Khövsgöl Province

Khövsgöl Province
Хөвсгөл аймаг
ᠬᠥᠪᠰᠦᠭᠦᠯᠠᠶᠢᠮᠠᠭ
Province

Scenery in the Khövsgöl Province

Flag

Coat of arms
Coordinates: 49°38′N 100°10′E / 49.633°N 100.167°E / 49.633; 100.167Coordinates: 49°38′N 100°10′E / 49.633°N 100.167°E / 49.633; 100.167
Country Mongolia
Established 1931 (1931)
Capital Mörön
Area
  Total 100,628.82 km2 (38,853.00 sq mi)
Population (2011)
  Total 114,926
  Density 1.1/km2 (3.0/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+8
Area code(s) +976 138
ISO 3166 code MN-041
Vehicle registration ХӨ_
Website khovsgol.gov.mn

Khövsgöl (Mongolian: Хөвсгөл) is the northernmost of the 21 aimags (provinces) of Mongolia. The name is derived from Lake Khövsgöl.

Geography and History

Lake Khövsgöl

The Aimag is largely 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.

Population

Khövsgöl aimag population [1][2][3][4][5]
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.
58,20064,00063,700 74,800 82,300 88,200 91,100101,800 119,133 113,312 117,123 117,914 124,126 123,416123,275

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.

Ethnic minority groups in Khövsgöl (self-identification), 2000 census[6]
Group Population Percentage
Darkhad 16,268 13.8%
Khotgoid 6229 5.3%
Uriankhai 3036 2.6%
Buriad 996 0.84%
Tsaatan 269 0.23%
Total population 117914 100%

Famous Khövsgölians

Sums of Khövsgöl Aimag

Famous people from Khuvsgul 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.

Livestock

In 2007, the aimag was home to about 3.43 million heads of livestock, among them about 1,510,000 goats, 1,442,000 sheep, 322,000 cattle and yaks, 150,000 horses, 2,350 camels, and 652 reindeer.[5]

Transportation

The Mörön Airport (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. A new paved road finished in fall 2012 now connects Mörön to Khatgal on Lake Khövsgöl.

Administrative Subdivision

The Sums of Khövsgöl Aimag
Sum Mongolian Population
1987
(approx.)[7]
Population
1994
[8]
Population
2000[9]
Population 2005[10] Population
2009[11]
Sum centre
population
(2009)[11]
Area
(km²)[5]
Density
(/km²)
Alag-Erdene
Khatgal
Алаг-Эрдэнэ
Хатгал
2,300
7,000[12]
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 Арбулаг 3,100 4,2724,4874,1643,9897283,529.211.13
Bayanzürkh Баянзүрх 3,300 4,1804,2023,8633,9647424,299.140.92
Bürentogtokh Бүрэнтогтох 3,800 5,0434,6784,2514,2457353,768.601.12
Chandmani-Öndör Чандмань-Өндөр 2,100 2,8913,0632,9443,0061,0184,487.540.67
Erdenebulgan Эрдэнэбулган 2,300 3,086 2,7392,8492,7631,0604,694.380.59
Galt Галт 4,400 5,573 5,3284,8765,1327773,596.831.43
Ikh-Uul Их-Уул 3,200 3,767 3,9594,1264,1701,3872,023.822.06
Jargalant Жаргалант 3,700 4,866 5,0865,1095,1831,3152,549.282.03
Khankh Ханх n.a. 2,227 2,1402,3462,4601,4225,498.710.45
Mörön Мөрөн n.a. 27,230 28,14735,87236,08236,072102.90350.55
Rashaant Рашаант 2,500 3,1953,2803,5593,5019871,982.521.77
Renchinlkhümbe Рэнчинлхүмбэ 3,900[13] 4,0404,2844,6144,7408258,448.340.56
Shine-Ider Шинэ-Идэр 3,900 4,6164,3484,0683,8241,7182,053.561.86
Tarialan Тариалан 4,800 6,1226,0705,9366,0853,2723,430.671.77
Tömörbulag Төмөрбулаг 3,100 4,0844,1714,3534,1746132,521.721.66
Tosontsengel Тосонцэнгэл 2,800 3,6834,1613,6154,1441,1662,042.232,03
Tsagaannuur Цагааннуур 900 1,2481,3171,4051,5477085,408.300.29
Tsagaan-Uul Цагаан-Уул 4,300 5,5475,6965,1455,3329405,866.30.91
Tsagaan-Üür Цагаан-Үүр 2,000 2,5902,4212,4422,4599468,735.330.28
Tsetserleg Цэцэрлэг 4,400 5,5915,8764,6934,7668077,451.620.64
Tünel Түнэл 2,900 3,5793,5563,4653,5281,1053,577.330.99
Ulaan-Uul Улаан-Уул 2,700 3,3963,7263,8984,1181,38610,057.520.41

Notes and references

  1. Statoids (Gwillim Law) web page
  2. National Statistical Office
  3. National Economy of the Mongolian People's Republic (1921 - 1981), Ulaanbaatar 1981
  4. , GeoHive: Global Statistics
  5. 1 2 3 Khövsgöl Aimag Statistical Yearbook 2007
  6. M. Nyamaa, Khövsgöl aimgiin lavlakh toli, Ulaanbaatar 2001, p. 7, 35, 68, 148, 166, 190
  7. Khövsgöl Aimgiin Atlas, Ulaanbaatar 1988,p.6
  8. M. Nyamaa, Khövsgöl aimgiin lavlakh toli, Ulaanbaatar 2001,passim
  9. Rural Poverty Reduction Programme: official site
  10. 1 2 Khövsgöl Aimak Statistical Yearbook 2009
  11. population in 1990, acc. to M. Nyamaa, Khövsgöl aimgiin lavlakh toli
  12. incl. parts of Khankh

External links

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