Introduction
The Mongolian Plateau is a vast elevated tableland covering approximately 2.6 million square kilometers across Mongolia and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. Rising to an average elevation of 1,580 meters above sea level, this plateau is one of the last great open grasslands on Earth, where nomadic herders still follow seasonal migrations with their livestock across seemingly limitless horizons. Mongolia itself, with just 3.4 million people spread across 1.56 million square kilometers, is the most sparsely populated sovereign nation on the planet -- averaging fewer than 2 people per square kilometer.
This is the homeland of the Mongol people and the launching ground for the Mongol Empire, which under Genghis Khan and his successors became the largest contiguous land empire in human history, stretching from Korea to Hungary and encompassing roughly 24 million square kilometers at its peak in 1279. The plateau's vast open spaces, harsh climate, and horse-centered culture produced some of the most formidable cavalries the world has ever known.
Beyond its military legacy, the Mongolian Plateau is an ecological treasure of global significance. The eastern steppe supports one of the last great ungulate migrations on Earth, with over a million Mongolian gazelles roaming freely across unfenced grassland. The Gobi Desert along the plateau's southern margin harbors unique species found nowhere else, including the critically endangered Gobi bear and wild Bactrian camel. Today, the plateau sits at a crossroads between its ancient nomadic heritage and the pressures of mining-driven modernization, making its future one of Central Asia's most compelling geographic stories.
Geography & Dimensions
- Area: ~2.6 million km²
- Average Elevation: 1,580 m
- Location: Mongolia and Inner Mongolia, China
The Mongolian Plateau is bounded by the Altai and Sayan mountains to the west and north, the Greater Khingan Range to the east, and the Gobi Desert along its southern margin. The terrain varies from rolling grass steppe in the east to semi-desert and desert in the south and west, with forested mountains (taiga) along the northern and western borders.
The plateau contains several large basins and depressions. The Valley of the Lakes stretches along the southern margin, while the Selenga River drains the northern plateau into Lake Baikal. Numerous endorheic lakes, including Uvs Nuur and Khyargas Nuur, dot the western plateau. The eastern steppe is one of the last large intact temperate grasslands on the planet.
Climate & Weather
- Temperature Range: -50°C to 40°C
- Annual Precipitation: 100–350 mm
The Mongolian Plateau has an extreme continental climate with very large temperature swings, low humidity, and high winds. Ulaanbaatar, the capital, is the coldest national capital in the world, with average January temperatures around -25°C. Summers are brief but can be warm, with temperatures exceeding 35°C on the steppe.
The dzud, a severe winter disaster involving deep snow or ice crusts that prevent livestock from grazing, is the most feared weather event. Dzuds can kill millions of animals in a single winter, devastating nomadic families. In the 2009-2010 dzud, Mongolia lost an estimated 8.5 million head of livestock, about 17% of the national herd.
Ecology & Biodiversity
- Key Ecosystems: Eastern steppe grassland, Gobi desert steppe, mountain taiga
- Notable Species: Mongolian gazelle, snow leopard, takhi (Przewalski's horse)
The eastern Mongolian steppe supports one of the last great ungulate migrations in the temperate world. Mongolian gazelles, numbering over a million, migrate vast distances across the unfenced grasslands in search of forage. This migration, while less famous than the Serengeti wildebeest, is one of the largest remaining on Earth.
The plateau's varied habitats support a remarkable range of wildlife. Snow leopards inhabit the western mountains, Gobi bears (mazaalai), the world's rarest bear subspecies, survive in the Gobi Desert, and Przewalski's horses (takhi) have been successfully reintroduced to several reserves after being extinct in the wild. The Daurian steppe is a UNESCO transboundary biosphere reserve.
Human Geography
- Population: ~6 million (Mongolia and Inner Mongolia combined)
- Major City: Ulaanbaatar (1.5 million, ~half of Mongolia's population)
Nomadic pastoralism has been the defining way of life on the Mongolian Plateau for at least 3,000 years. Herders raise the five traditional livestock types known as the tavan khoshuu mal: horses, cattle (including yaks), sheep, goats, and camels. Mongolia's 70 million livestock outnumber its human population roughly 20 to 1. The ger (yurt), a portable felt tent that can be assembled or dismantled in about two hours, remains the primary dwelling for roughly 30% of Mongolia's population. Hospitality to travelers is a deep cultural value -- tradition dictates that anyone approaching a ger must be offered tea and food.
Ulaanbaatar has grown explosively, from about 500,000 residents in 1990 to over 1.5 million today, as rural nomads migrate to the capital seeking economic opportunities and fleeing increasingly harsh winters. The city now houses nearly half of Mongolia's entire population, creating a stark urban-rural divide and severe winter air pollution from the coal and dung burned for heating in the sprawling ger districts. Mining, particularly copper and gold at the massive Oyu Tolgoi mine (one of the world's largest known copper-gold deposits, with an estimated value exceeding $100 billion), is transforming Mongolia's economy but raising serious concerns about water consumption, environmental degradation, and the displacement of herding communities on the steppe.
Significance & Challenges
- Historical Legacy: Birthplace of the Mongol Empire
- Key Challenge: Overgrazing, mining impacts, and desertification
The Mongolian Plateau holds an outsized place in world history. Genghis Khan united the Mongol tribes in 1206 and launched conquests that would create an empire stretching from Korea to Hungary. The Mongol Empire facilitated unprecedented cultural exchange across Eurasia and established trade networks that connected the medieval world.
Today, the plateau faces growing environmental pressures. Livestock numbers have nearly tripled since 1990 due to the cashmere goat boom, leading to widespread overgrazing and grassland degradation. Mining operations are expanding across the southern steppe. Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of dzuds and droughts. Balancing economic development with preservation of the nomadic heritage and steppe ecosystem is Mongolia's central challenge.
Key Facts
- The Mongolian Plateau covers 2.6 million km² at an average elevation of 1,580 m.
- Ulaanbaatar is the coldest national capital in the world with January averages around -25°C.
- The eastern Mongolian steppe is one of the last large intact temperate grasslands on Earth.
- Mongolian gazelle herds of over a million animals migrate across the unfenced steppe.
- The Mongol Empire, born on this plateau, was the largest contiguous land empire in history.
Fun Facts
- Mongolia has approximately 70 million head of livestock, roughly 20 times its human population.
- The 2009-2010 dzud killed 8.5 million livestock animals in Mongolia in a single winter.
- Genghis Khan's burial site has never been found despite centuries of searching.
- The Mongolian horse, though small, can travel 70 km in a day and survive winters without shelter.
Final Thoughts
The Mongolian Plateau is a landscape where the past and present coexist in ways found almost nowhere else on Earth. Nomadic herders still ride horses across grasslands that Genghis Khan once surveyed, while the steppe's unfenced horizons support one of the last great wildlife migrations. Yet this ancient way of life faces unprecedented challenges from mining, overgrazing, climate change, and urbanization. The future of the Mongolian steppe will determine whether one of Earth's last great open grasslands survives intact.
