The Mongols are an ethnic group that originated in what is now
Mongolia, Russia, and China, particularly Inner Mongolia. They
currently number about 8.5 million and speak the Mongol
language. They form one of the 56 nationalities officially
recognized by the People's Republic of China. There are
approximately 2.3 million Mongols in Mongolia, 4 million Mongols
living in Inner Mongolia, and 2 million Mongols living in
neigboring provinces. In addition, there are a number of ethnic
groups in North China related to the Mongols: the Daur, Buryat,
Evenk, Dorbod, and Tuvin. Though few in number (approximately
200,000 people at the height of their empire), Mongols were
important in world history. Under the leadership of Genghis
Khan, the Mongols created the largest land empire in world
history, ruling 13.8 million mile² (36 million km²) and more
than 100 million people. At their height, their empire spanned
from Korea to Hungary, and included most of the lands in
between, such as Afghanistan, Georgia, Armenia, Russia