Who Are the Mongolian Nomads?
Mongolian nomads (approximately 30-40% of Mongolia's 3.3 million population) inhabit the vast steppes of Mongolia and Inner Mongolia, enduring one of Earth's most extreme continental climates. Winter temperatures plummet to -40°C (-40°F) while summer soars to +40°C (+104°F)âan 80°C annual temperature swing. They live in portable felt gers (yurts), herd livestock across grasslands, and maintain nomadic traditions spanning millennia.
Extreme Temperature Adaptation
Mongolian nomads face brutal temperature extremes requiring sophisticated adaptation. The ger provides mobile insulationâthick felt walls trap warmth in winter while ventilation cools in summer. Nomads practice "otor" (seasonal migration), moving livestock to summer pastures and winter shelters. They herd the "five snouts" (tavan khoshuu mal): horses, cattle/yaks, camels, sheep, and goats, each adapted to different conditions. Winter dzud (severe weather) can kill millions of animals, testing survival skills.
Ger Culture and Nomadic Life
The ger represents perfect nomadic architectureâassembled in 2 hours, heated by central stove, oriented south with sacred spaces. Families move 2-4 times annually following grass and water. Horse culture remains central: children ride by age 3, horses provide transportation and fermented mare's milk (airag). Traditional throat singing (khöömei), horse-head fiddle (morin khuur), and wrestling maintain cultural identity despite urbanization pressures.
References
- Sneath, D. (2000). Changing Inner Mongolia: Pastoral Mongolian Society and the Chinese State. Oxford University Press.
- Fernåndez-Giménez, M. E. (2000). The role of Mongolian nomadic pastoralists' ecological knowledge in rangeland management. Ecological Applications, 10(5), 1318-1326.