AKIPRESS.COM - Mongolia will allocate a total of 8,605 hectares of land free of charge for families this year, the Mongolian government press office said in a statement Wednesday.

The government will also allocate 30 hectares of land to business people who want to grow potatoes and vegetables.

Last year, 32,000 Mongolians owned 3,443 hectares of land free of charge.

The total land area of Mongolia is 1,564,116 square km. But over half of its three million population live in the capital, Ulaanbaator, Хinhua reported.

Those residing in the capital are also able to own land in rural areas for free, according to the Department of Land Privatization Management of the Ulan Bator Property Relations Agency.

According to the law on land allocation, the size of land allocated for ownership for family needs varies depending on location.

Foreign citizens and companies who are not permitted to own land can only use it under definite conditions and terms.