Mongolia has grass, desert, snow, and the booming, ever-expanding city of Ulaanbaatar! Outside of Ulaanbaatar, there are few opportunities for jobs. Outside of the city, the majority of people work as farmers or herders. Their livelihoods are truly embedded into the breathtaking landscapes that make Mongolia famous.
Mongolia is most famous for its steppe environment. Most of the landscape is never-ending grass with foothills, or small rolling hills, in the distance. The people who live here are few and far between. It's possible to stand in the middle of the steppe, with nothing but grass below you and sky above you, and to feel like you're the only person in the world. But I think the environment of the overall country is special because it is full of contrasts. The steppe is a contrast to both the busy streets of Ulaanbaatar and to the rocky, mountainous deserts of Western Mongolia.
The people here depend on animals and base their livelihoods around raising and herding them. With all the wide open space and the endless supply of grass, the steppe environment is perfect for cows, horses and goats. If the animals can thrive here, so can the people who care for them!
