Western Mongolia is a region in Mongolia covering the provinces of Bayan-Ölgii, Hovd, Uvs, and Zavkhan. It is the most remote region of the country with paved roads from the capital Ulaanbaatar, ending 200 miles before reaching the eastern most point of Zavkhan. It is also the most ethnically diverse, mountainous, and scenic region of Mongolia, with thousands of years of history. The region is home to the Kazakhs, a Muslim tribe from near the Caspian Sea, and Oirats, or western Mongols, which can be divided into 10 different tribes, as well as Khalkhs, or eastern Mongols. In addition to the ethnic diversity, the region is home to the Altai Mountain Range, with the highest peaks in Mongolia, Lake Uvs, a large saltwater lake, and many smaller lakes, mountains, rivers, forests, and steppe. Spread throughout the region are countless archeological sites with petroglyphs, cave paintings, standing stone monuments, monasteries, and ancient forts that date back as far as 10,000 years
ALTAI TAVAN BOGD NATIONAL PARK
Altai Tavan bogd (Altai five saints) nature complex is a national park in Bayan-Ulgii province of western Mongolia. It covers 6362 square kilometers and is located south of Tavan Bogd, the highest mountain of Mongolia. It includes the lakes Khoton, Khurgan, and Dayan. The Huiten Peak is the highest point of Mongolia at 4374 meters above sea level. Besides Huiten peak, the mountain includes four peaks as Nairamdal, Malchin, Burged and Ulgii.
UVS LAKE- ONE OF THE LARGEST INTACT WATERSHEDS IN CENTRAL ASIA
The Uvs Lake covers an area of 70,000 km² and represents one of the best-preserved natural steppe landscapes of Eurasia. Here the world’s most northern desert meets the world’s most southern tundra zone. Several smaller lakes lie to the north of other inland seas of Central Asia, they are of key importance for waterfowl migration. Highly saline lake is the largest lake in Mongolia and at 759 m above is a sea level. Uvs Lake has a length of 84 km and a width of 79 km, with an average depth of 6 m. Its basin is separated from the rest of the Great Lakes Depression. The lake freezes over from October to May. In summer, it exhibits a temperature gradient from 25°C at the surface to 19°C at the bottom. 29 different species of fish have been counted in Uvs Lake. The lake water is supposed to be 5 times saltier than sea water. 38 rivers flow into the lake. Reeds, broom grass, scrub, bush, rushes, wicker and poplar grow along the lake shoreline.