City (pop., 2002 est.: mun., 812,500), capital of Mongolia. Situated on a windswept plateau, it was founded in the mid-17th century as the residence of the bodgo-gegen, the high priest of Tibetan Buddhism. It subsequently became a trading centre on caravan routes between Russia and China; it remains the principal junction of Mongolian transportation routes. The Outer Mongolian revolt for independence was centred there in 1911. Ulaanbaatar became the capital when the Mongolian People's Republic was established in 1924 and remained the capital when the country's name was changed to Mongolia in 1992. It is the country's main industrial centre.
Learn more about Ulaanbaatar with a free trial on Britannica.com.