Traveller-s-diary

Geography of Mongolia

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Landscape

Terrain
Mongolia is a nation filled with stark geographic contrasts. With an average elevation of 1,580 meters (5,182 feet), it ranks among the highest countries in the world. The most dominant feature is the Mongolian Plateau, a region of gently rolling grasslands, covering about two-thirds of the central of Mongolia.
Mongolia's mountains support the southern edge of the great Siberian taiga, which covers about 10% of Mongolia with dense stands of larch and evergreen trees. This region also provides the headwaters for the few major rivers that drain the land and provide water for herdsmen across the plateau.
The Gobi is a vast expanse of barren terrain that dominates the southern one-third of Mongolia. There are no trees and only sparse vegetation to maintain scattered herds of sheep, goats, and camels.
Climate
Precipitation is low and skies are usually clear during the wintertime. Summers, however, are very pleasant just as in the US and Europe. There is a short rainy season in July and August during which most of the yearly rain falls. Around 67-78 percent of all precipitation falls during these three summer months. This rain, however, is just what we get in northern Europe, at about the same time. Occasional strong winds can come and go quickly. Spring and fall pass very quickly.
Throughout the year, there are 250 sunny days and 9-23 cloudy days. The duration of the period with a mean daily temperature higher than the freezing point lasts about 170-190 days, increasing to the south and southeast up to 200-215 days.
The average summer temperature is +20c (+65F) . Winter is –20c (-13F) . The wind is 1.5-4.5m/s. The average rainfall 200-220 mm.

Silk Road

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The Silk Road was not a trade route that existed solely for the purpose of trading in silk. Other commodities like gold, ivory, precious stones and glass were also traded. In the opposite direction, furs, ceramics, jade, bronze objects, lacquer and iron were carried. Zhang Qian is being seen by many to be the father of the Silk Road.

Bibliography

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

http://www.panoramicjourneys.com/Panoramic%20Journeys%20%20Mongolia%20INFO.pdf
http://english.people.com.cn/data/mongolia.html
http://www.face-music.ch/bi_bid/historyofbuddhism_en.html

http://web.whittier.edu/history/imperialchina/papers/retz%20china%20FINAL%5D.doc

http://google.com ( mainly all are found)

for the pics and the websites' information.

Thank You.

Pics of Western Mongolia

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Gers- tents where the Mongolians live in.

Camels in Mongolia

Herds of horses in Mongolia

Steppes and mountains

Western Mongolia

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Mongolia is one of the world’s best-kept secrets. Three times the size of France and with more horses than people, it is one of Asia’s last ‘unspoilt’ destinations. Nomadic Herders still roam the steppe as they have since the time of Genghgis Khan.

Unlike the rest of Mongolia, the western one-fifth of the country is populated predominantly by Khazak nomads. Khaks whom are Muslim ,not Buddhists, have more Caucasian features, and are culturally less demure than Mongolians.

Ghenkis Khan (1162-1227) conquered an area stretching from Beijing to the Caspian Sea and founded the Mongol empire. Ghenkis however was just one of many powerful warlords in a succession of rulers who made their mark in Central Asia.

Khublai Khan (1216-12940 moved the center of the empire from Karakorun to modern day Beijing. He established his summer camp further north at Shangdu, later immortalized as ‘Xuandu’ by Samuel taylor Coleriedge. The empire, the largest the world has ever known, extended from Korea to Hungary and as far south as Vietnam and Java.

After the fall the empire, this remote land fell into obsructy. Mongolia came under the control of communist Russia. Only recently has this fascinating land reopened its doors.

Info.on people of Mongolia

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Religion: predominantly Tibetan Buddhist, Muslim 4%

Languages:
Khalkha Mongol 90%, Turkic, Russian, Chinese

People: 50% of the people are still nomads.

Capital:
Ulaanbaatar

Principal Industries: Mining, cashmere exports, farming and tourism.

Spread of Buddhism as well as the influences of diff. directions. of Mongolia.

