Mongolian Cultural Symbols

Mongolia's land itself can be described as barren and unforgiving, but what lies beneath are treasures from one of the greatest empires to ever exist.
Mongolia was once the home capital of one of the largest empires to exist in history, only being beat by the British empire in population. Therefore, Mongolia is home to many cultural and historical symbols regarding it's history of the nomadic Mongols.

One such symbol is the horse

Source: http://s1.ibtimes.com/sites/www.ibtimes.com/files/styles/picture_this/public/2012/04/06/259181-mongolia.jpg?itok=yvzoc_eV

While not exclusive to Mongolia, mastery of the horse is the most recognizable trait among Mongols. The horse was (and still is) the most reliable mode of transportation for the steppes that populate most of Mongolia. Genghis Khan’s Golden Horde, that created one of the largest empires to ever exist, would not have been successful without the horse’s speed, mobility and agility. To this day, the horse is still used as a mode of transportation (in competition with camels) among villagers for primary transportation. 

To go along with horses, the Mongolian steppes are another recognizable symbol of Mongolia. 

Source: http://www.shropshiremagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/aug11-patersonb.jpg

The steppes are a geographic combination of plains, canyons, deserts, hills and mountains all together. As such, mobility can be quite limited without proper transport. This sometimes harsh landscape is what permitted the Mongols of the Golden Horde to have such highly skilled horse mounted warriors. Certain elements of the steppes are ideal for farming though. Therefore, farming has been a dominant industry in Mongolia for centuries. 

While many other symbols exist to represent Mongolia, the Yurt is what many would find to be the most interconnected with Mongolia's nomadic history and culture.

Source: http://www.beagleybrown.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Mongolian-yurt.jpg

The Yurt is a traditional Mongolian home (and actually translates to home) designed to suit the needs of a nomadic tribesman. They are easily constructed and deconstructed and can withstand the harsh elements of the steppes. While some villages still make use out of Yurts in Mongolia, the Yurt is generally what the Tipi is to Americans. A symbol of the original and historical culture. 

Three Thematic Maps

Thematic maps are maps used to illustrate a particular element of a geographical location, such as: climate, demographics, political data and land distribution. Thematic maps differ from reference maps in that reference maps are general purpose maps that provide information on common features such as; boundaries, cities, transportation and landmarks. Thematic maps are specific to a certain subject related to the geographical location.

Three thematic maps of Mongolia including: ethnicities, vegetation zones, and geothermal heat flow.

Vegetation Zones (Chloropleth Map)

The vegetation zone map is a chloropleth type thematic map that shows different elements of vegetation and lack of vegetation in Mongolia. In addition to the natural vegetation, lake elements can also be seen. Each element is represented by separate shading.

Source: http://www.mongols.eu/maps-of-mongolia/thematic-maps/

Ethnic Nationalities (Chloropleth Map)

The ethnic nationalities map is a chloropleth type thematic map that shows different distributions of Mongolian cultural ethnicities. Each shading represents a specific group of ethnic Mongolians. 

Source: http://www.mongols.eu/maps-of-mongolia/thematic-maps/

Geothermal Map (Isopleth Map)

Geothermal map is a isopleth type thematic map that shows different elements of heat flow in Mongolia. Each line represents an element of heat to be used as a renewable resource.

Source: http://www.geni.org/globalenergy/library/renewable-energy-resources/world/asia/geo-asia/geo-mongoliabig.shtml