Khatgal (, ) is a village in
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...
on the southern tip of
Lake Khövsgöl. It has an
airstrip
An aerodrome, airfield, or airstrip is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for public or private use. Aerodromes in ...
, a small port, a school, and a post office. There is a wooden bridge nearby over the
Eg River.
History
Khatgal was founded in 1727 as a camp of the Mongolian watch post system. By 1910, a small settlement had formed, mainly through trade with Russia. In 1914 a telegraph connection was established from the
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
n border town of Mondy to
Uliastai via Khatgal, and in 1921, about 150 Russian settlers lived in Khatgal.
In the same year, Khatgal became an administrative center in the region. In 1931 it became the center of the newly established
Khövsgöl Province
Khövsgöl () is the northernmost of the 21 Aimags of Mongolia, aimags (provinces) of Mongolia. The name is derived from Lake Khövsgöl.
Geography and history
The round-topped Tarvagatai (Khangai), Tarvagatai, Bulnain and Erchim sub-ranges of th ...
, but shortly afterwards in 1933 the administration moved to
Mörön.
The town had about 7000 inhabitants and a power plant in 1990, but the dry-up of transport routes and the closure of a local wool factory have led to high migration rates, leaving only 3,756 inhabitants in 1994 and 2,498 inhabitants in the 2000 census. The latest official population estimate is 2,796 (December 31, 200
. Khatgal also lost its status as a town and is now administratively part of the
Alag-Erdene, Khövsgöl, Alag-Erdene Sum. In 2007, Khatgal was connected to the Mongolian central power grid and to cell phone services.
State Great Khural
The State Great Khural is the unicameral parliament of Mongolia,Montsame News Agency. ''Mongolia''. 2006, Foreign Service office of Montsame News Agency, , p. 40 located in the Government Palace in the capital Ulaanbaatar.
History
191 ...
member and former health minister
Lamjavyn Gündalai was born in Khatgal.
Economy
Due to Khatgal's status as an access point to campsites along the west coast of
Lake Khövsgöl, tourism has become one of the largest sectors of the town's economy. This is amplified by the construction of an airport in the town in 200
MIAT Mongolian Airlines lists the town on its domestic schedule.
Climate
Khatgal experiences a
subarctic climate
The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a continental climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Dwc'') with very long, very dry, frigid winters and short, cool, relatively wet summers. Sunshine is abundant year-round and is especially high during the winter for a location above the
50th parallel north
Following are circles of latitude between the 45th parallel north and the 50th parallel north:
46th parallel north
The 46th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 46 degree (angle), degrees true north, north of the Earth, Earth's equat ...
.
See also
*
Khatgal Airport
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Khatgal, Khovsgol
Populated places established in 1727