Provinces of Mongolia - History

History

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 provinces 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 provinces were renamed in 1923, to Khaan Khentii Uulyn Province, Bogd Khan Uulyn Province, Tsetserleg Mandal Uulyn Province, and Khan Taishir Uulyn Province, respectively. The Khovd area and the Jebtsundamba Khutughtu's great shabi (personal fiefdom) turned into provinces of their own, Chandmani Uulyn Province and Delger Ikh Uulyn Province, respectively (the latter was later merged with Tsetserleg Mandal Uulyn Province). But otherwise the administrative structure was largely left unchanged until the 1930s.

An administrative reorganisation was initiated in 1931, which resulted in the Provinces 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 provinces were created in the 1930s and 1940s.

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