The Symbol of Arkhangai Aimag (Province)

Arkhangai is a mountainous aimag which is located on the Northern slopes of the Khangai mountains. The altitude is 2,414 meters above the sea level, and the highest peak with Kharlagtai peak with the height of 3,539 meters while the lowest point is on the cross of Orkhon and Tamir rivers at 1,290 metres. The area consist of high mountains, forests and steppes and it borders to Khuvsgul aimag (north), Bulgan aimag (north east), Uvurkhangai aimag (south east), Bayankhongor (south) and Zavkhan (west) respectively. Granite from the Old Stone Age was found from the northern part of the aimag while sandy rocks from the western part. Also, iron ore around Tamir River, volcano rocks in Suman river basin and precious stones are found in this aimag.

In the Tsetserleg sum, the center of the aimag, average air temperature is 0.1°C and, in January -15.6°C and in July +14.7°C. Khangai mountain range is one of the places with high precipitation where the annual precipitation fall in Tsetserleg which is 344mm. Average wind speed is 2.6m/sec that reaches up to 3.5m/sec during April, the windiest month of the year.

Soil is mainly scattered grey, sandy brown, black and black brown soils of pasture land and forests.

Rare medicinal herbs such as Mongolian strenbergia, roseroot, saussurea invoclurata, valerian, wild rose, artemisia macrocephala, Polygonum viviparum, rose acicularis, plantain, gentian algida, rhodiola quadrifida, diasthus superbus, meadow cranesbill, astragal, lagopsis supina, yellow and blue gentian, great burnet, thyme, thermopsis, milkwort, rumex, buttercup, edelweiss, licorice, caraway, Taraxacum officinale, saxifrage and peony grow in this region. About fifty species of woody plants including acacia, pentaphyllloides, calligonum, cotoneaster, myricaria, wild cherry, spiraea, sympegma, honeysuckle, fir, abies, larch, cedar, birch, pine, mountain avens, poplar and willow. Tea plants like fleabane, silene conoidea, bergenia and wild rose leaves are plenty. In some parts of the region edible plants like potentilla, onion, wild garlic, nettle, olygonum, allium odorum, garlic allium senescens, chives, sawwort, mushroom, sphallerocaprus gracilis, allium Chinense, caraway, Mongolian onion, lilium pumilum, bistort and alpine bistort are plenty. And black currant, wild plum, cranberry, sweet berry, blueberry, gooseberry, black cherry, strawberry etc., and juniper sabina, juniper sibirica, thyme, Artemisia santalinifolia etc., fragrant plants are also plenty. In summer time numerous beautiful flowers bloom. For example, aquilegia, globe flower, pasque flavescens, plaque ambigua, tulip, rose, poppy, asterothamnus, delphinium grandiflorum and dandelion.

Rodents: Narrow-skulled vole, long tailed gopher, marmot, field mouse, forest red mouse, red mouse, rock wall-reeper and squirrels are found.  

Hoofed Animals: Roe deer, boar and deer are common. White antelope rarely occurs. Argali the wild sheep and ibex are also found.

Predators: White ermine, ferret, fox, wolf, leopard, lynx, corsac, wildcat, badger, raccoon and ermine. 

Birds: Snow cock, rock snowbird, fringilla coelebs, white quail, brown quail, snipe, black kite, jay, lark, nightjar, birch partridge, brown rock sparrow and wagtail.

Predator Birds: Falcon, kite, hawk, buzzard, vulture, owl, and eagle.

Water Birds: duck, durt duck, brown goose, white ardea, godwit, titmouse and pallas's sea eagle. 

Insects: Ant, bettle, mosquito, midge, grass butterfly, bumblebee, spider are common in the forest region. 

Steppe Region Insects: Siberian grasshopper, dark wing grasshopper, balm-cricket, meadow brown butterfly, gramineae flea, chafer beetle, spiders, dragonfly, water-fly and lady bug. 

Floating animals: mollusca, clam, arthropods, pennypeds and leech. 

The aimag is rich with unique scenic places such as Khorgo volcanic area which was formed from an early volcanic eruption many millions of years ago, Terkhiin Tsagaan lake and Suman river which are surrounded by beautiful mountains of Altad, Choidog falls at the southern side of the Murun, Chuluut river which flows amidst steep rock cliffs, Suman river, Suvraga Khairkhan of Tsenkher sum which has crystal, blue spring lake in its frontside, Suvraga Khairkhan with its refreshing aroma of juniper, Khukh Lake which is found on top of the mountain in Ikhtamir sum, astonishingly beautiful Gurvan Tamir wooded valley, Senjit cliff, Ikhtamir sum's Uran Mandal and Noyon Khangai mountains, Khuslent cliff, Bichigt Khangai, Sant Buluu Tsagaan, Duvkhun, Telee, Mankhan Erdene, Bulgan, Khairkhan. Moreover, many "deer stone" monuments dating back to the ancient Khunnu Empire are found from Erdenemandal sum's region. Also, the remains of the Khar Khul Khaan's palace, who was one of the great Khaans in ancient Mongolian history, are located in the sum.