From Hovd Travel in Mongolia
The Ethnic Groups of Hovd Aimag
For more detailed information on any of the following ethnic groups, please follow the links provided.
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Hovd aimag is home to more indigenous ethnic groups than any other aimag in Mongolia. This map shows how the ethnic groups are distributed across the aimag. The two groups that make up the largest percentage of Hovd's population are the Khalkh and the Zakhchin (see the table below for Hovd's ethnic group demographics). The Khalkh are Mongolia's ethnic majority and make up about 90% of the country's total population. Down the center of Hovd, covering 5 different soums, is Zakhchin territory.
The city of Hovd, and the surrounding Buyant soum are home to an assortment of all of Hovd aimag's ethnic groups, including the:
- Khalkh
- Zakhchin
- Uuld
- Durvud
- Uriankhai
- Torguud
- Myangad
- Kazakh
- Tuvans
- and even some Uzbeks and Uighurs.
In the northernmost portion of Hovd aimag there are four soums, each one home to a different ethnic group. Hovd soum, which borders Bayan Ulgii, is home to over 4,000 of the aimag's Kazakh residents. Erdeneburen soum is home to the aimag's Uuld population. A little to the northeast of Hovd City is Myangad soum, named for its Myangad residents. In Hovd's lake region to the northeast is Durgun soum, home to the aimag's Durvud people (one of the four major tribes of the old Oirat confederation), an ethnic group more common in Uvs aimag, but also represented in Hovd.
High in Hovd's portion of the Altai Mountains in Munkhkhairkhan and Duut soums are the Uriankhai people. The Uriankhai are renowned for their archery.
In Bulgan soum, Hovd aimag's biggest soum and also the farthest from the aimag center, are the Torguud people. The Torguuds are another of the 4 major Oirat tribes. There are about 10,000 Torguuds living in Hovd aimag, though another 60,000 live across the border with China in Xinjiang province.
The table below shows the population of each major ethnic group in Hovd aimag as of the 2000 census. The numbers are a few years old, but at present they are the most current available.
| Ethnic Group in Hovd | Name in Mongolian | Percentage of Aimag Population | Population in Hovd Aimag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Khalkh | Халх | 27.45% | 23,832 |
| Zakhchin | Захчин | 24.93% | 21,645 |
| Kazakh | Казак | 11.52% | 10,005 |
| Torguud | Торгууд | 8.06% | 6,995 |
| Uriankhai | Урианхай | 7.59% | 6,592 |
| Uuld | Өөлд | 7.49% | 6,503 |
| Durvud | Дөрвөд | 6.04% | 5,242 |
| Myangad | Мянгад | 4.94% | 4,287 |
| Tuvan | Тува | 0.83% | 724 |
| Bayad | Баяд | 0.43% | 377 |
| Uzbek | Чантуу | 0.30% | 258 |
| Khoshuud | Хошууд | 0.17% | 149 |
