The heartland of the Mongol peoples of East Asia covers a large area of Mongolia, China and Russia. At its center lies a vast area of grassland plains known as steppes. These are typified by their temperate, semi-arid climate that is too dry for forests to develop, and too wet to become desert. Almost one-third of the region’s 340,000 square miles of steppe land is located in Mongolia and has been the traditional home to families of nomadic herders.