an extensive district in the interior of Asia, forming part of the Chinese empire, and bounded on the N. by Siberia, E. by Mandchooria, S. by China proper, and W. by the Chinese province of Kansoo and the government of Thianshan Peloo. It lies between 38. and 52. N. Lat. and between 87. and 124. E. Long., having a length of about 1500 miles, a breadth in the central part of about 900, and an area estimated at 1,200,000 square miles. This vast territory consists of an elevated plain, bounded on the S. by the mountains of Nanshan, and on the N. by the Altai range. The centre of the plain is occupied by the Great Gobi Desert, which extends across the country from S.E. to N.W., and is estimated to contain an area of 300,000 square miles. It is covered with sand and stones, and the vegetation, except in a few cases, is very stunted and scanty. In the N., however, the surface of Mongolia becomes more mountainous, and rises in some places to a considerable height. The principal ranges in this region are offshoots from the Altais, which extend eastwards, under various names, till they reach the basin of the Amoor. On the S. the Alashan ridge, a continuation of the Nanshan, enters Mongolia, and after stretching northwards for about 400 miles, extends in an easterly direction, under the name of Inshan, for about 600 miles more. The ridge then turns north-eastwards, when it assumes the name of Khing-Khan, and continues in this direction till the Altais or Nerthinsk Mountains are reached about 120. E. Long. Its highest summit, the peak of Petslia, situated in about 43. N. Lat., is said to attain the height of 15,000 feet above the sea-level. The country which lies to the S. of the Inshan Mountains for the most part resembles in its character the Gobi Desert, and is covered with sandy hills, almost entirely destitute of vegetation and water. It is inhabited by a tribe of Mongols called Ortoos, who attend almost exclusively to the rearing of sheep, which find subsistence on the patches or oases of pasture-land that here and there occur. Of a similar nature, but less covered with sand-hills, is Kortshin, a district of Mongolia which lies to the E. of the Khing-Khan range. The country on the N.W. side of the Great Gobi is almost totally unknown. That, however, through which the caravan road to Siberia passes is said to be hilly, with level tracts of meadow land, and, though thinly wooded, is not destitute of water. There are no great rivers in Mongolia, although its table-land gives rise to many large streams which water other lands. The principal of these are the Hoangho in the S., the Kerulen and Toro, tributaries of the Amoor, on the N.E.; and the Selenga and Orchan, affluents of Lake Baikal, on the N.; besides some small streams in the interior, which lose themselves in stagnant lakes, or sink into the sand. Almost the entire extent of Mongolia is elevated more than 3000 feet above the sea, and the climate in consequence is extremely cold in winter. The weather, however, is subject to great and sudden changes, and in summer the heat is often insupportable from the want of any shelter from the rays of the sun. The principal animals of Mongolia are bears, boars, wolves, foxes, hares, wild horses, goats, cranes, quails, swans, &c. The inhabitants of Mongolia belong to that great family of races known by the name of Mongolian. They are middle-sized, strong, and muscular, with a dark-yellow complexion, broad faces, flat noses, and prominent ears. They have very little beard, and shave the hair of the head, with the exception of a single tuft. This race consists of two branches; the Proper or Eastern Mongols, who inhabit the country called Mongolia; and the Kalmucks, or Western Mongols. The former of these nations is divided into three sub-branches—the T'shakhtars, Khalkhas, and Sunnis. The first of these inhabit the country between the Gobi on the N. and the wall of China on the S.; the desert itself is occupied by the Sunnis, who are the least numerous of the three; and the Khalkhas dwell in the N. of Mongolia. They are all nomads, dwelling in tents, and pursuing pastoral occupations. Large herds of camels, horses, and sheep are reared by them, and oxen, asses, and mules by those on the frontiers of China. They are divided into twenty-six tribes, each of which is governed by a hereditary chief; with the exception of the Khalkhas, who form only one tribe, and are governed by four chiefs called khans. A sort of feudal system prevails in Mongolia; the princes pay a tribute to the Chinese Emperor, and the people are bound to military service between the ages of eighteen and sixty. The Chinese Li-fanguen, or tribunal of foreign affairs, exercises jurisdiction over the Mongolians; and under it are one civil and two military governments. A considerable trade is carried on through Mongolia, between China and Russia, by means of caravans. The principal imports are furs, woollen stuffs, and leather; while the articles exported to Russia consist of teas, silk and cotton goods, rhubarb, sugar-candy, &c. The seat of this trade is at the towns of Kiakhta in Siberia and Mae-mae-chin in Mongolia, which are situated at a short distance from each other, on each side of the boundary between the two countries. Free intercourse is allowed between the inhabitants of the two towns during the day, but by night the gates are shut, and all communication is cut off. The trade generally continues from October till the end of winter, and is carried on solely by barter, the use of money being forbidden. Previous to the twelfth century of the Christian era, the Mongolians do not seem to have been united under one empire, or known by a common name; but under Gengis Khan, who was born in 1163, these tribes became important and received from him the name of Kazee Monghoel, or "Celestial People." Gengis Khan, after having raised himself, and the tribe to which he belonged, to the head of the whole Mongolian race, conquered China, Persia, and the whole of Central Asia, and carried devastation and terror into Europe as far as the boundaries of Poland. He was succeeded by his son Oktai, under whom the empire continued to be enlarged; but it was soon afterwards split into many small tribes, which were again re-united in the fourteenth century by Timur or Tamerlane. After the death of this conqueror in 1405 the Mongol empire gradually became separated into the various tribes of which it had been originally formed. Frequent wars between the Mongolians and the Chinese took place, until the conquest of China by the Mandchoorians in the seventeenth century, when the Tsikar and Sunnit Mongols voluntarily submitted to the conquerors; and their example was followed in 1688 by the Khalkhas. It is believed that the Mongolians, who are all trained to military service, could bring into the field an army of 500,000 men; and the population of the country has been estimated, from that circumstance, at 2,000,000.

(See the article ASIA.)