Sandwiched between China and Russia, Mongolia is in the midst of a bona fide economic boom. Fueled by a surge in mining activity, the country's gross domestic product grew by 17.3% in 2011 and is on track for another big gain in 2012.
Mongolia also leads the world in investment, which registers at 63.6% of its GDP -- by far the highest in the world. Elevated investment does appear to be something of a neighborhood trend however, as China ranks second with 48.4% and Bhutan is fourth at 46.6%.
But Mongolia's economy is still heavily dependent on its neighbors. China receives 90% of the smaller country's exports and Russia provides 95% of its petroleum.
