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| Khovd Province | |
|---|---|
| Name | Khovd Province |
| Native name | Ховд аймаг |
| Settlement type | Province |
| Subdivision type | Country |
| Subdivision name | Mongolia |
| Established title | Established |
| Established date | 1931 |
| Seat type | Capital |
| Seat | Khovd (city) |
| Area total km2 | 76076 |
| Population total | 80893 |
| Population as of | 2020 |
| Timezone | UTC+7 |
| Iso code | MN-052 |
Khovd Province is an aimag in western Mongolia centered on the city of Khovd (city). The aimag occupies parts of the Altai Mountains, Great Lakes Depression, and Gobi Desert margins, linking routes between Ulaanbaatar, Hovd (city), Bulgan (Khovd) and cross-border points near Erenhot. It has strategic frontiers with the People's Republic of China and cultural ties to pastoralist and mountain communities such as the Kazakh and Daur.
Khovd Province spans the Altai Mountains, the Khar-Us Nuur basin, the Khar Lake system, and the Valley of Lakes, straddling watersheds that feed Irtysh River tributaries and endorheic basins like Uvs Nuur. The aimag contains protected areas including parts of Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, Bulgan River valleys, and alpine zones near the Tavan Bogd massif and Khuiten Peak. Landscapes range from perennial glaciers and snowfields near Hüiten Peak to semi-arid steppe adjacent to the Gobi Altai and saline flats resembling Lake Khovsgol environs. Major rivers include the Khovd River, Buyant River, and seasonal streams derived from Sayan Mountains runoff; wetlands support waterfowl analogous to those on Dalai Lake and along the Amur River flyway.
The region saw nomadic movements tied to the Xiongnu, the Uyghur Khaganate, and later the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan. During the Yuan dynasty and subsequent Mongol polities it functioned as an upland pasture network connected to Karakorum and the Ilkhanate contacts via silk road routes toward Samarkand and Bukhara. In the 17th–19th centuries frontier khanates and banners linked to Zunghar Khanate and Qing dynasty administrations influenced tribal settlement patterns, while 20th-century events like the Mongolian Revolution of 1921 and interactions with the Soviet Union shaped modern administrative foundations established in 1931. Conflicts and treaties such as arrangements involving the Treaty of Kyakhta (1727) and later border protocols with Republic of China (1912–49) and the People's Republic of China affected trade and migration; Cold War-era projects involved agencies like the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance while post-socialist reforms connected aimag institutions to Asian Development Bank initiatives.
The aimag is divided into several sums including Altai (sum), Bulgan (sum), Dörgön (sum), Uyench (sum), Malchin (sum), Mankhan (sum), Mongol (sum), Sagsai (sum), Tsengel (sum), Tsetserleg (Khovd) (sum), and others administered from the aimag center Khovd (city). Each sum contains local bags and municipal councils that coordinate with national ministries such as the Ministry of Road and Transport Development (Mongolia) and the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (Mongolia). Cross-border point administration interacts with Chinese prefectures like Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture and transport corridors linked to the Asian Highway Network proposals.
The population comprises multiple peoples including Khalkha Mongols, Kazakhs, Tuvans, Dörvöd, Buriats, and Uyghurs with smaller communities of Tuva Republic migrants, Uzbeks, and Daur. Language use includes Mongolian language, Kazakh language, Tuvan language, and dialects reflecting historical ties to Xinjiang and the Altai Republic. Religious practice features Tibetan Buddhism, Sunni Islam among Kazakhs, Shamanism traditions, and secular influences from Soviet Union-era secularization. Census distributions show urban concentration in Khovd (city) and rural pastoralists in sums such as Tsengel and Sagsai, with nomadic herd movements to summer and winter pastures resembling patterns in Inner Mongolia and the Sayan Mountains region.
Economic activity centers on pastoralism (sheep, goats, yaks, camels) comparable to models in Mongolia and Kazakhstan, mining of polymetallic ores and coal like projects near Tavantolgoi scale operations, small-scale gold and copper prospects linked to firms similar to Erdene Resource Development and Centerra Gold exploration approaches, and artisanal industries producing felt, leather, and wool goods sold at markets akin to Naran Tuul Market. Agriculture includes hardy barley and fodder crops tested in initiatives by organizations like the Food and Agriculture Organization and United Nations Development Programme in steppe rehabilitation. Tourism focuses on trekking, eagle hunting demonstrations, and cultural festivals comparable to the Naadam Festival though localized, with guest services run by enterprises operating on routes used by Silk Road tourist circuits.
Cultural life reflects Kazakh throat singing and Mongol epic traditions performed at festivals and family events; craftsmen produce embroidered shyrdaks and yurt furnishings like those seen in Altai museum collections. Ethnic Kazakh communities maintain Eagle hunting practices, equestrian games related to Buzkashi-style contests, and musical forms involving the dombra and kobyz instruments. Buddhist monasteries and shrines mirror architecture found in Erdene Zuu Monastery while shamanic sites align with broader Central Asian shamanism landscapes. Interethnic relations link to educational institutions teaching in multiple languages and cultural exchanges with centers such as Ulaanbaatar's universities and cultural agencies like the Mongolian Academy of Culture and Art.
Road links include paved routes connecting Khovd (city) to Ulaanbaatar via provincial junctions, secondary roads to border crossings near Altay Prefecture (China) and rail connections planned under programs referenced by the Government of Mongolia and regional frameworks like the Belt and Road Initiative. Airports at Khovd (city) Airport and smaller airstrips support domestic flights similar to services offered by MIAT Mongolian Airlines and private carriers, while telecommunications expansion has been pursued with partners such as Mobicom Corporation and Skytel. Water management for rivers and lakes involves agencies akin to the National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring and hydrogeological surveying comparable to projects by the World Bank in arid regions.
Category:Provinces of Mongolia