Cities of Mongolia

This post is part of the Mongolia Week series of posts for February 22-28.

With a population greater than one million, Ulaanbaatar (Ulan Bator) in east-central MONGOLIA is the county's capital. Ulaanbaatar has the most residents of any Mongolian city, which makes sense because the whole country's population is only about three million. Currently, all other Mongolian cities have populations less than 100,000. Previously in Bulgan province, Erdenet city is now in Orhon province and has the second-largest population in Mongolia. Possessing one of the world's largest open-pit copper mines, Erdenet is west-northwest of Ulaanbaatar in north-central Mongolia. East of Erdenet, Darhan in tiny Darhan-Uul province has the third-largest population. Darhan features universities, a manufacturing industry with heydays before the 1990s, and museums.

Located in northeastern Mongolia, Choybalsan is the provincial seat and largest city in Dornod province. It has been a stop along a major historic trading route in Mongolia. The ten next largest cities in regards to population are Mörön in northern Mongolia (Hövsgöl province), Nalayh located east of Ulaanbaatar but still in the municipality of Ulaanbaatar, Bayanhongor in south-central Mongolia (Bayanhongor province), Ölgiy (Bayan-Ölgiy province) and Hovd (Hovd province) in western Mongolia, Arvayheer about 150 kilometers east of Bayanhongor in Övörhangay province, and Ulaangom in northwestern Mongolia (Uvs province). Mörön is south of Hövsgöl Nuur, a lake with the largest volume in Mongolia. Meanwhile, Ulaangom is southwest of Uvs Nuur, a permanent salty lake designated as Mongolia's largest lake by area.