Mongolia

Mongolia was a landlocked country in Terra's east-central Asia.

History
The area of what was Mongolia had been ruled by various nomadic empires. In 1206 CE, Genghis Khan founded the Mongol Empire, and his grandson Kublai Khan conquered China to establish the Yuan Dynasty. After the collapse of the Yuan, the Mongols retreated to Mongolia. In the 16th century, Tibetan Buddhism began to spread in Mongolia. By the 1900s, almost half of the adult male population were Buddhist monks.

By the mid-18th century, Mongolia had been incorporated into the area ruled by the Qing Dynasty. On 29 December 1911 Mongolia declared independence and ended 220 years of Manchu rule. Shortly thereafter, the country came under Soviet influence, resulting in the proclamation of the Mongolia as a Soviet satellite state in 1924. After the breakdown of communist regimes in Europe in late 1989, Mongolia saw its own peaceful democratic revolution in early 1990; it led to a multi-party system, a new constitution of 1992, and transition to a market economy.

Because of its location in Asia, Mongolia became a major battleground during WWIII. Possession of the region shifted back and forth between Russia and China, with the US entering the fighting in 2077. This is where Stahl was fighting in the US Marines when the Guardian selected him to be one of the 200 Immortals.

Description
Mongolia was bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Ulaanbaatar (Ulan Bator), the capital and also the largest city, was home to about 45% of the population. Mongolia's political system was a parliamentary republic.

At 1,564,116 square kilometers, Mongolia was the 19th largest and one of the most sparsely populated independent countries in the world, with a population of around 3 million people. It was also the world's second-largest landlocked country. The country contained very little arable land, as much of its area is covered by steppe, with mountains to the north and west and the Gobi Desert to the south.

Approximately 30% of the population were nomadic or semi-nomadic. The majority of its population were Buddhists and non-religious population was the second largest group. The majority of the state's citizens were of Mongol ethnicity, although other minorities also lived in the country, especially in the west.

Economy
Economic activity in Mongolia had traditionally been based on agriculture, although mining and industry gained first place in the 20th Century. Besides mining (21.8% of GDP) and agriculture (16% of GDP), dominant industries in the composition of GDP were wholesale and retail trade, transportation, and real estate activities. The grey economy was estimated to be at least one-third the size of the official economy.

Modern Mongolia
Today, Mongolia has returned to its roots, and is a sparsely settled, quiet region of Terra. Its economy returned to its old basis of agriculture and mining.