Ulan Bator, or
Ulaanbaatar (
Mongolian ???????????,
?????? ??????? English The Red Hero), is the
capital and largest city of
Mongolia. The city is an independent municipality not part of any
province, and its population as of 2008 is just over 1 million.
[2]Located in the north central part of the country, the city lies at an elevation of about 1,310&_160;metres (4,300&_160;ft) in a valley on the Tuul River. It is the cultural, industrial, and financial heart of the country. It is also the center of Mongolia's road network, and connected by rail to the Trans-Siberian Railway and the Chinese railway network.[3]
The city was founded in 1639 as an initially nomadic Buddhist monastic centre. In 1778 it settled permanently at its present location, the junction of the Tuul and Selbe rivers. Before that it had changed location 28 times, with each location being chosen ceremonially. In the 20th century, Ulan Bator grew into a major manufacturing centre.[3]
Ulan Bator has had numerous names in its history. From 1639–1706, it was known as Örgöö (also spelled Urga) (Mongolian ?????, residence), and from 1706–1911 as Ikh Khüree (Mongolian ?? = "great", ????? = "camp"), Da Khüree (also spelled Da Khure) or simply Khüree. Upon independence in 1911, with both the secular government and the Bogd Khan's palace present, the city's name changed to Niislel Khüree (Mongolian ??????? = "capital", ????? = "camp").
