Landscapes, Climate & Life in Northern Asia

Northern Asia spans the vast upper reaches of the continent: Siberia (Russia), Mongolia, northern China, and fringes of Kazakhstan & Kyrgyzstan. It's a realm of extremes.

Major Biomes

• Tundra (far north): Treeless, permafrost, mosses/lichens, polar bears, reindeer.
• Taiga (boreal forest): World's largest forest belt—spruce, fir, pine; home to Siberian tiger, lynx, moose.
• Steppe (south): Grasslands, nomadic herding country; saiga antelope, marmots.
• Mountains: Urals, Altai, Tien Shan, Sayan, Stanovoy ranges—glaciers, alpine meadows, snow leopards.

Climate

Extreme continental: Winters long, brutal (–30°C / –22°F avg in Jan); summers short, cool to warm (up to 20°C / 68°F in July). Permafrost underlies ~65% of Russian territory.

Population & Cities

Sparse overall (<2 people/km² in Siberia). Major cities: Novosibirsk, Omsk, Krasnoyarsk (Russia); Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia); Harbin, Shenyang (China).

Economy

Resource-driven: oil, gas, coal, diamonds, gold, timber, minerals. Norilsk, Yakutsk, Khanty-Mansiysk are extraction hubs. Agriculture limited to southern steppe.

Northern Asia is a planetary-scale wilderness—critical for global climate, biodiversity, and indigenous cultures—under growing pressure from resource extraction and warming.