Information content
From Mongol Studies Online Reference
Because of the small size of the Mongolian population and weakness of the economy there is not an abundance of readily available information content. Currently many of the industries that facilitate the creation and distribution of information are either in the early development phases or do not yet exist. Efforts to develop the ICT infrastructure are currently underway that should help to address this issue. The Mongolian government, in conjunction with NGOs working in Mongolia and UN agencies, has a variety of initiatives working towards increasing the population's access to information technologies. Examples of this include the establishing institutions such as Mongolian Information Development Association (MIDAS) and projects to expand the fiber-optic network. However, traditional information industries, such as libraries, newspapers, and the publishing industry still remain underutilized or under-developed.
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[edit] Access to relevant information
The predominant Mongolian language, Khalka Mongolian, has about three million speakers. Because of this small number there is not a large market to help drive information creation. This means that in order to communicate with the outside world Mongolians often need to learn other languages. The two most popular second languages in Mongolia are Russian and English, though German, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean are not uncommon. The growth of Internet use has helped drive increased study of English since there is a dearth of existing sites in Mongolian. Along these lines, Mongolian scholars proficient in Internet use are also likely to be proficient in English.[1] Outside sources of information, however, may lack relevance to Mongolia's unique situation.
Mongolia's sparse population also makes information transfer difficult. Long distances are detrimental to efficient and timely information transfer. For instance, since privatization measures were enacted in the 1990s newspapers are much less likely to reach rural populations despite an overall increase in publications.[2] Wireless communications in Mongolia are increasingly prevalent and well-suited to those still living nomadic lifestyles, but the communications infrastructure is still in need of further development.
Some NGOs have projects to help develop content suited to Mongolians. The International Children's Digital Library,for instance, has undertaken projects to help stimulate the local children's book publishing industry while providing free copies of books on the Internet. [3][4]
[edit] Affordability
The cost of access to information resources is one of the major roadblocks to information dissemination. According to the Mongolian government, roughly 36% of the population lives in poverty. Furthermore, while the incidence of poverty is not increasing the gap between those in poverty and those who are not is growing.[5] Despite decreases in cost, high end technologies such as Internet access and mobile phones are likely to be out of the reach of a significant portion of the population. Currently, the average internet subscription costs about USD 240 per year while the gross national income per capita is only about USD 1,820.[6][7]
[edit] Presentation languages
[edit] Further reading and links
[edit] References and Notes
- ↑ Yadamsuren, Borchuluun. "Report of the Study on Information Needs of Mongolian Scholars." American Center for Mongolian Studies Library. Accessed 24 June 2008.
- ↑ Myagmar, Munkhmandakh and Nielsen, Poul Erik. "The Mongolian Media Landscape in Transition: A Cultural Clash between Global, National, Local and “no Nomads” Media." Nordicom Review. 2/2001. Accessed 24 June 2008.
- ↑ Bederson, Ben. “No Hotel, Tent: The International Children’s Digital Library Goes to Mongolia.” International Children's Digital Library, 2006. Accessed 7 May 2008.
- ↑ Bederson, Ben. “No Road, Drive: The ICDL Goes to the Mongolian Countryside.” International Children's Digital Library, 2007. Accessed 7 May 2008.
- ↑ Economic Growth Support and Poverty Reduction. Government of Mongolia. 3 July 2003. Accessed 24 June 2008. The monetary equivalent of the poverty line ranges between Tg 19500 to 25300, or USD 17 to 22, per capita per month depending on the region.
- ↑ InTeC Co.Ltd; MIDAS. “Information and Communications Technology Development in Mongolia -- 2006: White Paper.” InTeC Co.Ltd and MIDAS (2006). Accessed 20 April 2008.
- ↑ "Mongolia Gross National Income per Capita." Globalis Interactive World Map, Global Virtual University. Accessed 24 June 2008.
