Locally, Zavkhan's environment is considered "Gobi-Khangai", since it connects the Gobi Desert in the south with the western Khangai Mountain Range and the broad lake basin of Khovd aimag. The highest peak in the province is Otgontenger both the highest and only peak in the Khangai range capped with a permanent glacier. The mountain is located in the 95,510 hectare Otgon Tenger Strictly Protected Area, about 60 km east of Uliastai. An image of the mountain can be seen on the aimag's coat of arms. Otgontenger is associated with the Bodhisattva Ochirvaani. The western and south-western regions of Zavkhan contain the massive Bor Khyarin Els sand dunes that stretch for over 100 km within the Zavkhan, down into Gobi-Altai aimag. One of the largest lakes in Zavkhan, Bayan Nuur is nestled among the dunes.
Climate
Most precipitation falls in the summer months as rain, with some snow in the adjacent months of May and September. Winters are typically very dry. Zavkhan has some of the coldest winter temperatures in Mongolia. It has even been known to snow in Summer. In Tosontsengel, the largest soum in Zavkhan, winter temperatures as low as −52.9 °C have been recorded. The soum also holds the record for the highest barometric pressure ever recorded on Earth, measured on 19 December 2001.
Wildlife
Aside from having massive livestock populations, Zavkhan's broad ecological regions and deep forests are home to a diverse population of wildlife: Gobi bears, Mongolian khulans, wild boars, spotted deers, argali, wild goats, ibexes, Mongolian wolves, Corsac foxes, marmots, mongooses, Eurasian lynxes, hares, and both Mongolian and goitered gazelle. Many forest, mountain and migratory birds can be found in the aimag, including rare snowcocks and bobwhites, as well as swans, vultures, falcons and hawks. Fishing is a popular pastime in Zavkhan. Khar Nuur and Bayan Nuur lakes are rich with fish, and many of the hundreds of smaller rivers throughout the province provide decent fishing.
Population
Population growth in Zavkhan aimag stopped in 1994, then migration out of the aimag reduced its population to the end of 1979 level. The majority of the population is ethnic Khalkha but there are sizable Khotgoid and Kazakh minorities.
Herders breed each of the "5 Kinds" of animal in Zavkhan. In 2005, the aimag was home to 2,1 million head of livestock, among them 1,03 million sheep, 861,000 goats, 107,000 cattle and yaks, 101,000 horses, and 6,300 camels. The area is also rich with mineral resources such as iron ore, tin, gold, copper, diamonds, molybdenum ore, and phosphorite. While Zavkhan's mineral wealth remains largely been unexploited, in 2012 the Golden Hill Project mine was built by Bayan Airag Exploration LLC outside of Durvuljin soum.
Transportation
The old Uliastai Airport has two unpaved runways and is located close to the city, but it has no regular flights operating. Since 2002, the Donoi Airport with one unpaved runway is located about 25 km west of the city and gets served by regular flights to and from Ulaanbaatar.
