Selenge Aimag (Province)
Selenge aimag is located in the northern Mongolia, between Orkhon and Selenge river basins and forest steppe region with hills and mountains. It has total area of 43 thousand square kilometers and borders with Russia to the north, Khentii aimag to the northeast, Tuv aimag to the southeast and southwest, and Bulgan aimag to the west. Some of the big lakes, including Burenkhaan, Bayankhaan, Tovkhonkhaan, Dulaankhaan, Delgerkhaan and Songolbuteel, are located in Selenge aimag. The aimag is elevated at 1,427 to 2,226m above the sea level.
The largest river of Mongolia is Selenge that flows through this aimag. Therefore, the aimag is named after the Selenge river. Orkhon, Tuul, Kharaa, Yeruu, Iven, Burgaltai, Shuren, Mankhtai, Sharyn gol and other many rivers are the part of the Selenge river basin.
Dardaa, Ishgent, Gun Nuur, Sharyn Tsagaan, Tsagaan and Tushig lakes, Yeruu, Tovkhonkhany, Khondyn, Mogoin springs are situated in this aimag.
The 42% of the aimag's territory is covered by forest and the remaining parts are covered by pasture plants. River basins are covered with bushes. Pine trees makes the most of the forest, but almost all of the kinds of trees which belong to Khangai forest region like cedar, larch, birch, aspen, fir, silver fir and poplar grow here. Larch grows in about 508.5 thousand square kilometer area, pine wood in 407.2 thousand, cedar in 178.8 thousand, fir in 10.9 thousand, birch in 583.9 thousand, aspen in 3.8 thousand, poplar in 5.1 thousand square kilometer area. The area is rich with fruit and berry bushes like strawberry, red currant, black currant, blackberry, blueberry, black cherry, hawthorn and raspberry. Pine nuts and various types of mushrooms are also widely found in this aimag.
The area is rich with wild animals like bear, lynx, fox, wolf, Pallas wildcat, ermine, weasel, badger, deer, moose, antelope and boar. World widely endangered rodents with an expensive fur like sable and ondatra are inhabited in Orkhon-Selenge, Kharaa, and Yeruu river basins. Swan, goose, crane, bustard, partridge, hazel grouse, wood grouse, quail, eagle, hawk, vulture and buzzard inhabits in the area. Perch, pike, burbot and white fish are inhabited in the rivers and lakes of the aimag.
