Foreign Correspondent

The Big Dig

It once commanded an empire that occupied an enormous swathe of the world, now the world wants a big slice of Mongolia. It's boomtime in this isolated and undeveloped nation as global miners are racing to stake their claims on vast riches that rival, perhaps even eclipse Australia's resources bounty. So, if you can't beat 'em join 'em and local mining giant Rio Tinto and developer Leighton are right in the thick of the action. But profound questions are being raised about the impact on environment, the proud traditions of nomadic herders and the ability of a small, unsophisticated government to deal with slick, lawyered-up multinationals.