Öndörkhaan

Öndörkhaan (Mongolian: Өндөрхаан; ᠥᠨᠳᠦᠷᠬᠠᠨ; sometimes Undurkhaan), is a town in Mongolia located 290 km east of Ulaanbaatar. On November 18, 2013, the city was renamed to Chinggis City in honor of Genghis Khan, who was born and possibly buried in the same province north of the city.^[1] Öndörkhaan serves as the capital of the province Khentii Aimag.

Öndörkhaan Өндөрхаан ᠥᠨᠳᠦᠷᠬᠠᠨ
District
Kherlen District Хэрлэн сум ᠬᠡᠷᠦᠯᠦᠨᠰᠤᠮᠤ
In the Öndörkhaan Museum complex
Öndörkhaan
Coordinates: 47°19′N 110°39′E
Country	Mongolia
Province	Khentii Province
Area
• Total	3,788 km2 (1,463 sq mi)
Elevation	1,027 m (3,369 ft)
Population  (2017)
• Total	20,935
• Density	5.5/km2 (14/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+8 (UTC + 8)

History

On 13 September 1971, Lin Biao died when a Hawker Siddeley Trident he was aboard crashed in Öndörkhaan.

Geography and climate

Geography

Öndörkhaan shares its location with the Kherlen sum (municipality) and is the most populous part of the Khentii province.

Climate

Öndörkhaan
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     1     −15 −29     1     −9 −26     2     1 −15     4     12 −4     16     20 3     42     25 10     83     27 13     53     25 11     20     19 3     9     9 −6     4     −3 −17     2     −13 −26 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm Source: Pogoda.ru.net[2]
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0     5 −20     0     16 −15     0.1     34 5     0.2     54 25     0.6     68 37     1.7     77 50     3.3     81 55     2.1     77 52     0.8     66 37     0.4     48 21     0.2     27 1     0.1     9 −15 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches

Öndörkhaan experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) with long, dry, frigid winters and short, very warm summers. It borders the Kherlen River and is located on a broad flat unprotected plain. In winter, when the river freezes over and the winds howl across the open steppe it can easily reach −40 °C or −40 °F without the subtraction of wind chill.

Climate data for Öndörkhaan, elevation 1,033 m (3,389 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1936–present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	0.0 (32.0)	10.6 (51.1)	22.6 (72.7)	30.7 (87.3)	35.8 (96.4)	39.0 (102.2)	41.0 (105.8)	40.4 (104.7)	34.0 (93.2)	27.8 (82.0)	14.7 (58.5)	7.5 (45.5)	41.0 (105.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	−15.6 (3.9)	−9.2 (15.4)	1.2 (34.2)	12.2 (54.0)	20.1 (68.2)	25.4 (77.7)	27.2 (81.0)	25.2 (77.4)	19.4 (66.9)	9.6 (49.3)	−3.6 (25.5)	−13.7 (7.3)	8.2 (46.7)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−23.5 (−10.3)	−18.4 (−1.1)	−7.5 (18.5)	3.7 (38.7)	11.7 (53.1)	17.8 (64.0)	20.3 (68.5)	17.9 (64.2)	11.1 (52.0)	1.1 (34.0)	−11.5 (11.3)	−20.8 (−5.4)	0.2 (32.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−29.5 (−21.1)	−26.0 (−14.8)	−15.6 (3.9)	−4.5 (23.9)	3.0 (37.4)	10.1 (50.2)	13.8 (56.8)	11.1 (52.0)	3.3 (37.9)	−6.0 (21.2)	−17.9 (−0.2)	−26.6 (−15.9)	−7.1 (19.3)
Record low °C (°F)	−44.3 (−47.7)	−42.2 (−44.0)	−38.9 (−38.0)	−23.9 (−11.0)	−12.8 (9.0)	−2.2 (28.0)	1.4 (34.5)	−0.9 (30.4)	−10.2 (13.6)	−25.8 (−14.4)	−38.4 (−37.1)	−43 (−45)	−44.3 (−47.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	2 (0.1)	2 (0.1)	3 (0.1)	6 (0.2)	18 (0.7)	44 (1.7)	63 (2.5)	57 (2.2)	24 (0.9)	9 (0.4)	4 (0.2)	3 (0.1)	235 (9.2)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)	1.2	1.5	1.8	1.7	3.4	6.2	8.4	7.5	4.1	2.5	2.1	1.4	41.9
Average relative humidity (%)	73.7	69.8	57.0	40.3	38.9	48.7	58.9	61.2	55.5	56.0	66.1	74.0	58.3
Mean daily sunshine hours	6.2	7.5	8.5	8.9	9.7	9.8	9.1	9.0	8.7	7.7	6.5	5.6	8.1
Source 1: Pogoda.ru.net [2]
Source 2: NOAA,[3] Deutscher Wetterdienst (daily sun)[4]

Administrative divisions

The district is divided into eight bags, which are:^[5]

• Bayanmunkh
• Bulag
• Ishgen Tolgoi
• Kherlen
• Nomgon
• Sarig
• Tsogt-Undur
• Undurkhaan

Economy

Coal mining is important to the economy of the town and Chandgana Tal coalfield is located 53 km W from Öndörkhaan.

There exists a major United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Networking and Cluster Development project stationed in Öndörkhaan specializing in the strengthen of urban, peri-urban and rural business associations and networks so as to reduce the very high unemployment rates.

Transportation

The Öndörkhaan Airport (UNR/ZMUH) has one unpaved runway and was serviced by regular flights from and to Ulaanbaatar, before the paved highway was completed.

The town serves as a transportation hub, linking Ulaanbaatar and Choibalsan.

Sister city

• Hailar District, China.^[6]

See also

• List of cities in Mongolia