Mongolia
Pronunciation: /mɒŋˈgəʊlɪə/
The Gobi Desert occupies much of the southern half of the country. The centre of the medieval Mongol empire, Mongolia subsequently became a Chinese province, achieving de facto independence in 1911. In 1924 it became a communist state after the Soviet model; a new democratic constitution was introduced in 1992. The country was formerly known as Outer Mongolia to distinguish it from Inner Mongolia, which remains a province of China