Choir, Mongolia
Choir (Mongolian: Чойр) is a city in Mongolia. It is the capital of Govisümber Province, in the east-central part of the country. Choir is officially known as Sümber sum of Govisümber Province.
Choir
Чойр ᠴᠣᠶᠢᠷ | |
|---|---|
| Sümber District Сүмбэр сум ᠰᠦᠮᠪᠦᠷᠰᠤᠮᠤ | |
 Train station of Choir, Mongolia, 2013 | |
  Choir Location in Mongolia | |
| Coordinates: 46°21′38″N 108°21′54″E | |
| Country |  Mongolia |
| Province |  Govisümber |
| Sum | Sümber |
| Area | |
| • Total | 916 km2 (354 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,279 m (4,196 ft) |
| Population (2017) | |
| • Total | 10,434 |
| • Density | 11/km2 (30/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 |
| Area code(s) | (+976) 154 |
| Climate | BSk |
History
Choir was a military base during the Soviet period. In 1989, the Soviet anti-aircraft missile units left Choir.[1] The longest runway in Mongolia, now abandoned, is located 25 km N from Choir, a relic of that period.[2] In 1992, the military cantonment passed into the jurisdiction of Govisümber Province, according to the 1992 constitution.[3] Near the railway station is a statue commemorating Mongolia's first cosmonaut, Jügderdemidiin Gürragchaa.
Geography
Location
Choir lies in the Choir Depression, a lowland strip about 150 km long and 10 to 20 km wide, about 500 m lower than the surrounding upland.[4] It lies at an altitude of 1269 m.
Climate
Choir has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk) with warm summers and severely cold winters. Most precipitation falls in the summer as rain, with some snow in the adjacent months of May and September. Winters are very dry.
| Climate data for Choir | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 0.5 (32.9) |
7.8 (46.0) |
17.0 (62.6) |
28.1 (82.6) |
35.6 (96.1) |
36.3 (97.3) |
36.6 (97.9) |
34.7 (94.5) |
30.0 (86.0) |
23.5 (74.3) |
12.0 (53.6) |
7.8 (46.0) |
36.6 (97.9) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −14.9 (5.2) |
−11.2 (11.8) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
10.1 (50.2) |
18.7 (65.7) |
23.9 (75.0) |
25.0 (77.0) |
23.4 (74.1) |
17.1 (62.8) |
8.6 (47.5) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
−12.9 (8.8) |
6.9 (44.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −20.5 (−4.9) |
−17.3 (0.9) |
−7.9 (17.8) |
2.3 (36.1) |
11.0 (51.8) |
16.6 (61.9) |
18.6 (65.5) |
16.9 (62.4) |
9.9 (49.8) |
1.2 (34.2) |
−10.3 (13.5) |
−18.3 (−0.9) |
0.2 (32.3) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −25.0 (−13.0) |
−22.9 (−9.2) |
−14.1 (6.6) |
−4.7 (23.5) |
3.7 (38.7) |
10.0 (50.0) |
12.9 (55.2) |
11.1 (52.0) |
3.9 (39.0) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
−15.6 (3.9) |
−22.8 (−9.0) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −39.3 (−38.7) |
−38.0 (−36.4) |
−34 (−29) |
−22.0 (−7.6) |
−14.9 (5.2) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
3.3 (37.9) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−9.6 (14.7) |
−20.7 (−5.3) |
−31.6 (−24.9) |
−36 (−33) |
−39.3 (−38.7) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 0.5 (0.02) |
1.5 (0.06) |
1.5 (0.06) |
4.4 (0.17) |
10.2 (0.40) |
28.6 (1.13) |
55.7 (2.19) |
43.5 (1.71) |
19.2 (0.76) |
5.6 (0.22) |
4.0 (0.16) |
1.9 (0.07) |
176.6 (6.95) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 2.2 | 4.3 | 8.0 | 7.7 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 30.2 |
| Source: NOAA (1961-1990) [5] | |||||||||||||
Population
In 2002 a population of Choir city was 7,588 (and 9,207 with rural parts of Sümber sum),[6] up from a population of 4,500 in 1979.[7] For the end of 2006 estimations population was 7,998.[8]
Economy
Choir has been declared a free enterprise zone.[2] Along with Darkhan and Erdenet, it is one of three autonomous cities in Mongolia.[9] Choir has a medium-security prison which can house 460 prisoners.[10]
Transport
It lies along the Trans-Mongolian Railway, 250 km to the southeast of Ulan Bator. The Asian Development Bank is considering a 430-km paved road from Choir to the Chinese border, the final stage of a north-south route through the country.[11]
References
- Alan J. K. Sanders, "Mongolia in 1989: Year of Adjustment," Asian Survey 30:1 (January 1990), p. 62.
- "Mongolia, Multimedia Memories, and Me". Technos Quarterly. Winter 2001. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
- Alan J. K. Sanders, "Mongolia's New Constitution: Blueprint for Democracy," Asian Survey 32:6 (June 1992), p. 507.
- Denison Mines (December 2006). "Annual Information Form" (PDF). p. 62. Archived from the original (pdf) on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
- "Choir Climate Normals 1961-1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
- Gobisümber aimag official site Archived September 24, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- "Mongolia". citypopulation.de. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
- Govisümber Aimag official site
- Hari D. Goyal, "A Development Perspective on Mongolia," Asian Survey 39:4 (July/August 1999), p. 634.
- "Siberian Team blesses Mongolia's prisoners". Asian Outreach International. Archived from the original on 2007-09-14. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
- "Paving the Way for Road Development in Mongolia's Southern Gobi". Asian Development Bank. Archived from the original on 2007-07-02. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
External links
Media related to Choir at Wikimedia Commons