Ganaa (left) and his family pack up the ger to move to urban Ulaanbaatar after a hard zuud winter wiped out most of their sheep and goats.

Ganaa (left) and his family pack up the ger to move to urban Ulaanbaatar after a hard zuud winter wiped out most of their sheep and goats.

Fashion models and a traditional child acrobat await the arrival of the pop band Camerton at a concert at the APU vodka and beer factory.

Fashion models and a traditional child acrobat await the arrival of the pop band Camerton at a concert at the APU vodka and beer factory.

The dirt track road from the grasslands of Altan Bulag to Ulaanbaatar

The dirt track road from the grasslands of Altan Bulag to Ulaanbaatar

More than half of Ulaanbaatar's 1.2 million people live in the ger districts that have formed as ex-herders have given up the nomadic life en masse to pitch their gers on the hills surrounding the city. These districts are little better than shanty

More than half of Ulaanbaatar's 1.2 million people live in the ger districts that have formed as ex-herders have given up the nomadic life en masse to pitch their gers on the hills surrounding the city. These districts are little better than shantytowns, lacking running water or proper roads.

Oyu Tolgoi copper gold mine under construction, digging tunnels 1.3 km below the South Gobi desert, will double Mongolia's GDP when it starts production

Oyu Tolgoi copper gold mine under construction, digging tunnels 1.3 km below the South Gobi desert, will double Mongolia's GDP when it starts production

Over the past decade Ganaa, 27, and his family grew their herds to 1200 animals. Then after this past dzud ("winter disaster") wiped them out, they have 200 left.

Over the past decade Ganaa, 27, and his family grew their herds to 1200 animals. Then after this past dzud ("winter disaster") wiped them out, they have 200 left.

Baby goat, freeze dried by the harsh winter dzud.

Baby goat, freeze dried by the harsh winter dzud.

Bat-erdene, who joined Ulaanbaatar's new generation of very wealthy via real estate development projects with his company Altai Construction, checks out his horses on a pre-Naadam training race just outside of town. His trainer and jockey are nomad

Bat-erdene, who joined Ulaanbaatar's new generation of very wealthy via real estate development projects with his company Altai Construction, checks out his horses on a pre-Naadam training race just outside of town. His trainer and jockey are nomad kids. The Naadam horse races are important for the prestige of UB's upper business class.

With temperatures spiking at 100 degrees F on a weekend, hundreds of city people head to the Tuul River to swim or cool off by the polluted water.

With temperatures spiking at 100 degrees F on a weekend, hundreds of city people head to the Tuul River to swim or cool off by the polluted water.

In their ger, Ganaa and his daughter watch a Beyonce video on an iPhone belonging to one of Ganaa's childhood friends who has made it big in the city.

In their ger, Ganaa and his daughter watch a Beyonce video on an iPhone belonging to one of Ganaa's childhood friends who has made it big in the city.

Sumo school for young wrestlers. Many are from the ger districts and they come with the idea that they can become sumo stars in Japan, where three of the recent top champions have come Mongolia.

Sumo school for young wrestlers. Many are from the ger districts and they come with the idea that they can become sumo stars in Japan, where three of the recent top champions have come Mongolia.

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Materials market

Materials market

Altan Urag, alternative folk metal band, whose fiddles has replace traditional horseheads with death skulls based on the creatures from the Alien movies.

Altan Urag, alternative folk metal band, whose fiddles has replace traditional horseheads with death skulls based on the creatures from the Alien movies.

The Mobile Police Patrols were introduced to UB in 2007 to increase police presence, gaining more control and order in the expanding city. The vast majority of arrests and violence stem from alcohol abuse. Another primary duty they perform is to r

The Mobile Police Patrols were introduced to UB in 2007 to increase police presence, gaining more control and order in the expanding city. The vast majority of arrests and violence stem from alcohol abuse. Another primary duty they perform is to rescue drunks passed out on the side of the road. If left there overnight in subfreezing temperatures, these men would die or have seriously damaged health.

Coal burning power plant exhaust plus the smoke from individual ger fires leaves a thick yellow blanket of pollution over Ulaanbaatar in winter.

Coal burning power plant exhaust plus the smoke from individual ger fires leaves a thick yellow blanket of pollution over Ulaanbaatar in winter.

Turu is an unemployed father with a 2 year old son, living with his parents. He was a Buddhist monk for 11 years before he want to tourism school. He is getting his tattoo, which he saw in a war movie, from a friend in exchange for doing some work

Turu is an unemployed father with a 2 year old son, living with his parents. He was a Buddhist monk for 11 years before he want to tourism school. He is getting his tattoo, which he saw in a war movie, from a friend in exchange for doing some work on his apartment. Like a number of young Mongolians, he feels a kinship with the imagery of Nazi Germany and sees the swastika, originally appropriated from Buddhism, as a symbol of Mongolian nationalism.

Aftermath of a bar brawl between friends. Three have been removed to the drunk tank by the police while two remain, one man attending to his friend who has been bloodied and knocked unconscious.

Aftermath of a bar brawl between friends. Three have been removed to the drunk tank by the police while two remain, one man attending to his friend who has been bloodied and knocked unconscious.

Nomad Wave women's art collective perform part of an installation piece at the former summer residence of Bogd Khan, the last emperor of Mongolia. The linked sleeves of their garments represents unity and sisterhood, but also forms a ring of prote

Nomad Wave women's art collective perform part of an installation piece at the former summer residence of Bogd Khan, the last emperor of Mongolia. The linked sleeves of their garments represents unity and sisterhood, but also forms a ring of protection against the fear of the tiny Mongolia being lost in face of Chinese and Western globalization.