Culture & Identity of Mongolia
Introduction
Mongolia is a huge country with a huge amount of open space. Historically the people were nomads who lived off the land as they often lived as herders, moving from location to location with the seasons and weather. Today the people are transitioning as many people still live in this traditional way, but urban growth is occurring and even many of the people that live in gers are settling in the outskirts of the cities as this is where most economic opportunities are.
Today nearly 70% of the people live in an urban setting, and most of those people who don't are working in some form of agriculture. Nearly a third of the working population is employed in agriculture, which is still based on herding and mobility, but settled farmers are common in many areas as well.
For these people working in agriculture their way of life is heavily dependent on the weather, the seasons, and the lands. They move to make the most of the lands, but today most lands are privately owned so space is more limited, giving them one more outside source that dictates their way of life.