Khentii Aimag (Province)
Khentii aimag is located in mountainous area in Kherlen, Onon, Ulz river basins in northern hemisphere on eastern halfway of the globe between 108° to 113° longtitude and 46° to 49° northern latitude. Khentii aimag borders with Chita oblast of Russia to the north, with Dornod to the east, with Sukhbaatar and Dornogovi aimags to the south and with Govisumber to the southwest, with Tuv to the west and with Selenge aimag to the northwest. The aimag's territory is a combination of mountainous and steppe zone. This aimag appertains to forest and steppe zone, and 16% of the whole northern region is elevated at 1,880-2,450m above the sea level and it has gallant forested mountains like Khentii Khan, Noyon and Delgerkhaan. Khentii Khan mountain elevated at 2,451m above the sea level, Asraltkhairkhan at 2,799m above the sea are the highest points of Khentii aimag. Khentii aimag has a unique natural composition as the Siberian taiga forest from north meets the Central Asian vast steppes in the south.
Khentii aimag has great amount of underground water resource. There are big and small rivers in northern forested areas of the aimag. Yet the southern steppe has much less underground and inflow water resource. The aimag has over 90 springs, 70 lakes and pools like Khar Zurkh's Khukh lake mentioned in The Secret History of Mongolia, Khangal lake famous for its beautifull scenery, Khajuu spring and others that are involved with Chinggis Khaan history. There are dozens of hot and cold medicinal springs such that Gurvan Nuur, Onon, Avraga Toson, Tars, Arangatai and so on. Around 100 rivers like Kherlen, Onon, Eg, Barkh, Khurh, Ulz, Balj, Khumult, Tsenkher that are initiated at Khentii range and its branch mountains belong to this territory.
Khovd Aimag (Province)
Khovd aimag has immense area that embraces Mongolian Altai mountains, great lakes depression and northern Altai gobi. In the western side it borders with the People's Republic of China, in northwest with Bayan-Ulgii, in east and north east with Zavkhan, and in the southern side borders with Govi-Altai aimag. The total length of the border is 1,522km. From north to south it is 453km, from east to west is 249km and is located at approximately 2,230m above the sea level. The aimag has many big mountains like Tsambagarav, Darvi, Baatar, Khukh Serkh range, Munkh Khairkhan, Jargalant, Sutai, Myangan Ugalzat, and Altan Khukhii and 20% of the aimag territory is a Gobi.
In the mountainous areas sedimentary rocks from early Cambrian period, in the southern parts of the aimag sedimentary rocks from quaternary period are widely spread. The aimag is reach in natural and counstraction mineral materials such as coal (Khundlun), mica (Bodonch), crystal (Ooshigiin Us, Tsagaantolgoi).
