Mongolia

Landlocked between two powerful neighbors, China and Russia, Mongolia has achieved a remarkable transition from a Soviet planned economy to an open, democratic market economy over the last two decades. Sparsely populated—2.8 million people in a vast territory of 1.5 million km2—and richly endowed with large deposits of copper, gold and coking coal, Mongolia is making its contribution to stability in a rapidly changing part of the world. 

Mongolia is at a critical turning point today. The country is making a concerted effort not to follow in the path of some other resource-rich countries where corruption and a lack of transparency threaten political and economic stability. Extremely harsh climate, small domestic market, landlocked status and poor infrastructure present real development challenges.

Current USAID activities in Mongolia focus on two mutually re-enforcing priorities: sustainable, private sector-led economic growth; and more effective and accountable governance. In addition to these core activities, USAID aims to promote broad-scale human progress in Mongolia through fostering an inclusive environment for persons with disabilities, improving responsiveness and inclusiveness of local and national governments through consensus building, supporting the Government of Mongolia in its chairmanship of Communities of Democracies, building cooperatives and conserving biodiversity.