Mongolia has a uniquely beautiful yet harsh environment. From dramatic swings in temperature, to a high altitude and to a mix of steppe, taiga, desert and mountains, the land itself helps tell the story of Mongolia and the people who live here.
Mongolia has a really unique environment. Although you can find mountains and deserts, it is largely a steppe environment. A steppe environment is a type of grassland with almost no trees, so really only short grasses and shrubs. The environment is also very dry with minimal rainfall. The Mongolian steppe is also characterized by extremes in temperatures: quite hot in the summer and bitterly cold in the winter. However, Mongolia is not only a steppe environment; in the North, you can find a taiga environment, in the South, you can find a desert environment, and there are also three mountain ranges in the Southwestern, Central and Northeastern areas of Mongolia. The taiga environment is a forested area made up of coniferous evergreen trees. The desert in the South might not look like the desert you imagine. Instead of massive sand dunes, it is more rocky and gravelly. This is because it is a “high desert,” which means that the desert is at a high elevation.
