Mongols[a] are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia and China (Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family of Mongolic peoples.
Mongol, member of a Central Asian ethnographic group of closely related tribal peoples who live mainly on the Mongolian Plateau and share a common language and nomadic tradition. Their homeland is now divided into the independent country of Mongolia and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China.
The Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous empire in history.
The Mongol empire was founded by Genghis Khan in 1206. It extended from the Pacific Ocean to the Danube River and the Persian Gulf. At its greatest extent, it covered some 9 million square miles of territory, making it the largest contiguous land empire in history. Learn more about the Mongol empire in this article.