Tosontsengel is a sum of Zavkhan Province (aimag) in western Mongolia

Mongolia

Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...

. It is the largest sum and sum centre in Zavkhan aimag after its capital.

Geography

TosonTsengel sum is located at northeast part of Dzavkhan aimag. Ider

Ideriin Gol

Ider River is a river in the Khövsgöl and Zavkhan aimags in northwestern Mongolia and is, together with the Delgermörön river, one of the sources of the Selenge river. The source is in the Khangai range, the confluence with the Delgermörön is in Tömörbulag. The river is frozen 170-180 nights per...

 river divides sum territory in two parts. Northern (smaller) part is formed with the southern slopes of the Bulnain Nuruu range (the highest point is Bayartyn Ereen Uul mount 2593 m) forming the boundary of Dzavkhan and Khövsgöl aimags.

Sum center is at the left (northern) coast of the Ideriin Gol (Ider) river. The concrete bridge (only in the sum) is at the southwest edge of the sum centre town. The point at the sum eastern boundary with Ikh-Uul

Ikh-Uul, Zavkhan

Ikh-Uul is a sum of Zavkhan Province in western Mongolia....

 sum, where Ider river leaves the sum, is low point of the Tosontsengel sum (1624 m).

South (larger) part of the sum lays at th southern slopes of the Tarvagatain Nuruu range (a part of the Khangai mountains). These territories are mostly covered with the taiga

Taiga

Taiga , also known as the boreal forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests.Taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome. In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States and is known as the Northwoods...

 type larch

Larch

Larches are conifers in the genus Larix, in the family Pinaceae. Growing from 15 to 50m tall, they are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains further south...

 forests at permafrost

Permafrost

In geology, permafrost, cryotic soil or permafrost soil is soil at or below the freezing point of water for two or more years. Ice is not always present, as may be in the case of nonporous bedrock, but it frequently occurs and it may be in amounts exceeding the potential hydraulic saturation of...

 grounds. The highest parts of the range are mostly covered with the mountain (alpine) tundra

Tundra

In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...

 and are in the Tarvagatai Nuruu National Park. Marz Uul (3205 m) is the highest peak in Tosontsengel sum. Tarvagatain Nuruu forms Zavkhan - Arkhangai aimags boundary.

Population

Sum population is about 9,000. Sum centre population is about 920 families in winter (about 5,000 population) and about 680 in summer.
Ten year school and a hospital are in the sum centre.

Economy

In socialist period Tosontsengel was one of the biggest industrial centres in Mongolia for timber processing.
New small hydropower station was built at Ider

Ideriin Gol

Ider River is a river in the Khövsgöl and Zavkhan aimags in northwestern Mongolia and is, together with the Delgermörön river, one of the sources of the Selenge river. The source is in the Khangai range, the confluence with the Delgermörön is in Tömörbulag. The river is frozen 170-180 nights per...

 river close to the sum centre.

Transportation

Tosontsengel sum has relatively good road connection to the Uliastai

Uliastai

Uliastai is a city in Mongolia. It is located in the western part of the country, 1,115 kilometers from the capital Ulaanbaatar. Uliastai is the capital of Zavkhan Province and was the 10th most populous city in the country with a population of 24,276 , now this city has 16,240 population and is...

 city (181 km), Mörön city (213 km), Tsetserleg city (361 km), Ulaangom

Ulaangom

Ulaangom is the capital of Uvs Province in Mongolia. It is located 26 km South-West from the lake Uvs Nuur shore and on the slopes of the Kharkhiraa mountain, 120 km South to the Russian border.- Description :...

 city (573 km); to the Russian border crossing (307 km) and next to the Russian cities Kyzyl

Kyzyl

-External links:*** in Kyzyl, Russia*...

 (Tyva respublic) and Krasnoyarsk

Krasnoyarsk

Krasnoyarsk is a city and the administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located on the Yenisei River. It is the third largest city in Siberia, with the population of 973,891. Krasnoyarsk is an important junction of the Trans-Siberian Railway and one of Russia's largest producers of...

 (Krasnoyarsk Krai

Krasnoyarsk Krai

Krasnoyarsk Krai is a federal subject of Russia . It is the second largest federal subject after the Sakha Republic, and Russia's largest krai, occupying an area of , which is 13% of the country's total territory. The administrative center of the krai is the city of Krasnoyarsk...

).

It is a small Tosontsengel Airport in the sum centre. It is located at right bank of Ider river.