Which country has Ulaanbaatar as its capital and largest city?

Ulaanbaatar is the capital and largest city of Mongolia.

The city lies in north-central Mongolia on the Tuul River, surrounded by the Bogd Khan Uul mountains. It began as a mobile Buddhist monastic center in 1639 and moved location many times before settling at its present site in 1778. Its name changed several times; “Ulaanbaatar,” meaning “Red Hero,” was adopted in 1924 after the Mongolian People’s Revolution.

Ulaanbaatar is Mongolia’s political, economic, and cultural hub and contains a large share of the country’s population. The city is also known for severe winter air pollution, partly caused by coal burning in the ger districts and intense seasonal cold. Mongolia is the world’s most sparsely populated sovereign state, and Ulaanbaatar’s concentration of people creates a striking contrast with the country’s vast open steppe.