Geography
The Bayankhongor aimag includes very diverse geographic areas. It is typically divided into three areas: the mountainous and wooded Khangai in the north, the central steppe region, and the arid Gobi Desert in the south.
Bayankhongor contains two mountain ranges, the Khangai Mountains in the north and the Gobian Altai Mountains in the central region. Ikh Bogd, the aimag’s tallest mountain at 3957 meters, is part of the Gobian Altai range and is located outside of Bogd sum.
The largest lakes in Bayankhongor are Orog Nuur and Böön Tsagaan Nuur, which are found in the central semi-desert region of the aimag (Lakes Valley between Khangai and Gobian Altai ranges), as are several other lakes. Due to the surrounding mountain areas the lakes in Lakes valley have no drainage and are therefore salty.
Khangai in the north contains several hot and cold mineral springs. Shargaljuut, a town about 54 km north of the aimag capital, boasts over 300 springs and has developed a popular resort to take advantage of this natural feature. The mineral waters of the various springs are used by the local people to treat a variety of ailments. Furthermore, there are a handful of genuine oases in the south of the province, most of which are in the Shinejinst area. The most famous oasis, Ekhiin-Gol, was once home to the Lama Dambijant or Ja Lama, an early 20th-century revolutionary turned bandit.
Read more about this topic: Bayankhongor Province
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