Ulaanbaatar

U·laan·baa·tar (o͞oʹlän-bäʹtär') or U·lan Ba·tor (-tôr')

The capital and largest city of Mongolia, in the north-central part of the country. It was founded as a monastery town in 1649 and was long a trading center on various caravan routes between Russia and China. Population: 515,100.

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or Ulan Bator

City (pop., 2000 est.: 691,000), capital of Mongolia.

Situated on a windswept plateau, it was founded in the mid 17th century as the residence of the Living Buddha (bodgo-gegen). A century later it had become a trading centre on caravan routes between Russia and China; it remains the principal junction of Mongolian transportation routes. The Mongolian revolt for independence was centred there in 1911. It became the capital when the Mongolian People's Republic was established in 1924 and remained the capital when the country's name was changed to Mongolia in 1992. It is the country's main industrial centre.

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▪ Mongolia

also spelled  Ulan Bator,  formerly  Urga, or Niislel Khureheh,  

      capital and largest city of Mongolia. It is situated on the Tuul River on a windswept plateau at an elevation of 4,430 feet (1,350 m). The city originated as a seasonal migratory abode of the Mongolian princes and in 1639 finally attained permanence on the present site with the construction of Da Khure Monastery. This building became the residence of the bodgo-gegen, high priest of the Tibetan Buddhist religion (to which the Mongols adhere), and remained as such for about 200 years. Da Khure became known to the Russians as Urga and developed as a trade centre between China and Russia. In 1911, when Outer Mongolia declared itself independent, the city was renamed Niislel Khureheh (“Capital of Mongolia”). In 1921 it was occupied by troops of Mongolia's revolutionary leader, Damdiny Sühbaatar, and the Soviet Red Army. When Mongolia was declared a people's republic in 1924, the city was renamed Ulaanbaatar, which means “Red Hero.”

      With Soviet help, a new city was planned, and its central feature was Sühbaatar Square, site of a Neoclassic government building, a history museum, and the national theatre. The city is also the site of the National University of Mongolia (1942), several professional and technical schools, and the Academy of Sciences of Mongolia.

      Ulaanbaatar is the main industrial centre of Mongolia. An industrial complex produces a variety of consumer goods. There are cement, iron, and brick works; footwear and garment factories; vehicle-repair works; food-processing plants; and other factories. A railroad and an international airport connect the city with China and Russia. The scenic wooded peaks of the Hentiyn Mountains extend to the northeast of the city. Pop. (1989) 548,400; (1993 est.) 619,000.

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