MANDALGOVI

also spelled Mandal Gobi, town, central Mongolian People's Republic. The town is located on the transition zone of scattered bunch grass of the great Gobi (desert) about 186 miles (300 km) south of Ulaanbaatar, the national capital. The area's economy is dominated by animal husbandry, as the terrain and climate are too harsh for agriculture. Sheep, cattle, and goats survive on the scanty vegetation. Light industry came to Mandalgovi in the 1960s with a program for building and improvement of the town's facilities. The town contains a palace of culture and an agricultural college. Pop. (latest census) 10,400.