Choir (city)

Choir ( _mn. Чойр) is a city in Mongolia. It is the capital of Govisümber Province, in the east-central part of the country. Choir is a center of the Sümber sum of Govisümber Province.

Population

In 2002 a population of Choir city was 7,588 (and 9,207 with rural parts of Sümber sum), [ Gobisümber aimag official site [http://gate1.pmis.gov.mn/govisumber/index.php?m63] ] up from a population of 4,500 in 1979. [cite web|url=http://www.citypopulation.de/Mongolia_d.html|title=Mongolia|work=citypopulation.de|accessdate=2007-07-24] For the end of 2006 estimations population was 7,800 [ Ministry of Health of Mongolia. National Center for Health Development. Health Indicators 2006 [http://www.nchd.mn/pdf/uzuulelt/2006.pdf] ] .

Geography

Choir lies in the Choir Depression, a lowland strip about 150 km long and 10 to 20 km wide, about 500 m lower than the surrounding upland. [cite web|url=http://www.denisonmines.com/files/objects/2006%20AIF%20FINAL.pdf|format=pdf|title=Annual Information Form|author=Denison Mines|date=December 2006|page=62|accessdate=2007-07-24] It lies at an altitude of 1269 m.

Communications

It lies along the Trans-Mongolian Railway, 250 km to the southeast of Ulan Bator. The Asian Development Bank is considering a 430-km paved road from Choir to the Chinese border, the final stage of a north-south route through the country. [cite web|title=Paving the Way for Road Development in Mongolia's Southern Gobi|work=Asian Development Bank|url=http://www.adb.org/media/printer.asp?articleID=1534|accessdate=2007-07-24]

History

Choir was a military base during the Soviet period. In 1989, the Soviet anti-aircraft missile units left Choir. [Alan J. K. Sanders, "Mongolia in 1989: Year of Adjustment," "Asian Survey" 30:1 (January 1990), p. 62.] The longest runway in Mongolia, now abandoned, is located 25 km N from Choir, a relic of that period.cite web|url=http://www.ait.net/technos/tq_10/4mongolia.php|title=Mongolia, Multimedia Memories, and Me|work=Technos Quarterly|date=Winter 2001|accessdate=2007-07-24] In 1992, the military cantonment passed into the jurisdiction of Govisümber Province, according to the 1992 constitution. [Alan J. K. Sanders, "Mongolia's New Constitution: Blueprint for Democracy," "Asian Survey" 32:6 (June 1992), p. 507.] Near the railway station is a statue commemorating Mongolia's first cosmonaut,
Jügderdemidiin Gürragchaa.

Economy

Choir has been declared a free enterprise zone. Along with Darkhan and Erdenet, it is one of three autonomous cities in Mongolia. [Hari D. Goyal, "A Development Perspective on Mongolia," "Asian Survey" 39:4 (July/August 1999), p. 634.] Choir has a medium-security prison with 460 prisoners. [cite web|url=http://www.asianoutreach.org/articles.php?lng=en&pg=162|title=Siberian Team blesses Mongolia's prisoners|work=Asian Outreach International|accessdate=2007-07-24]

Notes