More than 60 per cent of Ulaanbaatar’s population lives in periurban informal settlements, known as ger districts, which lack access to modem infrastructure such as piped water, sanitation, paved roads and public transportation. Unplanned expansion of the capital city and rapid migration from rural areas have brought many challenges, including unemployment, traffic congestion, air pollution, soil pollution and the extension of the ger districts. Agricultural land area dropped dramatically by 14.590 million ha from 2002 to 2003, as many areas were transformed into special protected areas. Note: Total area: 156.41 million ha. Whereas the term more commonly used in Mongolia is pastureland, this land should more accurately be described as rangeland because it grows primarily native vegetation and serves as a habitat for wildlife, including many grazers, predators and critically endangered birds, in addition to being used for nomadic livestock herding and haymaking.