Bayankhongor

Bayankhongor is the capital of Bayankhongor Province in west-central Mongolia, on the western bank of the Tuin River at an elevation of 1,874 meters. Its name translates roughly as rich sweetheart. The city was established in 1941 when Bayankhongor Province was created, but the original site proved unsuitable because of extensive permafrost, so in 1961 the settlement relocated to its present location, moving about 900 families and more than 3,500 people. It has since grown to roughly 33,000 residents, about a third of the province's total population, and experiences a cold semi-arid climate with long, very cold winters and short, warm summers.