Bayan-Ovoo (, Rich

ovoo Ovoo, oboo, or obo (, , , , Traditional Mongol: , "heap"; Chinese: 敖包 ''áobāo'', lit. "magnificent bundle .e. shrine) are cairns used as border markers or shrines in Mongolian folk religious practice and in the religion of other Mongol ...

) is a sum (district) of

Ömnögovi Province Ömnögovi ( ''Ömnögovǐ'', ''South Gobi'') is an aimag (province) of Mongolia, located in the south of the country, in the Gobi Desert. Ömnögovi is Mongolia's largest aimag. The capital is Dalanzadgad. The province is rich in mineral dep ...

in the

Gobi Desert The Gobi Desert (, , ; ) is a large, cold desert and grassland region in North China and southern Mongolia. It is the sixth-largest desert in the world. The name of the desert comes from the Mongolian word ''gobi'', used to refer to all of th ...

of southern

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 ...

. The seat lies at Erdenetsogt.

History

The sum was established on May 26, 1924.

Geography and climate

The sum is located in the

of southern Mongolia, by road southwest of the provincial capital of Dalanzadgad, at an elevation ranging from 2200 to 2700 metres above sea level. It borders China to the south and the sums of Nomgon, Khankhongor, Tsogttsetsii, Manlai and Khanbogd in the northeast. The highest point of the district is Yamaat Uul (1926 m). The Ikh and Baga Khachi mountains are located in the north and Tsagaan Del mountain is in the south. The climate is generally warm, with little snow in the winter, and it is rare for it to rain during the summer months, with only 63.2-70.9 mm of precipitation falling annually. Dust storms are common in the spring.

Administrative divisions

The district is divided into three

bags A bag, also known regionally as a sack, is a common tool in the form of a floppy container, typically made of cloth, leather, bamboo, paper, or plastic. The use of bags predates recorded history, with the earliest bags being lengths of animal s ...

, which are: * Kharzag * Mogoit * Nalikh

Plants and animals

Ecologically, the district is in a transition zone, with the north of the district in the Eastern Gobi desert-steppe ecoregion, and the south in the

Alashan Plateau semi-desert The Alashan Plateau semi-desert ecoregion (WWF ID: PA1302) covers the southwestern portion of the Gobi Desert where precipitation in the mountains is sufficient for a short part of the summer to support sparse plant life. The terrain is basin and ...

ecoregion. Although technically in a

cold desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk'') is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

, the district has sufficient precipitation to support sparse plant life, particularly

xerophyte A xerophyte () is a species of plant that has adaptations to survive in an environment with little liquid water. Examples of xerophytes include cacti, pineapple and some gymnosperm plants. The morphology and physiology of xerophytes are adapted to ...

s (species adapted to low moisture levels) in low-lying areas. Over 40 species of medicinal plants are found in the district. Shrubs found include red thorn, goat thistle, golden thistle, and

alfalfa Alfalfa () (''Medicago sativa''), also called lucerne, is a perennial plant, perennial flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. It is used for grazing, hay, ...

. There are 22 species of rodents, 14 species of mammals, including two types of Mongolian gazelle, two species of insectivores and three species of amphibians found in Bayan-Ovoo. Birds found include sparrow,

eagle Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

partridge A partridge is a medium-sized Galliformes, galliform bird in any of several genera, with a wide Indigenous (ecology), native distribution throughout parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. Several species have been introduced to the Americas. They ar ...

hawk Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are very widely distributed and are found on all continents, except Antarctica. The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks, and others. This ...

owl Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers a ...

raven A raven is any of several large-bodied passerine bird species in the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between crows and ravens; the two names are assigne ...

, and

falcon Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Some small species of falcons with long, narrow wings are called hobbies, and some that hover while hunting are called kestrels. Falcons are widely distrib ...

Economy and services

The economy is mainly based around livestock. There are reserves of silver, gold and copper in the sum, with silver deposits at Bolgon, gold at Alag Tolgoi and copper at Yamaat. Shale and coal found here are used for fuel. There is a secondary school with 280 students in the seat of the district, a kindergarten with 50 children, a 15-bed hospital and the Association of Meteorology.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bayan-Ovoo, Omnogovi Districts of Ömnögovi Province 1924 establishments in Mongolia