A steppe is a vast, flat grassland with few trees, found in parts of Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and other regions with dry climates. Picture an enormous plain stretching to the horizon, covered in grasses and wildflowers but almost no forests. The Russian steppe, for instance, extends for thousands of miles across southern Russia and Ukraine.

Steppes are too dry for most trees but perfect for tough grasses that can survive with little rain. These grasslands have shaped history in remarkable ways. For centuries, nomadic peoples lived on the steppes, moving their herds of horses, cattle, and sheep to find fresh grazing land. The Mongols built the largest land empire in history by mastering horseback riding and archery on the Central Asian steppes.

The North American Great Plains are similar to steppes, though Americans usually call them prairies. Like steppes, prairies are wide grasslands where bison once roamed in massive herds and where farmers now grow wheat and corn. The key difference is mainly geography and history: steppe typically refers to the grasslands of Eurasia, while prairie describes those of North America. Both landscapes share that same sense of endless open space where the sky feels bigger than anywhere else.