A frozen lake is seen among sand dunes in the Gobi Desert located south of the Mongolian capital city of Ulaanbaatar, April 3, 2012.
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest city, is home to about 45% of the population. The Mongol Empire was founded by Genghis Khan in 1206.
At 1,564,116 square kilometres (603,909 sq mi), Mongolia is the 19th largest and the most sparsely populated independent country in the world, with a population of around 2.75 million people. It is also the world's second-largest landlocked country after Kazakhstan.
Sand dunes are seen in the Gobi Desert, located south of the Mongolian capital city of Ulaanbaatar, April 3, 2012.
A frozen river is seen next to a group of houses located on the outskirts of the Mongolian capital city of Ulaanbaatar, April 3, 2012.
A village is seen at the base of hills located on the outskirts of the Mongolian capital city of Ulaanbaatar, April 3, 2012.
A house with tents erected behind stands in a hilly landscape located on the outskirts of the Mongolian capital city of Ulaanbaatar, April 3, 2012.
A house surrounded by a wall stands in a hilly landscape located on the outskirts of the Mongolian capital city of Ulaanbaatar, April 3, 2012.
Sand dunes and snow are seen in the Gobi Desert, located south of the Mongolian capital city of Ulaanbaatar, April 3, 2012.
