# Khovd Province

Khovd (/ˈkɒvd/; Mongolian: Ховд), alternatively romanized as Khobhd, is one of the 21 aimags (provinces) of Mongolia, located in the west of the country. Its capital is also named Khovd. Khovd province is approximately 1,580 km from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia's capital. It takes its name from the Khovd River, which is located in this province.
Islam is a significant religion practiced by around 10–15% of the population, namely the Kazakhs and a small minority of Uyghurs.

## Population

Khovd is distinguished by its multi-cultural population. It is home to more than 17 nationalities and ethnicities. Each of these groups has its own distinct traditional dwelling and settlement pattern, dress and other cultural distinctions, literary, artistic, and musical traditions.
Ethnic groups of Khovd aimag national censuses data :
| Ethnic group | Mongolian name | 1979 | % | 1989 | % | 2000 | % |
| Khalkha | Халх | 17,343 | 27.72 | 20,397 | 26.64 | 23,832 | 27.45 |
| Zakhchin | Захчин | 14,464 | 23.12 | 17,228 | 22.50 | 21,645 | 24.93 |
| Kazakh | Хасаг | 9,425 | 15.06 | 12,814 | 16.74 | 10,005 | 11.52 |
| Torguud | Торгууд | 5,566 | 8.90 | 6,703 | 8.76 | 6,995 | 8.06 |
| Olots | Өөлд | 4,823 | 7.71 | 5,622 | 7.34 | 6,503 | 7.49 |
| Altai Uriankhai | Урианхай | 4,587 | 7.33 | 5,403 | 7.06 | 6,592 | 7.59 |
| Dörvöd | Дөрвөд | 2,856 | 4.56 | 3,609 | 4.71 | 5,242 | 6.04 |
| Myangad | Мянгад | 2,855 | 4.56 | 3,517 | 4.59 | 4,287 | 4.94 |
| Tuvan | Тува | - | - | 239 | 0.31 | 724 | 0.83 |
| Bayad | Баяд | 129 | 0.21 | 227 | 0.30 | 377 | 0.43 |
| Chantuu | Чантуу | 183 | 0.29 | 187 | 0.24 | 258 | 0.30 |
| Khoshuud | Хошууд | - | - | - | - | 149 | 0.17 |
| Other Mongolian citizens | | 93 | 0.15 | 176 | 0.23 | 203 | 0.23 |
| Foreigners | | 241 | 0.39 | 431 | 0.56 | 19 | 0.02 |
| Total | | 62,565 | 100.00 | 76,553 | 100.00 | 86,831 | 100.00 |
The Khovd aimag population growth stopped in 1991, then migration out of the aimag (approx. 20,000 in 1992-2004) compensated the natural increase and confined aimag’s population within the limits of 87 thousand to 92 thousand since.
Khovd aimag population :
| 1956 census | 1960 est. | 1969 census | 1979 census | 1981 est. | 1989 census | 1995 est. | 2000 census | 2006 census | 2010 census |
| 42,300 | 48,000 | 54,000 | 62,600 | 64,500 | 86,831 | 88,494 | 89,326 | 92,395 | 82, 204 |

## Climate

Khovd is notorious for its harsh weather, for temperatures regularly reach as high as 40 °C or 104 °F during summer and as low as −30 °C or −22 °F during winter. The climate is dry, as it receives approximately the same average annual precipitation as Phoenix, Arizona.

### Rivers

The major rivers are:
* Khovd River
* Bulgan River
* Buyant River
* Hoid tsenher River
* Dund tsenher River
* Uench River
* Bodonch River

### Lakes

* Khar-Us Lake
* Khar Lake
* Dörgön Lake
* Tsetseg Lake

### Mountains

* Altai Mountains
** Jargalant hairhan
** Bumbat hairhan
** Baatar hairhan
** Monkh hairhan
** Baitag bogd

## Transportation

The Khovd Airport (HVD/ZMKD) has two runways, one of which is paved, and gets served by regular flights from and to Ulaanbaatar, Mörön, and Bulgan. And flights are planned to Ürümqi city of Xinjiang.

