Synopsis：For most people, the name Mongolia typically conjures up images of Genghis Khan, the 13th century conqueror whose empire covered most of Asia and stretched well into Europe. The name of this fearless and feared conqueror is virtually synonymous with this landlocked region on the Asian steppe. Isolated between China's northern hinterlands and the Siberian region of Russia, Mongolia is a land that has seen few visitors. After shaking off communism at the end of the Cold War, the country has opened up to outsiders, who come to Mongolia in ever increasing numbers. Through tourism, investment, and technology transfer they have helped modernize the rudimentary economy, but the traditional ways of the once nomadic nation still remain strong. Mongolia is a land of contrasts. Though its most famous geographic feature is the vast steppe, Mongolia actually boasts a wide range of terrain from huge taiga forests to arid deserts to wetlands abundant with life that are rich in natural resources.