Mineral-Rich Mongolia

The country's mineral riches — copper, gold and coal — are bringing new wealth to Mongolia. The illuminated storefront at the bottom left is a Louis Vuitton shop in downtown Ulan Bator.

Passengers wait for trains at Ulan Bator's central station. Mongolians are flocking to the mines in search of better-paying jobs.

The mining industry is also fueling new construction. Laborers work on a construction site on the outskirts of Ulan Bator.

Oyu Tolgoi, a massive mine in Mongolia's South Gobi province, begins producing copper ore in June, 2012. Within five years, it's expected to become the world's third largest copper mine. An employee at Oyu Tolgoi — which means "Turquoise Hill" — holds up a chunk of oxidized copper.

Even while it was under construction, Oyu Tolgoi accounted for about 30 percent of Mongolia's GDP, according to mine officials. But many Mongolians are wary of how the mining explosion has begun to affect their country, where two out of every five people are herdsmen.

In South Gobi province, a local politician (right) and a herder sit inside a traditional yurt, or ger, and discuss the lack of water in the area. Herdsmen worry that mines — which require massive amounts of water to process ore — will deplete already diminishing supplies.

Most Mongolians live in gers, traditional housing that can be taken down and reassembled in under an hour. Many have solar panels and satellite dishes.

The cowboys in Mongolia — where horses were first domesticated — are considered some of the best horsemen in the world. Mongolian horses are shorter and furrier than Western versions. It's another part of traditional Mongolian life that is fading away.

For centuries, Mongolians have relied on herding for their livelihood, depending on animals such as these cashmere goats and sheep for food, fuel and income.

Mutton is a staple of the Mongolian diet. A woman buys meat from a butcher in Ulan Bator's central market.

The herdsmen's livestock also supply Mongolia's cashmere manufacturers, traditionally one of the country's main industries. At the Gobi cashmere factory in Ulan Bator, workers sort through newly arrived piles of goat fur, sorting by color and texture.

A seamstress performs delicate work on a piece of cashmere cloth at the Gobi factory. The cashmere industry is also feeling the effects of mining — as inflation has driven up the cost of raw materials, and water shortages and shrinking pastureland threaten herds.

The circular machines on the factory floor are used to make ribbed cloth and sweaters.

So-called ger villages — actually a mix of yurts and more permanent shelters — spread out onto the hills surrounding Ulan Bator. Some plots are legally purchased; others are occupied by squatters. Most residents have left lives as herders to look for jobs in Mongolia's capital. One-third of Mongolia's population lives in Ulan Bator.

A ger district resident walks the dusty streets on the outskirts of Ulan Bator. As Mongolia's mining industry continues to grow, the future of the country's traditional ways is unclear.