Where are the cattle bred by the Mongols and Kyrgyz?

All we sometimes know about Mongolia is the name of Genghis Khan, and about Kyrgyzstan - that it was a union republic in the USSR. In fact, the often nomadic way of life of these peoples, for centuries engaged in cattle breeding, is very interesting.

Cattle Breeding in Kyrgyzstan

So where are the livestock of the Mongols and Kyrgyz? A place for pastures in the mountainous regions of Kyrgyzstan is often determined by free and accessible glades on the mountain slopes of Altai, Tien Shan, and the Pamirs, where animals can find food. Some Kyrgyz live in areas of China, many are still breeding yaks, camels, horses, goats and sheep of other animals. Although the ancestors of the people were steppe nomads, over time the Kyrgyz had to learn to grow herds in the mountains.

In winter, cattle graze in the lower reaches of the rivers, in valleys that are protected from the winds, and as the herds warm, herds are driven up into the mountains. Melting snow is gradually disappearing and clearing the way to new pastures.

Cattle breeding in Mongolia

And where are the Mongols cattle bred? We can say that the struggle for places for grazing cattle was the driving force of history in the life of many peoples. In order to find new juicy pastures, you need to roam all the time, and sometimes fight for the best territories. In the twentieth century, centuries-old foundations were subjected to great shocks. The government tried to attach nomads to certain lands, privatize cattle, only in 1991 turned to face the old foundations, the creation of private farms, for a short period the population by 2015 almost tripled.

The country today is the world leader in livestock production per capita, and this indicator continues to grow.

Places for grazing in Mongolia

Deserts, steppes, forest-steppes - these are the places where the Mongols breed cattle. Previously, 95 percent of the population was engaged in cattle breeding, because, according to Mongolian beliefs, cultivating the land is a great sin. Therefore, animals were raised exclusively on pasture, and their existence largely depended on the weather.

Natural conditions determine which and where the Mongols raise cattle:

1. In the west, the climate suits goats and sheep.
2. In the eastern and central regions, in the forest-steppes there is where to graze cattle.
3. They are engaged in horse breeding in the central steppes.
4. There are lands in Mongolia, or rather sand, for camels in areas of deserts and semi-deserts.
5. The country also succeeded in breeding yaks in the northern mountainous regions.

Therefore, the question of where the Mongols livestock can be safely answered - everywhere, throughout the territory of Mongolia, cattle breeding is the traditional main occupation.

Leather, meat and dairy products, and wool account for the bulk of exports to Mongolia.