Mongolia is a mountainous country. Its topography consists of mountains, hummocks and high denudation plains, forming three major regional stages on its surface. Eighty per cent of all Mongolian territory is situated about 1000 meters above sea level.

The surface of Mongolia comprises the biggest parts of the Mongol Altai Mountains, Great Lakes Depression, mountains surrounding lake Khuvsgul, the Khangai mountain range, Orkhon-Selenge river basin, Khentii mountain, Dornod steppe and Great Khyangan mountain eastwards.

A policy to protect all mountains, relief features and ecosystem of Mongolia and propelyr exploit minerals has been carried out in tile country. In addition, the country is paying more attention to take a zone, which is different to other zones for its biosphere, to thle state special protection and preserve biological varieties in its distribution areas and environments. This is important to protect this zone, which is included in the rare and delicate nature of theworld biosphere. There are the Mongol Daguur, Dornod Mongol and Kllalkll Numrug reserves with tile ecosystem's original nature, which are valuable in the world standard, and are in the eastern part of Mongolia .

Mongolia is a continental country, which is situated on the three biggest watersheds. The country's water resource is dependent mostly on most river flow outside from the country's border.

Mongolia has comparatively high levels of surface and ground water resources. The rivers of Mongolia belong to the inland catchments basins of the Arctic Ocean , the Pacific Ocean and Central Asia Inland Basin . The higher and middle of the Selenge, the biggest river in the country and parts of the Yenissei river belong to the Arctic Ocean drainage basin.

Fauna. Animals of all kinds of zones such as forest, steppe, desert, alpine, tundra, talus, and water surrounding grove, have settled down in Mongolia . Many animals, which are frequently spread throughout the Siberian taiga, European-type forests, western Asia and Turan desert, are included in the aforementioned animals. As well as this, there are many endemics, which are in only deserts and steppes of Central and East Asia , in the country. Mongolia is the native place of ancient extinct animals and takes the leading place in the World by its more precious finds.

The forests, which occupy 18921.8 thousands hectares or only 8.1 percent of the whole territory of Mongolia , are situated along the watershed of the three big basins. The forest is very important, and rich in natural and ecological wealth, which keeps rivers' water resources, protects soil from erosion, softens the climate, absorbs greenhouse gas, establishes a favorable living environment for animals, plant and microorganisms, and holds down the permafrost. The forest reserve is made up of about 140 varieties of trees and shrubs.

Coniferous and broad-leaved forests occupy 84 percent of the forest reserve, and Haloxylon Ammodendron accounts for 16 percent. 70.4 percent of woodland are covered by the forest and 20.8 percent occupied by the net forest area, respectively. Coniferous and broadleaved forests are in 10465.3 thousand hectares and Haloxylon Ammodendron are in 2040.9 thousand hectares of the woodland. Larch accounts for 58.8 per cent. Cembra pine 5,2 percent, birch 8,8 percent, pine 7,7 percent and Haloxylon 16 per cent of all woods. Spruce, fir, poplar, aspen and willow grow on small scale.

Mongolian forests grow under the Central Asian condition with an extreme climate. So the woods are very susceptible to fire, harmful insects and the influences of adverse human activity.

Forest fires have burnt about 70 percent of the famous Tujiin nars (Pine forest) in the territory of Selenge aimag since 1996. The reforestation campaign was started in 2002, and the Mongolian government pays for the protection of Tujiin nars. In 2002, pine trees were replanted in over 900 hectares there and 85 per cent of those were able to grow. Mongolia will replant 150 hectares of pine trees in 2004, and 200 hectares in 2005.