Mongolia

A land of vast open space, extremes and a living nomadic culture — and the source of everything we make.

Undarmaa began as a bridge between Denmark and Mongolia. To me, Mongolia isn't just a place the wool comes from — it's an entire way of living, close to nature and the animals, that shapes both the materials and the people behind them. Here's a little about the country behind every sweater, every scarf and every plaid.

One of the world's most sparsely populated countries

Mongolia is a large country — around 1.5 million square kilometres, more than 35 times the size of Denmark — yet only around 3.4 million people live there. That makes Mongolia one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world, with vast stretches of steppe, mountains and desert as far as the eye can see. The country lies wedged between Russia to the north and China to the south, with no access to the sea.

A climate of extremes

Mongolia is called "the land of the eternal blue sky" for its many clear days — but the climate is harsh. Winters are long and can reach −40°C, summers short and hot. It's precisely these extremes that make the wool so special: to survive the cold, goats, yaks and camels develop a dense, fine undercoat. Without the extreme climate, the fibres wouldn't be what they are. Read about the materials.

The land of the nomads

Around a fifth of Mongolians still live as nomads or semi-nomads — moving with their herds through the seasons and living close to the animals. It's a way of life with deep roots, and it's still everyday reality for many. The herders' knowledge — about the animals, about when the wool should be combed, about reading the weather and the land — is a precondition for the quality in everything we work with.

The Republic of Mongolia — not Inner Mongolia

There's a mix-up we'd like to clear up. Mongolia is an independent country — the Republic of Mongolia. Inner Mongolia is a province in China. Both have a nomadic culture and cashmere production, but they're not the same place. When we say our materials and products come from Mongolia, we mean the Republic of Mongolia — the country, not the Chinese province.

The bridge between Denmark and Mongolia

This connection is what Undarmaa is built on: bringing the best of Mongolian nature — cashmere, yak wool and camel wool — to Denmark, with as short a path from origin to you as possible. Read about Undarmaa.

Keep reading: Cashmere, yak and camel wool · Producers and responsibility.