Khovd Province

Khovd Aimag
Ховд аймаг

Founded	1931
Capital	Khovd
Area	76,100 km²
Population  • Total (2005)  • Density	91,687 1.20/km²
Predial code	+976 (0)143
License Plate
ISO 3166-2	MN-043
Web site	gate1.pmis.gov.mn/hovd/

Khovd Aimag (Mongolian: Ховд аймаг) is one of the 21 aimags (provinces) of Mongolia, located in the west of the country. Its capital is Khovd.

Khovd is approximately 1,580 km from Ulan Bator. It is considered remote even for Mongolian standards.

Population

Khovd is ethnically diverse, with some 16 different and distinctive tribal segments represented. There is a rather large minority Kazakh-Mongol population that speaks both Kazakh and Mongolian.

The Khovd aimag population growth stopped in 1991, then migration out of the aimag (approx. 20,000 in 1992-2004) compensated the natural increase and confined aimag's population within 87,000 – 92,000 limits.

Climate

Khovd is notorious for its harsh weather cycles, as temperatures regularly reach as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and as low as −30 degrees Celsius (−22 degrees Fahrenheit). The climate is dry, as it receives the same average rainfall of Phoenix, Arizona each year.

Transportation

The Khovd Airport (HVD/ZMKD) has two runways, one of which is paved, and gets served by regular flights from and to Ulan Bator, Mörön, and Bulgan

Economy

The region around the city is famous in Mongolia for its watermelon crop.

There is a sizable hydroelectric dambuilding project underway that will theoretically generate enough electricity to power the three most western aimags (Uvs, Bayan-Ölgii, and Khovd). Currently, the city of Khovd is connected to the Russian power grid and subject to blackouts if it falls behind in its payments.

Administrative Subdivision

Sums of Khovd Aimag

The Aimag capital Khovd is geographically located in the Buyant sum, but is administrated as independent Jargalant sum. The administrative center of the Khovd Sum is also called Khovd, which is a common source of confusion. The othe administrative centers carry the name of the respective Sum as well.

^* - The aimag capital Khovd

References

1. ^ National Statistical Office[1]
2. ^ National Economy of the Mongolian People's Republic (1921 - 1981), Ulaanbaatar 1981
3. ^ , GeoHive: Global Statistics, [2]

Provinces of Mongolia
Arkhangai | Bayan-Ölgii | Bayankhongor | Bulgan | Darkhan-Uul | Dornod | Dornogovi | Dundgovi | Govi-Altai | Govisümber | Khentii | Khovd | Khövsgöl | Ömnögovi | Orkhon | Övörkhangai | Selenge | Sükhbaatar | Töv | Uvs | Zavkhan
Municipality: Ulan Bator

Donate to Wikimedia