Khovd Province

Khovd Province Ховд аймаг ᠬᠣᠪᠳᠤᠠᠶᠢᠮᠠᠭ
Province
Ruins of a fortress in Khovd Province
Flag Coat of arms
Coordinates: 47°0′N 92°45′E / 47.000°N 92.750°E / 47.000; 92.750Coordinates: 47°0′N 92°45′E / 47.000°N 92.750°E / 47.000; 92.750
Country	Mongolia
Established	1931 (1931)
Capital	Khovd
Area
• Total	76,060.38 km2 (29,367.08 sq mi)
Highest elevation	4,204 m (13,793 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	76,870
• Density	1.0/km2 (2.6/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+7
Area code(s)	+976 (0)143
ISO 3166 code	MN-043
Website	hovd.gov.mn

Khovd (Mongolian: Ховд) is one of the 21 aimags (provinces) of Mongolia, located in the west of the country. Its capital is also named Khovd.

Khovd is approximately 1,580 km from Ulan Bator. It is considered remote even by Mongolian standards. It takes its name from the Khovd River, which is located in this province.

Population

Khovd is distinguished by its multi-cultural population. It is home to more than 17 nationalities and ethnicities. Each of these groups has its own distinct traditional dwelling and settlement pattern, dress and other cultural distinctions, literary, artistic, and musical traditions. There is a rather large minority Kazakh-Mongol population that speaks both Kazakh and Mongolian.

The Khovd aimag population growth stopped in 1991, then migration out of the aimag (approx. 20,000 in 1992-2004) compensated the natural increase and confined aimag's population within 87,000 – 92,000 limits.

Climate

Khovd is notorious for its harsh weather cycles, as temperatures regularly reach as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and as low as −30 degrees Celsius (−22 degrees Fahrenheit). The climate is dry, as it receives the same average rainfall of Phoenix, Arizona each year.

Rivers

The major river are

• Hovd River
• Bulgan River
• Buyant River
• Hoid tsenher River
• Dund tsenher River
• Uench River
• Bodonch River

Lakes

• Khar-Us Nuur
• Khar Nuur
• Dörgön Nuur
• Tsetseg lake

Mountains

Altai Mountains

• Jargalant hairhan
• Bumbat hairhan
• Baatar hairhan
• Monkhhairhan
• Baitag bogd

Transportation

The Khovd Airport (HVD/ZMKD) has two runways, one of which is paved, and gets served by regular flights from and to Ulan Bator, Mörön, and Bulgan.But planned of flight to Ürümqi city of Xingjiang.

Economy

The region around the city is famous in Mongolia for its watermelon crop.

There is a sizable hydroelectric dambuilding project underway that will theoretically generate enough electricity to power the three most western aimags (Uvs, Bayan-Ölgii, and Khovd). Currently, the city of Khovd is connected to the Russian power grid and subject to blackouts if it falls behind in its payments.

Administrative Subdivision

Sums of Khovd Aimag

The Aimag capital Khovd is geographically located in the Buyant sum, but is administered as independent Jargalant sum. The administrative center of the Khovd Sum is also called Khovd, which is a common source of confusion. The other administrative centers carry the name of the respective Sum as well.

^* - The aimag capital Khovd

References

• Natalia Rudaya, Pavel Tarasov, Nadezhda Dorofeyuk... Holocene environments and climate in the Mongolian Altai reconstructed from the Hoton-Nur pollen and diatom records: a step towards better understanding climate dynamics in Central Asia // Quaternary Science Reviews
• Expedition trip to the North-West Mongolia, Tomsk State University and the University of Hovd, cooperation. Video.

	Bayan-Olgii Province	Uvs Province	Zavkhan Province
			Govi-Altai Province
	Khovd Province
		Xinjiang, China

Administrative divisions of Mongolia Aimags (provinces) Arkhangai Bayankhongor Bayan-Ölgii Bulgan Darkhan-Uul Dornod Dornogovi Dundgovi Govi-Altai Govisümber Khentii Khovd Khövsgöl Ömnögovi Orkhon Övörkhangai Selenge Sükhbaatar Töv Uvs Zavkhan Municipality Ulan Bator