6 Things to Learn about Mongolian People

If you love travelling to maverick places, Mongolia must be on your bucket list. This serene country is definitely one of the most unusual travel places that will offer a lifetime of experience. Before visiting, it is necessary that you understand and have a heads on about the basic etiquettes and culture of Mongolian people.

Mongols is a central Asian ethnographic group who primarily lived in the Mongolian plateau and followed a very nomadic tradition. The homeland of these people are now divided into the Inner Mongolia (autonomous region of China) and into independent country of Mongolia (Outer Mongolia). See 11 Facts about Mongolia

1. Population distribution

Based on the latest UN reports, the current population of Mongolia is 3,145,727. Of them, 8% are Turkish natives while 90% are Mongolians. Also, you can find mongolized Khamnigan people of tungus origin in a very few numbers. About 80% of the multinational population of Mongolia are the Halh people while the rest of the 20% comprises of Tuva, Oold, Kazah, Dorvod, Bayad, Torguud, Urianhai, Zahchin, Myangad, Darhad, Barga, Dariganga, Buriad, Hoton, Hamnigan, Uzemchin, and Tsaatan.

Some interesting facts about Mongolian population -

• Mongolian people comprises about 0.04% of the entire world population
• Population density is 2 per sq km
• About 72.9 % of the population is urban
• 27.4 years is the median age of Mongolian people

2. Features of Mongolians

Did you know a writer in the 13th century described the people of Mongolia as Antichrist?

By now seen you must have seen some TV documentaries and/or movies how the people in this country look like; and most likely you think they all look dark, tall and bulky.

But the truth is individual Mongolian can look way different from each other depending on which tribe they are from. That being said, there are some stereotypical facial features such as -
• high and big cheekbones, which is also commonly seen in folks of Northern and Northeastern Asia
• most of them have a stocky build because of the Mongolian diet and climate
• bigger heads and rounder faces are common
• fair and pale skin textured Mongolians are more than the dark skinned ones

3. Common Mongolian look and style

Broadly speaking, you can find three different types of look amongst the people -

• Nomads or those who are in villages

As they have a simple lifestyle, you will not find any such luxurious attire. In fact, they have a much rough and rugged appearance as they have to go out in the sun for work.

• Urban Mongolians

They have a similarity with the Korean and Kazakh people. Also, if you trace back their roots, they are from a different mixture of people such as Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Western Asia, Northern China, and Siberia.

• Minority Ethnic Groups

You can find about 20 different ethnic groups in the country. Durvud, Buryat, Halimag, Bayan Ulgii, are some of the ethnic groups who are now living in the urban Mongolia and look like a mix of East and Central Asian and Eastern European.

4. The Reindeer people

In north central Mongolia, there is a group of nomads living for generation called the Dukha people. Living in the taiga along the Russian border, these people roam with their reindeer herds and are by large living on reindeer milk. Unfortunately, the Dukha families are facing serious challenges in preserving their traditional culture. This is because, they fear they are losing their identity as the government has placed conservation order which banned unlicensed hunting on most of their traditional land.

5. Lifestyles & Customs

Modernization and urbanization has have had huge impact on the nomadic lifestyle of these people but you can still find some distinct conventions in Mongolian people.

For example, the ger always has its door towards the south. The north of any house is a place of honor where the families keep their photographs or the Buddha statue. The east side is where utensils are stored or a woman cooks.

For any traditional Mongolian culture, people wear the national costume called the deel. It is a long gown in silk with bright colors and various patterns.

Visiting relatives exchanging gifts on New Year holiday still remains one of the very prominent customs of the country.

6. Etiquettes

If you are visiting a Mongolian family, you need to say "Nokhoi khor" that translates to 'hold the dog'. As a visitor, the most polite gesture is to turn to the left hand side of a ger for entering as the right side of the entrance is preserved for the family. When the people will serve you with food and drink, make sure to accept it with your right hand and never with your left hand. You can use both the hands to support the container but do not just use your left hand. When drinking with Mongolian people, you need to follow certain procedures. You need to flick a drop in the reverence of Tengri, the god of the sky, for the wind and for Gadzer, the god of Earth.

It is extremely impolite to refuse the food or drink offered to you.

Hat is a very important part of Mongolian culture. So, you should never touch any other person's hat. Also, make sure not to keep it on the floor or on the chair when you are not wearing it.

Do not lean against the walls of the Mongolian gers as they represent stability. Since it is not a very solid structure, practically you would not want it to collapse.

While inside a Mongolian family ger, do not whistle. It is just to call the spirits and is not a much appreciated attitude.

For many Mongolian people, touching or patting on their heads is a sign of bad luck. This is even true for children, so make sure not to pat on the head.

Any Mongolian family is very hospitable in general. Try to have a little knowledge about the local customs to avoid any unnecessary cultural faux pass.