Winter on the Steppe

In 7 different continents around the world, different climates and lives are lived. While people in Libya struggle with extreme heat, in Mongolia they freeze to death. Although the seasons have changed in recent years, we are one of the rare countries with four seasons. We see the sun, snow and rain… We are really lucky. Imagine living in a country where it is always cold or snowy most of the time.

In these regions, which are covered in ice all year round, temperatures rarely rise above zero.

Here, certain parts of the world are either very cold or completely covered in snow for most of the year. Especially as we approach the north and south polar regions, the cold weather takes its toll. Although the polar regions are known as the coldest places in the world, harsh climatic conditions are also evident in inland areas far from the sea. In these regions, which are covered in ice all year round, temperatures rarely rise above zero.

In order to dig a grave, the ice is melted by setting fire to the ground and only then can the earth be dug.

Winters in Mongolia are very cold, temperatures can drop as low as -45°C in January and Ulaanbaatar holds the record as the coldest capital city in the world. In Ulaanbaatar, the earth is even melted with fire to dig graves. Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, is home to 1.3 million people. The average January temperature in this settlement with its centuries-old history is -45°C.

Ulaanbaatar is such a cold city that in order to dig a grave before a funeral, fire is used to melt the ice and only then can the soil be dug. If you consider that no one can walk on the streets without help, things like driving and starting a car are a nightmare. Those who want to use an ice chest in the city use the trunks of abandoned cars.

It is very difficult to grow vegetables and fruits in Ulaanbaatar due to the harsh climate conditions. For this reason, the city’s cuisine consists of meat-based dishes. They eat dried meat, beef, dumplings are famous and they drink koumiss. Before going out, woolen and thick clothes should be worn. Cashmere socks, sweaters and long underwear, winter parks, leather and fur boots.

Although the roads can be slippery, there is little winter transportation in Mongolia because there is little snowfall. The snow that does fall later turns to ice. Walking outside for more than 20 minutes at a time can be difficult because of the cold.