Mongol

Mongol refers to an ethnolinguistic group native to Mongolia and surrounding regions, and to the Mongolian language. The core population lives in Mongolia and in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China, with smaller communities in Russia and elsewhere. The term is also used for historical peoples associated with the Mongol Empire and its successor states.

Origins of the Mongols lie on the Mongolian plateau. In the 12th and 13th centuries Temujin united the tribes as Genghis Khan and founded the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous land empire in history. The empire expanded across Eurasia, facilitating trade and cultural exchange, before fragmenting into Khanates such as the Yuan in China, the Golden Horde, and others. By the 14th century political fragmentation ended centralized Mongol rule, though Mongol influence persisted in many regions.

Today, most ethnic Mongols live in Mongolia and in Inner Mongolia in China. Mongolia became independent from Qing rule in the early 20th century and later established a modern state, adopting a democratic system in 1992. The Mongolian language is the official language of Mongolia; it is written in Cyrillic script in Mongolia, while traditional Mongolian scripts have been used in Inner Mongolia and for cultural heritage.

Cultural traditions include nomadic pastoralism, yurts, and a history shaped by Buddhism and shamanism. Genghis Khan remains a central historical figure.