 735 | 3,768.60 | 1.12 | |
| Chandmani-Öndör | 2,100 | 2,891 | 3,063 | 2,944 | 3,006 | 1,018 | 4,487.54 | 0.67 | |
| Erdenebulgan Erdenebulgan, Khövsgöl Erdenebulgan is a sum of Khövsgöl aimag. The area is about 4,960 km². In 2000, the sum had 2739 inhabitants. The center, officially named Eg-Üür , is situated on the banks of the Egiin gol.- History :... |
2,300 | 3,086 | 2,739 | 2,849 | 2,763 | 1,060 | 4,694.38 | 0.59 | |
| Galt Galt, Khövsgöl Galt is a sum of Khövsgöl aimag. The area is about 3,600 km². In 2000, the sum had 5328 inhabitants. The center, officially named Ider , is located 168 km south of Mörön and 837 kilometers from Ulaanbaatar.- History :... |
4,400 | 5,573 | 5,328 | 4,876 | 5,132 | 777 | 3,596.83 | 1.43 | |
| Ikh-Uul Ikh-Uul, Khövsgöl Ikh-Uul is a sum of Khövsgöl aimag. The area is about 2,020 km², of which 1,350 km² are pasture and about 11 km² are farmland. In 2000, the sum had 3959 inhabitants, mainly Khalkha and Khotgoid... |
3,200 | 3,767 | 3,959 | 4,126 | 4,170 | 1,387 | 2,023.82 | 2.06 | |
| Jargalant Jargalant, Khövsgöl Jargalant is a sum of Khövsgöl aimag. The area is about 2,550 km², of which 1,470 km² are pasture. In 2000, the sum had 5068 inhabitants, mainly Khalkha... |
3,700 | 4,866 | 5,086 | 5,109 | 5,183 | 1,315 | 2,549.28 | 2.03 | |
| Khankh Khankh, Khövsgöl Khankh is a sum of Khövsgöl aimag. The area is about 5,500 km². In 2000, the sum had 2140 inhabitants. The center, officially named Turt , is situated on the shore of Lake Khövsgöl, 280 km north of Mörön, 1020 kilometers from Ulaanbaatar, and 22 km from the Khankh/Mondy border... |
n.a. | 2,227 | 2,140 | 2,346 | 2,460 | 1,422 | 5,498.71 | 0.45 | |
| Mörön | n.a. | 27,230 | 28,147 | 35,872 | 36,082 | 36,072 | 102.90 | 350.55 | |
| Rashaant Rashaant, Khövsgöl Rashaant is a sum of Khövsgöl aimag. The area is about 1,980 km², of which 50 km² are farmland.. In 2000, the sum had 3280 inhabitants. The town of Rashaant, the aimag center, is located in a high valley, 154 km southeast of Mörön and 518 kilometers from Ulaanbaatar and had 978 inhabitants in... |
2,500 | 3,195 | 3,280 | 3,559 | 3,501 | 987 | 1,982.52 | 1.77 | |
| Renchinlkhümbe | 3,900 | 4,040 | 4,284 | 4,614 | 4,740 | 825 | 8,448.34 | 0.56 | |
| Shine-Ider Shine-Ider, Khövsgöl Shine-Ider is a sum of Khövsgöl aimag. The area is about 2,050 km², of which 1,700 km² are pasture. In 2000, the sum had 4348 inhabitants, mainly Khalkha... |
3,900 | 4,616 | 4,348 | 4,068 | 3,824 | 1,718 | 2,053.56 | 1.86 | |
| Tarialan Tarialan, Khövsgöl Tarialan is a sum of Khövsgöl aimag. The area is 3,431 km², of which 1,582 km² are pasture and 167 km² are arable land .... |
4,800 | 6,122 | 6,070 | 5,936 | 6,085 | 3,272 | 3,430.67 | 1.77 | |
| Tömörbulag Tömörbulag, Khövsgöl Tömörbulag |spring]]) is a sum of Khövsgöl aimag. The area is 2,510 km², of which about 1,950 km² are pasture. In 2000, Tömörbulag had a population of 4,174 people, including some Khotgoid... |
3,100 | 4,084 | 4,171 | 4,353 | 4,174 | 613 | 2,521.72 | 1.66 | |
| Tosontsengel | 2,800 | 3,683 | 4,161 | 3,615 | 4,144 | 1,166 | 2,042.23 | 2,03 | |
| Tsagaannuur | 900 | 1,248 | 1,317 | 1,405 | 1,547 | 708 | 5,408.30 | 0.29 | |
| Tsagaan-Uul Tsagaan-Uul, Khövsgöl Tsagaan-Uul is a sum of Khövsgöl aimag. The area is about 5,870 km², of which 5,190 km² are pasture. In 2005, the sum had 5145 inhabitants, mainly Khalkha and Khotgoid. The center officially named Sharga , is located 138 km west of Mörön and 840 kilometers from Ulaanbaatar.- History :The... |
4,300 | 5,547 | 5,696 | 5,145 | 5,332 | 940 | 5,866.3 | 0.91 | |
| Tsagaan-Üür Tsagaan-Üür, Khövsgöl Tsagaan-Üür is a sum of Khövsgöl aimag. The area is 8,730 km², of which only 1,140 km² are pasture. In 2000, Tsagaan-Üür had a population of 2,421 people, including Khalkha, Uriankhai, and Buriad... |
2,000 | 2,590 | 2,421 | 2,442 | 2,459 | 946 | 8,735.33 | 0.28 | |
| Tsetserleg Tsetserleg, Khövsgöl Tsetserleg is a sum of Khövsgöl aimag. The area is 7,480 km², of which 6,040 km² are pasture and 1,340 km² are forest. 15 km² are farmland. In 2000, Tsetserleg had a population of 5,876 people, mainly Khotgoid... |
4,400 | 5,591 | 5,876 | 4,693 | 4,766 | 807 | 7,451.62 | 0.64 | |
| Tünel Tünel, Khövsgöl Tünel is a sum of Khövsgöl aimag. The area is 3,580 km², of which about one third is forest. In 2000, Tünel had a population of 4,556 people, including some Khotgoid... |
2,900 | 3,579 | 3,556 | 3,465 | 3,528 | 1,105 | 3,577.33 | 0.99 | |
| Ulaan-Uul Ulaan-Uul, Khövsgöl Ulaan-Uul is a sum of Khövsgöl aimag. The area is close to 10,000 km². In 2000, Ulaan-Uul had a population of 3,726 people, mainly Darkhad. The sum center, officially named Tögöl , is located 171 km north-northwest of Mörön and 942 km from Ulaanbaatar.... |
2,700 | 3,396 | 3,726 | 3,898 | 4,118 | 1,386 | 10,057.52 | 0.41 | |