Nambaryn Enkhbayar
Prime Minister

(pronounced "Nam-bar-EEN en-kah-bye-YAHR")

"The government of Mongolia will press forward democracy and market reforms…This is a duty."

Mongolia is a large landlocked country sandwiched between two larger neighbors, China and Russia. Located at the center of the Asian continent, it covers 1,566,500 sq km (694,100 sq mi). Most of the landscape consists of pasture or desert wasteland, including the famous Gobi desert, known for its extreme daily temperature changes. The Mongolian climate is arid, with surrounding mountains acting as barriers that prevent moist air flow and precipitation. About 10% of the country is forested, supporting an abundance of wildlife—including boar, elk, deer, and bear. Only 1% of the land is arable, and is used to produce wheat, barley, oats, and vegetables.

The sixth-largest country in Asia, Mongolia is sparsely populated, with a population estimated to be 2.7 million or less that...