The word "buddhism" comes from the Sanskrit word "buddha," which means "the awakened one." buddhism, or buddhadharma, is the proclamation of, and journey toward, an awakening of human potential.

Lamaism, a form of Northern Buddhism, spread in Tibet in the 7th century. It has never succeeded in substituting the old Bon forms.

At the end of the 14th century, the Tibetan church experienced a schism, initiated by the monk Tsongkhapa, a reformer who objected to the dissolute way of life the monks had established. He founded the "Sect of Virtue" (Yellow Church, we know it as the Yellow hats), and he introduced the colour yellow for the habit of the religious order. The main area of distribution of the "Yellow Church" was especially the monasteries in Northern Tibet and later on in Mongolia.

- The Eastern Mongols are living, from a political point of view, on Chinese territory, on the frontier of North-Eastern Tibet, in part in East Sinkiang and on the territory of the Blue Lake (Köke Nuur).

- The Northern Mongols live in the South of Central Siberia, and the Burjates live mainly in the area around the Lake Baikal. The people from Western Baikal are still prone to shamanism. The people from Southern Baikal and the Burjates in the Trans-Baikal area have adopted the

Lamaistic faith with reformed influences.
Such as the Burmanese, the Chinese, the Japanese, the people from Cambodia, Corea, Siam, the Sinhalese, the Tibetan and other peoples in Asia, the Mongols belong to the religious group of Indian-Buddhism. Chinese culture and art have created commonly adopted traditions in the course of various centuries, traditions that still establish a relationship between these peoples.

The Mongols are Lamaists. The "Yellow Church" here determines the area of influence. In Mongolian monasteries Buddhist art, before its destruction in the 1930ies, had been very highly developed, and there could been found real masters of their art among painters, sculptors, architects, and especially skilled craftsmen.

Traveller's Tips- Advice and Information

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Mongolia considered to be relatively safe place for travelers with no serious crimes against foreigners. Neverless, some precautions can save you money, time and nerves.

1.When traveling to countryside make sure to take along cigarettes, soap, colored pens, a couple of bottles of alcohol and sweets as a small gift to cheer up local hosts.

2.You can't book domestic return flights in advance, so stop at the local ticket office as soon as you arrive at each destination, or see if your guide can take care of it.

3.Do not carry big amounts of money with you. Beware of pickpocketers, especially in crowded places or while riding public buses.

4.The streetlights in Ulaanbaatar function only along the central streets, so do not walk lately or keep well lit central streets.

5.Mongolian drivers do not care much about pedestrians. Make sure to look left and check for an approaching car before crossing streets.

6.It is advisable not to eat in small canteens as the quality of food is not guaranteed. And it's better to buy foodstuff from large shops or food markets where cool storing equipment is available.

7.If possible, make a copy of your passport and bear it on you while leaving the original in the hotel.

8.Do not leave personal belongings unattended. They can disappear easily.

Goods and Inventions traded along the Silk Road

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Goods traded along the Silk Road

1)GRAIN

2) SILK CLOTH

3) PORCELAIN

4) RHUBARB

5) HERBS

6) HORSES

7) CINAMMON

8) BACTRIAN CAMELS

9) FRUIT (DATES, RAISINS)

10) JADE

11) METALWORK

12) GLASS

13) CARPETS

14) GOLD

15) IVORY

16) COTTON CLOTH

17) PEARLS

18) PRECIOUS STONES

Famous chinese inventions traded along the Silk Road

1) GUNPOWDER

2) PRINTING

3) COMPASS

4) PAPER

~Introduction of the Silk Road~

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http://www.east-site.com/about-silkroad

~Introduction of the Silk
Road~

The primary currency of that trade was silk, and thus the term "silk road" refers to the paths traveled in the pursuit of trade for silk. It

denotes a network of trails and trading posts, oases and emporia connecting East Asia to the Mediterranean.The Silk Road served as an important communication link between cultures and economies.

Description: It stretches 5000 miles. The area covered by the Silk Road is one of the largest landlocked regions of the world. It has deserts, mountains, few navigable waterways, and soil that does not lend itself to extensive crop agriculture.

