Ulan Bator is the capital of Mongolia. It is also known as Ulaanbaatar, which is derived from the Mongolian words for 'red hero'. The city was founded in 1639 as a nomadic Buddhist monastic center. It has since grown to become the largest city in Mongolia, with a population of over 1.3 million people. ULAN Bator is the political, economic, and cultural center of the country, and is home to many government buildings, universities, and museums.