Last year, Gallup and Meta published The Global State of Social Connections Report based on survey data from 142 countries.

The survey found that over 7 out of 10 adults worldwide feel “very” or “fairly” connected to people in their lives.

The report defines “social connectedness” as “how close you feel to people emotionally.” 

“People” could include friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, people from groups you are a part of, and strangers.

In most countries, more than half of people feel well-connected.

But in Mongolia, it’s 95% of the population.

This is especially surprising given that Mongolia is one of the least densely-populated countries in the world, with just 6 Mongolians per square mile.

So, why are Mongolians so socially-connected?

Mongolians feel so connected to one another because of the unique and (somewhat) ancient way they live.

About 30% of Mongolians still live a nomadic lifestyle.

This means that they:

• travel with herds of sheep, goats, cattle, camels, and horses 🐄

• move their animals (and their families) to new pastures 2-4 times per year 🌾

• live in tents called gers (or yurts) that can easily be packed up and transported to new places 🛖

Of the remaining 70% of Mongolians who live sedentary lifestyles, many still live in yurts.

#YurtLife has been embraced by Mongolians and foreigners who admire the self-reliant yet communal lifestyle practiced by the Mongolian people.

Life in the yurt is intimate.

There are no interior walls, and up to 10 or more family members can live side-by-side.

One Mongolian explained to NPR:

In rural Mongolia, yurts are the primary form of housing.

But even in the Mongolian capital city of Ulaanbaatar, yurts can still be found.

Up to 60% of people in the city live in informal yurt districts, many of them on the city’s edges. (see below)

Mongolians who live in cities or abroad often return to their family's yurt in the summertime.

This helps them to maintain familial and community connections that might otherwise disintegrate with time and distance.

Research has found that Mongolians who live in yurts report higher rates of satisfaction than those living in urban dwellings, largely due to Mongolians' preference for independence and living in nature.

One Mongolian named Tuga Namgur told journalist Katya Cengel that yurts help Mongolian people maintain their connection to nature — and each other.

Mongolian Metal

Tuga’s brother is a member of the world-famous Mongolian metal band, The Hu. 

The Hu uses traditional Mongolian instruments like the horsehead fiddle and the Mongolian guitar alongside traditional Mongolian throat singing.

One of the band's members explained that they are trying to:

The video for one of their most popular songs, Wolf Totem, features a Mongol man being followed across the steppe by a band of fellow Mongols on motorcycles.

Badass.

Mongols & Community

What lessons can we learn from the Mongolians?

It could be that their nomadic lifestyle forces them to rely closely on friends & family, or what we might think of as their tribe.

Harsh conditions, limited resources, and vast empty spaces may have a way of bringing people together.

And maybe the beauty of the Mongolian landscape helps a bit too.

ART OF THE DAY

A portrait of Genghis Khan by an unknown Chinese artist. 14th century. With my own touch added.