Outer Mongolia
Ulaanbaatar's vast homeland
Outer Mongolia is a historical term for the region that is now the independent nation of Mongolia, distinguishing it from Inner Mongolia, which remains part of China.
The phrase persists in expressions suggesting extreme remoteness or obscurity: They shipped him off to Outer Mongolia.
The "outer" reflected distance from China's center of power.
Mongol Empire's founder
- morin khuurMongolian bowed string instrument
- gerPortable nomadic tent
- BuddhismEnlightenment-seeking Eastern religion
- throat singingVocal technique producing simultaneous pitches
Covering a large area
- endlessWithout termination or boundary
- boundlessWithout any boundaries
- immenseExtremely large in scope
- sprawlingSpread irregularly outward
open · spacious · horizon · emptiness · unbroken · sweeping · treeless · sparse
Portable circular tent homes
- herdersLivestock guardians and guides
- pastoralismMobile livestock husbandry
- horsebackAtop a steed
- livestockDomesticated farm animals
migration · grazing · flocks · caravans · shepherds · kinship · traditions · campfires
Treeless herb-covered ecosystem
- plateauFlat highland area
- prairieOpen grassy flatland
- plainBasic and unremarkable
- pastureGrazing ground for livestock
meadow · permafrost · taiga · desert · dunes · mountains · valleys · rivers
Complete separation from others
- wildernessUncultivated, uninhabited natural region
- frontierEdge of settlement
- desolateBleak and abandoned
- inaccessibleCannot be reached
faraway · untouched · pristine · sparsely populated · landlocked · distant · secluded · off-grid
Genghis Khan
Mongol Empire's founder
- morin khuurMongolian bowed string instrument
- gerPortable nomadic tent
- BuddhismEnlightenment-seeking Eastern religion
throat singing · eagle hunting · archery · wrestling · shamanism
expansive
Covering a large area
- endlessWithout termination or boundary
- boundlessWithout any boundaries
- immenseExtremely large in scope
sprawling · open · spacious · horizon · emptiness · unbroken · sweeping · treeless · sparse · windswept
yurts
Portable circular tent homes
- herdersLivestock guardians and guides
- pastoralismMobile livestock husbandry
- horsebackAtop a steed
livestock · migration · grazing · flocks · caravans · shepherds · kinship · traditions · campfires · horse culture
grassland
Treeless herb-covered ecosystem
pasture · meadow · permafrost · taiga · desert · dunes · mountains · valleys · rivers · lakes
isolation
Complete separation from others
- wildernessUncultivated, uninhabited natural region
- frontierEdge of settlement
- desolateBleak and abandoned
inaccessible · faraway · untouched · pristine · sparsely populated · landlocked · distant · secluded · off-grid · rugged
Gobi
Central Asian arid region
- AltaiCentral Asian mountain system
Outer Mongoliadowntown
Central business district
Main Street · here · home · city center · civilization