Area code(s) +976 (0)158 Elevation 747 m Local time Monday 6:57 AM | Time zone UTC + 8 (UTC+8) Website www.dornod.gov.mn Population 38,150 (2008) | |
 | ||
Weather -18°C, Wind N at 19 km/h, 77% Humidity | ||
Choibalsan (Mongolian: Чойбалсан) is the fourth-largest city in Mongolia. The name of the city was Bayan Tu'men (Баян Түмэн) until 1941, when it was renamed after the communist leader Khorloogiin Choibalsan. It is the capital of the province of Dornod. The city administrative unit's official name is Kherlen sum, with area of 281 square kilometres or 108 square miles. It is situated at the Kherlen River, at an elevation of 747 metres or 2,451 feet above sea level.
Contents
Map of Choibalsan, Mongolia
History
The location has been a post on a trading route for centuries. In the 19th century it grew into a city, and became the economic hub of eastern Mongolia in the twentieth century. After democratization in 1992, when the Russian workers left, large parts of the economy collapsed. Since then, the city has suffered from one of the highest unemployment rates in Mongolia.
Due to the city’s proximity to the site of the Battle of Khalkhin Gol, it contains a museum dedicated to Georgy Zhukov, hero of the battle.
Population
The city of Choibalsan has a population of 45,490 (1994), 41,714 (2000), 36,142 (2003), 39,500 (2006), 39,500 (2007, 53.2% of the Dornod Aimag’s total population), 38,150 (2008 51.2% of the Aimag's population).
Choibalsan is inhabited primarily by Halh Mongols, with smaller numbers of Buryats, Barga Mongols, and Üzemchin. There is also a minority of immigrants from Inner Mongolia in China.
Climate
Choibalsan experiences a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) with very cold, very dry winters and warm, wetter summers. In terms of temperatures it closely resembles a humid continental climate, but falls short of that classification due to the very dry winters. Extreme temperatures range from a minimum of −41.6 °C (−42.9 °F) to a maximum of 41.2 °C (106.2 °F), recorded on June 25, 2010.
Transportation
The Choibalsan Airport (COQ/ZMCD) has one paved runway, and is served by regular flights to Ulan Bator, and Hailar and Manzhouli in Inner Mongolia, China.