Mongolia is located in the heart of Central Asia between China and Russia, it has a unique unspoiled nature and preserves a nomadic lifestyle to date. Known as "the land of blue sky", Mongolia is a remarkable sunny country enjoying 250 sunny days a year. The country has the world's most typical continental climate with extreme diurnal and annual ranges of temperature. The extensive grasslands of the steppes covering the central, eastern and western part of the Mongolia. Millions of years ago, Mongolia was home to a variety of dinosaur species.

Today, remains of dinosaurs have been found in the south side of Mongolia. The south is the domain of the Gobi with large sand dune areas and canyons in Eastern Gobi. Mongolia is dotted with about 4.000 lakes (one of which is lake Hovsgol, known as the "dark blue pearl of Mongolia) and rivers where fishing is abundant. Spectacular is the immensity of the landscape dominated by towering snow-capped mountains with glaciers.

The vast expanses, the absolute magnitude, beauty and wonder of the Mongolian scenery are interwined with the Mongolian nomadic lifestyle and renowned hospitality which has little changed through the passage of time. The Mongolian culture is shaped by nomadism and the traditional dwelling of the nomadic Mongolian, the ger (traditional round felt tent), is the focal-point of many customs and traditions.

The historic heritage of Mongolia is mainly related to Chingis khan, the warrior - statesman who in 13th century united the Mongolian people into a nation that controlled much of Eurasia. Kharkhorin, the capital of this empire, is Chingis khan's fabled city, was founded in 1220 in the Orkhon valley, at the crossroads of the Silk Route. The symbolic ruins of Kharkhorin, monumental walls with 108 stupas, surround the first Buddhist monastery in Mongolia "Erdene Zuu" monastery built in 1586. The cultural heritage includes Buddhist monasteries, Amarbayasgalant north of Ulaanbaatar, Gandan in Ulaanbaatar (capital city) and Manzshir in the Bogd Mountains near the capital. Nearby, Turkish monuments and rock inscriptions erected in 8-9th centuries in memory of outstanding fighters for independence.

The endless and intact expanses of Mongolia's land are not empty but provide habitats for wildlife species such as snow leopard, argal (wild mountain sheep), Przhevalsky's horse, gobi bear (mazaalai), asiatic wild ass, wild bactrian camels, ibex, ...and insure the survival of half of the country's people, nomadic herdsmen moving by horse or camel in harmony with nature. 

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