Provinces of Mongolia

For aimags in Inner Mongolia, see Leagues of Inner Mongolia.

Aimags of Mongolia

The 21 aimags (provinces) are the top-level administrative divisions of Mongolia. Each aimag is subdivided into several sums. The capital Ulaanbaatar is administrated separately as a district. The name is derived from the Mongolian and Turkic languages word for "tribe". CIA Factbook [2] and Statoids.com [3] use the English translation of the term in their websites.

List of aimags

Aimag	Mongolian	Sums (2005)	Population (2004)	Area (km²)	Density (/km²)	Capital	Mongolian
Arkhangai	Архангай	19	94,900	55,313.82	1.7	Tsetserleg	Цэцэрлэг
Bayan-Ölgii	Баян-Өлгий	13	101,200	45,704.89	2.2	Ölgii	Өлгий
Bayankhongor	Баянхонгор	20	83,800	115,977.80	0.7	Bayankhongor	Баянхонгор
Bulgan	Булган	16	60,800	48,733.00	1.2	Bulgan	Булган
Darkhan-Uul	Дархан-Уул	4	87,800	3,275.00	26.8	Darkhan	Дархан
Dornod	Дорнод	14	73,700	123,597.43	0.6	Choibalsan	Чойбалсан
Dornogovi	Дорноговь	14	52,500	109,472.30	0.5	Sainshand	Сайншанд
Dundgovi	Дундговь	15	49,900	74,690.32	0.7	Mandalgovi	Мандал-Говь
Govi-Altai	Говь-Алтай	18	60,900	141,447.67	0.4	Altai	Алтай
Govisümber	Говь-Сүмбэр	3	12,300	5,541.80	2.2	Choir	Чойр
Khentii	Хэнтий	17	71,200	80,325.08	0.9	Öndörkhaan	Өндөрхаан
Khovd	Ховд	17	87,800	76,060.38	1.2	Khovd	Ховд
Khövsgöl	Хөвсгөл	24	121,400	100,628.82	1.2	Mörön	Мөрөн
Ömnögovi	Өмнөговь	15	46,800	165,380.47	0.3	Dalanzadgad	Даланзадгад
Orkhon	Орхон	2	78,400	844.00	93.3	Erdenet	Эрдэнэт
Övörkhangai	Өвөрхангай	19	113,200	62,895.33	1.8	Arvaikheer	Арвайхээр
Selenge	Сэлэнгэ	17	100,800	41,152.63	2.4	Sükhbaatar	Сүхбаатар
Sükhbaatar	Сүхбаатар	13	56,600	82,287.15	0.7	Baruun-Urt	Баруун-Урт
Töv	Төв	27	88,900	74,042.37	1.2	Zuunmod	Зуунмод
Uvs	Увс	19	81,000	69,585.39	1.2	Ulaangom	Улаангом
Zavkhan	Завхан	24	80,700	82,455.66	1.0	Uliastai	Улиастай

History

Mongolian aimags in 1932

During the Qing Dynasty, the territory of Outer Mongolia was divided (from east to west) into the Setsen Khan, Tüsheet Khan, Sain Noyon Khan, and Zasagt Khan aimags plus the Khovd area. The northern border to Russia was guarded by a watch post area. After Mongolia's second declaration of independence in 1921, the aimags were renamed in 1923, to Khaan Khentii Uulyn Aimag, Bogd Khan Uulyn Aimag, Tsetserleg Mandal Uulyn Aimag, and Khan Taishir Uulyn Aimag, respectively. The Khovd area and the Jebtsundamba Khutughtu's great shabi (personal fiefdom) turned into aimags of their own, Chandmani Uulyn Aimag and Delger Ikh Uulyn Aimag, respectively (the latter was later merged with Tsetserleg Mandal Uulyn Aimag). But otherwise the administrative structure was largely left unchanged until the 1930s.

An administrative reorganisation was initiated in 1931, which resulted in the Aimags Khovd, Dörvöd (later renamed Uvs), Altai (later renamed Govi-Altai), Khövsgöl, Zavkhan, Arkhangai, Övörkhangai, Ömnögovi, Tariachin (later split into parts of Bulgan and Selenge), Töv, Dornogovi, Khentii and Dornod (later renamed to Choibalsan). The Bayankhongor, Bayan-Ölgii, Bulgan, Dundgovi, Sükhbaatar, and Selenge aimags were created in the 1930s and 1940s.

The Choibalsan Aimag was re-renamed to Dornod Aimag in 1963, and the capital Ulan Bator was split from Töv Aimag as a separate district. The same status was given to the newly founded industrial cities of Darkhan (1961 in the Selenge Aimag) and Erdenet (1975 in the Bulgan Aimag). In 1994, two Sums of the Bulgan Aimag were taken to build the Orkhon Aimag around Erdenet, and four Sums of the Selenge Aimag to build the Darkhan-Uul Aimag around Darkhan, ending the special status of the two cities. In a highly disputed decision, the Govisümber Aimag was split from the Dornogovi Aimag in 1996.

See also

• Aimag
• Sums of Mongolia
• Leagues of Inner Mongolia
• ISO 3166-2 codes for Mongolia
• List of political and geographic subdivisions by total area

External links

• Administrative division 1911-1919 map
• Administrative division 1924-1929 map
• Administrative division 1931-1939 map
• Administrative division 1940-1994 map