Benefits of Trade: At first, trade was probably carried mainly by diplomatic envoys of China and the countries of central Asia. Later, however, it became the monopoly of a wide variety of merchants.

1. Trade encouraged the meeting of cultures and the settlement of foreigners.

2.Trade brought new ideas, new food, diverse cultures and religions to a country.

3.Trade allowed the economy of a country to prosper, the development of major trade centers and of taking in the new cultures and knowledge.

PICTURES- routes of Silk Road

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The mouth of Hexi corridor in Gansu, the Gobi meets the Taklimakan.

Dunhang Oasis

Markets of Bombay, India

Silk Road ,northwest China

Xian Mosque

~Routes of the Silk Road~

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Routes of the Silk Road

The Silk Road was not one road but a series of caravan routes which connected China in the east with cities in the west.

The eastern routes began in Xi'an (Chang'an), the once capital of China and traveled westward following a variety of routes.

One route went northwest, passing through the Gansu corridor to the oasis of Dunhuang at the edge of the Gobi desert. Leaving this oasis town through the famous "Jade Gate", travelers skirted the dreaded Taklamakan desert continuing to head northwest to Turfan, Kucha, Urumqui, Aksu, Tumchuq, finally reaching Kashgar near what is today the boarder of Pakistan.

Another eastward moving route took caravans through the "Jade Gate" and skirted the northern shore of the 'wandering lake' at Lop-nor. It passed through the oasis town of Lou-lan before rejoining the main northern route.

The southern route followed the oases towns including Miran, Endere, Niya, Khotan and Yarkand. and went northward to join the northern route in Kashgar.

From there the Silk Road continued westwards across the High Pamir mountains out of China and into what is now Soviet Central Asia, continuing via Khokand, Samarkand, Bokhara, Merv, through Persia and Iraq, to the Mediterranean coast. Ships then carried merchandise to Rome and Alexandria.

Another branch left the southern route at the far end of the Taklamakan and took in Balkh, today in northern Afghanistan, rejoining the westbound Silk Road at Merv.

Another road left the southern route at Yarkand and traveled southward across the Karakoram passes to the towns of Leh and Srinagar, before finally reaching the markets of Bombay, India

Main Achievements

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His Main Achievements

1. He re-unified China and was the first emperor who laid the foundation of today's territory of China.

2. In terms of political reform, he gave first priority to appointing people on thier merits and seeking advice from able and worthy men. Besides, to strengthen the centralization, he established the system of provincial administrative division, named Xing Sheng, for the first time, which is still used today, although bearing great differences.

3. In terms of economic development, he stressed agricultural development, established paper currency, reorganized and improved roads, and extended the Grand Canal all the way to his new capital in Ta-tu, what is now modren day Beijing. Kublai was the first to put in a countrywide paper currency system.

4. He encouraged modernization and trade with western nations, welcoming western traderslike Marco Polo. Merchants had a high status during the Yuan Period.In 1275, Marco Polo, A venetian explorer, visited Shangdu and a relationship of trust was formed between the two. Marco Polo even served the Yuan court for 20 years during his stay in China.

5. He also encouraged the development of arts and literature.

Biography and Timeline

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Early Life and Education;

Timeline of Kublai Khan's Life

"The Mongol Empire was seperated into four Khanates, each ruled by a speperate Khan.

The Great Khanate controlled Mongolia and also China."

1251: He became the governor of Southern territories of Mongol Empire-his brother Mongke was the Khan

May 5,1260: He was elected Khan

May 5,1260-December 17,1271: Begins his reign as Khan of the Mongols

December 18, 1271 – February 18, 1294 : Begins his reign as Emperor of Yuan China.

He conquered China and established the Chinese Yuan Dynasty.Kublai Khan became an emperor in the Chinese tradition and established a court at Peking.

1274 and 1281: Kublai Khan twice attempted to invade Japan , in search of gold.

1294: Kublai Khan passed away.