orientated and people connected in small groups. English is widely spoken in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar.
The 131-foot tall Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue is by the Tuul River at Tsonjin Boldog, where according to legend, he found a golden whip.
“I see the people as embracing the best part of Western culture, without losing the history of their own culture, especially in housing and shelter. Around 60 per cent of the people still live in yurts, and you see examples of this right in the middle of the capital city. “But while plenty of yurts are evident, not all property is low cost. We passed through golf course estates on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar where prices ranged from $500k to $2mil US. More than half the population lives in Ulaanbaatar; they need to address infrastructure - but they already know this!” Approximately 30% of the Mongolian population is nomadic or seminomadic, and horses remain integral to the culture. Over one million people live in rural areas, mostly involved in traditional livestock herding and, to some extent, crop production.
Mongolia on the bucket list Mongolia, in east Asia, is a landlocked country bordered by China to the south and Russia to the north. Its population is approximately 3,129,000. The majority of its people are Buddhists, and the non-religious make up the second largest group. Michael Davoren led a small group of Australians and New Zealanders there last year. “You went where? people ask,” said Michael, “Why? is invariably their next question.”
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“Then, I tell them it’s a place of amazing people and amazing sights. And if there’s an opportunity, I’d love to get back there.” He describes Mongolia as very much a frontier country, with wealth predominantly coming from mining and tourism. Tourism, he says, is where there’s great opportunity for investment. “Anyone who goes to Mongolia says ‘Let’s look at the Gobi Desert!’ It’s one of the world’s great wonders and, here alone, there is ample opportunity to capture a greater tourist market.” He found the people amongst the most welcoming, friendliest and helpful he’s encountered, with Mongolia’s culture being very family
Land in Mongolia is under state ownership, though the Constitution provides for the possibility of private ownership of urban and arable land. Most private holders of land presently hold their land either through possession rights,
