Mongolia is a country of an extreme and harsh climate with some parts remaining permanently frozen and others being desert. It is dry and mountainous, most of it lying well above sea level. Genghis Khan defeated China and united the nomadic tribesman in his great Mongol Empire which spanned much of Asia in the thirteenth century, from the Black Sea to the Pacific Ocean. China then incorporated Mongolia, which was then divided into Inner and Outer Mongolia. Inner Mongolia remains Chinese; Outer Mongolia became closer allied to Russia and in 1924 declared itself to be the Mongolian People's Republic. China did not recognise the state until 1946. The Soviet Union greatly influenced Mongolia and even kept forces on Mongolian territory to patrol the northern borders of China. Traditionally the home of nomadic herdsmen Mongolia has undergone a radical industrial transformation since 1945 that could soon bring an end to the traditional way of life. Mining and other industries now compete with cattle raising as major sources of national wealth. Tibetan Buddhism is the main religion and Khalkha Mongol the official language.
