Ulaanbaatar
Located in the north central part of the country, the city lies at an elevation of about 1310 m in a valley on the Tuul River. It is the cultural, industrial, and financial heart of the country. It is a transport center, connected by highway to all the major towns in Mongolia and by rail to the Trans-Siberian Railway and Chinese railroad network.[2]
The city was founded in 1639 as a Buddhist monastery center and, in the 20th century, grew into a major manufacturing center defined by its broad boulevards and squares and Socialist Classicist-style buildings.[2]
Ulan Bator has had numerous names in its history. From 1639–1706, it was known as Örgöö (Mongolian ?????, residence), and from 1706–1911 as Ikh Khüree (Mongolian ?? = "great", ????? = "camp"), Da Khüree 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").
