The Darkhad valley is a large valley

Valley

In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...

 in northwestern Khövsgöl aimag, Mongolia

Mongolia

Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...

. It is situated between the Ulaan Taiga

Ulaan Taiga

Ulaan Taiga is a mountain range in northwestern Khövsgöl, Mongolia, between the Darkhad Valley and Mongolia's border with Tuva, Russia. The range covers parts of the Ulaan-Uul, Tsagaannuur and Bayanzürkh sums. Notable peaks include Mt. Lam Taiga and Mt. Belchir . The Shishged River and the...

 and Khoridol Saridag ranges at an altitude of about 1600 m, about 160 km long and 40 km wide. The area is 4270 km². It was transferred from the People's Republic of Tannu Tuva to the Mongolian People's Republic in 1925 as a Soviet

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

 concession to the Mongolians, who had wanted to incorporate the territory of Tannu Uriankhai

Tannu Uriankhai

Tannu Uriankhai is a historic region of the Mongol Empire and, later, the Qing Dynasty. The realms of Tannu Uriankhai largely correspond to the Tuva Republic of the Russian Federation, neighboring areas in Russia, and a part of the modern state of Mongolia....

 into their country.

The valley is rich in lakes and rivers, the biggest of which are Dood Tsagaan Lake and Shishged River, respectively. The area is famous for its natural beauty, but relatively remote and inaccessible even by Mongolian standards.

The Darkhad valley is divided between the Ulaan-Uul

Ulaan-Uul, Khövsgöl

Ulaan-Uul is a sum of Khövsgöl aimag. The area is close to 10,000 km². In 2000, Ulaan-Uul had a population of 3,726 people, mainly Darkhad. The sum center, officially named Tögöl , is located 171 km north-northwest of Mörön and 942 km from Ulaanbaatar....

, Renchinlkhümbe, and Tsagaannuur sums. Inhabitants are mainly Darkhad

Darkhad

The Darkhad is a subgroup of Mongol people living mainly in northern Mongolia. They living mainly in the Bayanzürkh, Ulaan-Uul, Renchinlkhümbe, and Tsagaannuur sums of Khövsgöl Province. The Darkhad valley is named after them...

 (whom the valley's name derives from), and also some Tsaatan

Tsaatan

The Dukha are a small culture of reindeer herders living in northern Khövsgöl Aimag of Mongolia.The North Taiga band was organized under the Qing Dynasty from 1755-1912 as part of Toja or Uriyankhai banner...

.