What is Steppe?
[[File:steppe of western Kazakhstan in the early spring.jpg|350px|thumb|A steppe in Western [[Kazakhstan]] in early spring]] In physical [[geography]], a '''steppe''' is a [[plain]] without [[tree]]s (apart from those near rivers and lakes). The term comes from “flat grassy plain” in Russian.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Costa|first=Daniel|title=Steppe {{!}} Definition, Description, Plants, Animals, Importance, & Facts {{!}} Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/science/steppe-grassland|access-date=2024-08-14|website=www.britannica.com|language=en}}</ref> It is similar to a short-grass [[prairie]], although a prairie is generally considered as North America, and the steppe is in eastern Europe and central Asia. Sometimes the short-grass prairie in North America is also called a steppe. Similar places in Africa are called [[savanna]]. The world's largest steppe, sometimes called The Great Steppe, is in Russia.<ref>{{cite web|title=steppe in Learner's Dictionary|url=http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/steppe|publisher=Merriam-Webster|accessdate=8 April 2013|archive-date=25 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130325170425/http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/steppe|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Mongolian Steppe, also known as the Eastern Steppe, is located in northern [[Mongolia]]. It is between the [[Altai Mountains]] in the west and the Greater Khingan Region in the east. ==Climate and Landscape== It may be semi-[[desert]], or covered with [[grass]] or [[shrub]]s or both, depending on the [[season]] and [[latitude]]. It is the sort of [[climate]] that is in regions too dry for a [[forest]], but not so dry that there are only deserts. The [[soil]] is too moist for a desert, but too dry for normal forest life. Steppes receive slightly more rain than deserts do. The climates in steppes are usually temperate. They are pretty dry because there is very minimal rain.<ref name=NatGeo>{{cite web|title=Definition of Steppe|url=http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/steppe/?ar_a=