## Economy

The region around the Khovd city is famous in Mongolia for its watermelon crop. There is a sizable hydroelectric dam-building project underway that will theoretically generate enough electricity to power the three most western aimags (Uvs, Bayan-Ölgii, and Khovd). The city of Khovd is connected to the Russian power grid and subject to blackouts if it falls behind in its payments. Domestic and international tourism and sports hunting are a sizable industry of Khovd province. The natural environment, fresh and salt water lakes, mountains, valleys, caves, ancient rock paintings and fortresses are other sightseeing attractions.
Animal herding is the main economy of this province.
Number of livestock :
| 1950 census | 1960 census | 1970 census | 1980 census | 1990 census | 2000 census | 2005 census | 2010 census | 2014 census |
| 1,131,733 | 1,691,934 | 1,539,574 | 1,687,703 | 2,070,622 | 1,836,272 | 1,963,712 | 1,639,100 | 2,625,577 |
In 2018, the province contributed to 1.21% of the total national GDP of Mongolia.

## Administrative subdivisions

The aimag capital Khovd is geographically located in the Buyant sum, but is administered as independent Jargalant sum. The administrative center of the Khovd Sum is also called Khovd, which is a common source of confusion. The other administrative centers carry the name of the respective Sum as well.
The sums of Khovd Aimag :
| Sum | Mongolian | Population 1979 census | Population 1991 est. | Population 2007 est. | Population 2010 est. | Major Ethnic. | Sum Centre Population | Area (km²) | Density (/km²) | Distance from Khovd city(km) |
| Altai | Алтай | 2,141 | 2,712 | 3,234 | 2 849 | Zahchin | 767 | 13,144 | 0.25 | 310 |
| Bulgan | Булган | 7,052 | 9,169 | 9,634 | 8 262 | Torguud | 3,171 | 8,104 | 1.19 | 335 |
| Buyant | Буянт | 3,361 | 4,386 | 3,533 | 2 673 | Halh/Tuva | 1,568 | 3,759 | 0.96 | 19 |
| Chandmani | Чандмань | 2,311 | 2,963 | 3,155 | 2 469 | Halh | 689 | 6,016 | 0.52 | 160 |
| Darvi | Дарви | 2,402 | 2,775 | 2,596 | 2 362 | Halh | 579 | 5,604 | 0.47 | 204 |
| Dörgön | Дөргөн | 1,715 | 2,555 | 3,015 | 2 266 | Dorvod | 659 | 4,128 | 0.73 | 106 |
| Duut | Дуут | 1,675 | 2,189 | 2,094 | 1 287 | Urianhai | 502 | 2,146 | 0.98 | 76 |
| Erdenebüren | Эрдэнэбүрэн | 2,258 | 3,210 | 3,372 | 1 995 | Oold | 696 | 2,772 | 1.22 | 60 |
| Jargalant* | Жаргалант | 17,620 | 26,877 | 29,207 | 29 012 | Halh/Mixed | 28,601* | 70 | 417.24 | 0 |
| Khovd | Ховд | 3,927 | 4,850 | 4,589 | 2 722 | Halh | 719 | 2,830 | 1.63 | 27 |
| Mankhan | Манхан | 3,273 | 4,352 | 4,526 | 3 480 | Zahchin | 1,258 | 4,330 | 1.05 | 80 |
| Mönkhkhairkhan | Мөнххайрхан | 1,811 | 2,337 | 2,554 | 1 955 | Urianhai/Zahchin | 744 | 2,554 | 1.06 | 155 |
| Möst | Мөст | 3,239 | 4,092 | 3,577 | 2 939 | Zahchin | 809 | 3,927 | 0.91 | 180 |
| Myangad | Мянгад | 2,940 | 4,552 | 3,662 | 2 615 | Myangad | 713 | 3,258 | 1.12 | 35 |
| Tsetseg | Цэцэг | 2,189 | 2,645 | 2,531 | 2 423 | Halh | 570 | 3,491 | 0.72 | 216 |
| Üyench | Үенч | 2,575 | 3,913 | 4,760 | 4 024 | Zahchin | 1,452 | 7,476 | 0.64 | 305 |
| Zereg | Зэрэг | 2,388 | 3,092 | 3,078 | 2 727 | Zahchin | 796 | 2,524 | 1.23 | 130 |
$^*$ - The aimag capital Khovd