Erdenet (/ˈɜːrdɪnɛt/;Mongolian:Эрдэнэт[ért(ɘ)nɘtʰ], 'precious, valuable') is the third-largest city inMongolia and the provincial capital ofOrkhon. Located in northern Mongolia, it lies in a valley between theSelenge andOrkhon rivers about 240 km (149 mi) (as the crow flies) northwest of the national capitalUlaanbaatar andDarkhan. The road length between Ulaanbaatar and Erdenet is about 370 km (230 mi). As of the 2018 census, the city had a population of 98,057.
Erdenet, one of the youngest settlements in Mongolia, was founded in 1974[1] in an area where large deposits ofcopper had been discovered in the 1950s. A single-track railway line with a length of 120 km (75 mi) linking Erdenet to theTrans-Mongolian Railway was inaugurated in 1977.[2] In the middle of the 1980s, more than 50% of the inhabitants were Russians working as engineers or miners. After the fall of Soviet Communism in 1990, however, most Russians left Erdenet. Today, about 10% of the population is Russian.[1]
The Erdenet Mining Corporation is a joint Mongolian-Russian venture, and accounts for a majority of Mongolia'shard currency income. Erdenet mines 22.23 million tons of ore per year, producing 126,700 tons of copper and 1,954 tons of molybdenum.[3] The mine accounts for 13.5% of Mongolia's GDP and 7% of tax revenue.[4] About 8,000 people are employed in the mine.[5]
Erdenet is linked to Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, and to the towns ofDarkhan andBulgan by a paved road and is easily accessible by bus several times each day. The distance to the capital where the nearest airport is situated amounts to 370 km (230 mi) and travel by car takes about eight hours.
Erdenet is home to several cultural and economic landmarks. The Erdenet Carpet Factory, established in 1981 about 2 km (1 mi) east of the city center, processes approximately 2,000 tons of wool annually and employs around 1,100 workers.[6] Cultural institutions include the Mining Museum, located in the Palace of Culture on the central square,[7] and theMuseum of Orkhon Province, founded in 1983. TheFriendship Monument, erected in 1984, stands on a hill in northeastern Erdenet.Amarbayasgalant Monastery, a major Buddhist site located about 60 km (37 mi) northeast of Erdenet, was founded between 1727 and 1737, partially destroyed in 1937, and restored after 1975 with support fromUNESCO.
