Dornogovi Aimag (Province)
Dornogovi aimag is located in eastern steppe of Mongolia, bordering with Dornogovi, Umnugovi, Dundgovi, Govisumber, Khentii, and Sukhbaatar aimags and to the PR of China for about 600km. Entire aimag is in Gobi zone, so that the area is a combination of gobi and steppe. But, some smaller mountains such as Otsol, Sansar, Ikh and Baga Dulaan and Argalant, and a huge valley in the heart of the Dornogovi that stretches from northeast to southwest exist in this aimag.
Since the aimag's territory entirely belongs to gobi and steppe zone, the main soil type is gobi brown soil. There are many large sand dunes in Dornogovi. Land surface has moraine from cenozoic era and numerious fluoride minefields are found in this region.
Findings of old stone age were found from Khavtsal valley of Delgerekh sum, findings from middle and new stone age are being found from Dulaan Gobi of Erdene sum and Durvuntein Khond of Khatanbulag sum.
Remains of old city dating back to the 16th - 17th century, with over 50 ruined buildings are located in Ikhkhet sum in a place called Olon Baishint (Many houses).
Also in 14km from Ikhkhet sum, there is a monument, belonging to the 10th or 15th century, made of uncuted natural stones, standing in the middle of a stone circular. This site has been registered under national protection.
The Dornogovi aimag has kept its pristine untouched nature and many prominent findings in paleontology have been found in here such as dinosour fossils from 80 million years ago, fossils of oceanic creatures from millions of years ago, petrified wood, traces of buffaloes and ostriches that lived 30 million years ago.
There were about 100 monasteries in this aimag and Tsuviraa monastery belonging to yellow hat sect of Buddhism which located in 60km from the center of Khuvsgul sum is one of them. This monastery is considered to be an invaluable historical and cultural site. The monastery was established by Gobi's first Khutugtu (high reincarnated lama) Agvaangonchig in 1666 as Amgalant Monastery. The energy center Khamaryn Khiid that was established by Khutugtu Danzanravjaa in 1821 is located in this aimag too. Khamaryn Khiid was a buddhist monastery belonging to red hat sect, with about 80 monastery buildings and over 500 monks.
