Mongolia uses two time zones. Most of the country, including the capital Ulaanbaatar, uses Ulaanbaatar Time (ULAT, UTC+8). The western provinces of Bayan-Ölgii, Uvs, and Hovd use Hovd Time (HOVT, UTC+7), which is 1 hour behind the capital.
Mongolia does not observe daylight saving time (discontinued in 2017). The majority of the population lives in the eastern timezone centered on Ulaanbaatar.
Mongolia is the world's most sparsely populated country, with just 2 people per square kilometer. It was once the center of the largest contiguous land empire in history under Genghis Khan. Mongolia has more horses than people, and the traditional sport of Mongolian wrestling has no time limits—matches continue until someone falls. The Gobi Desert, one of the world's largest, spans Mongolia's southern region.