Word: mongolian
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...capital, a traditional felt tent, known as a ger, rests on the concrete square. Inside the ger stands Mandakh Jiguur, 28, an artist who has abandoned his oils and watercolors for a higher calling: private enterprise. Spiritedly, he moves between the eight tables, pushing sausages, vodka and smoldering Mongolian hot pot on his customers. Jiguur heaves a sigh of relief that this day the authorities did not arbitrarily shut down his bar. "One day they tell you to stand up and start a business," says Jiguur. "But the next, they hit you on the head...
Perhaps what surprises most about Mongolia's quiet revolution is how peacefully it is unfolding. Mongolia, after all, is the homeland of Genghis Khan, who seven centuries ago led one of history's most notorious tribes of warriors. Twentieth century Mongolian history has not been much kinder. Economic stagnation, diplomatic isolation and political repression have withered the nation of 2 million since it fell into Moscow's orbit in 1921. The most basic commodities are in scarce supply -- even meat, despite the fact that Mongolia has more than six times as many sheep as people. Half the meat production...
Against that backdrop, the gains of Mongolia's revolution seem breathtaking. Prodded by Moscow and local reformers, the ruling Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party has gingerly embraced shinechiel (renewal), the local version of perestroika. Last March, Ulan Bator opened its doors to foreign investment after the government approved a law that guarantees unlimited and tax-free repatriation of profits for investors and joint ventures. The results seem promising. The Gobi Cashmere Factory already produces garments for Japanese and European markets, and Japanese, European and U.S. traders are talking about joint ventures...
...Mongolia's isolation lifts, outside influences seep in. English is taught in schools and on television. Western pop culture -- from rock music to lambada dancing -- has invaded the cities. And the infectious spirit of Eastern Europe's pro-democracy parties is broadcast directly into many Mongolian homes, courtesy of Soviet television...
...many respects, the changes speak more of a revived sense of nationalism than of a hunger for democracy. The descendants of Genghis Khan are rediscovering traces of an identity that was systematically blurred during the decades of Soviet domination. Mongolian script, abandoned in the 1940s in favor of the Cyrillic alphabet, is again being taught. The image of the Mongol hero is back in vogue: a nearly completed joint-venture hotel is named after Genghis Khan, and his visage adorns the label of a local vodka that is bottled / for export. An elaborate memorial to the warrior will soon...