A country of north-central Asia between Russia and China. Originally part of the Mongol Empire, the area was under Chinese control from 1691 to 1911 and from 1919 to 1921, when it formed a separate state under the protection of the USSR. Ulaanbaatar is the capital and the largest city. Population: 2,950,000.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.