Before making the classification by area of the largest grasslands in the world, it is important to know what actually grasslands are. Grasslands are vast areas in which natural vegetation consists of lush-green grass running across several miles. Grasslands are characteristic of areas where there is a balance between the amount of rainfall: not too much as to support a forest and not so less to make the land barren. It is characteristic of semi-arid and semi-humid areas.
They are normally found between forest and deserts and are plane stretches of land covered with grass.
Before moving forward we need to see the types of grassland. Savanna, steppe, prairie and pampas, you might have come across one or more of these terms but probably don’t know the literal meaning of these terms.
It might amaze you:
All of the mentioned terms are basically different names given to grasslands in various different areas around the globe. South Americans address grasslands by Pampas. In Midwestern United States, they are addressed as Prairies. On other hand, Central Eurasian grasslands are known as Steppes and Africans term grasslands as Savannas.
You might be astounded by this fact:
Grasslands cover about one fourth of our mother Earth’s area.
Considering their importance, let us have a look on the top 10 largest grasslands in the world:
10-Hulun Buir Grassland
Situated in the Mongolian region, this grassland stretches over a vast area of 93,000 sq. km. Its name is characteristic of the two lakes it is named after: Hulun Lake and Buir Lake. It is surrounded by almost 3000 rivers and 500 lakes. Hulun Buir is amongst the top 3 most beautiful grasslands in the world. It is known as “The Grass Kingdom” because of the vast variety of vegetation it possesses. Approximately 120 different kinds of pastures are found in this grassland. A seemingly endless lush-green carpet with colourful wild flowers makes the view of this grassland spectacular.
9-Great Hungarian Plain
Great Hungarian grassland stretches across South-eastern Hungary, Eastern Croatia, Northern Serbia and Western Romania. It covers more than 100,000 sq. km. About half of this area is in Hungary whereas the remaining part of this grassland is shared by Romania, Serbia and Croatia. The Hungarian prairies are widely utilized as cultivable land for crops, vegetables and fruits. There is a proper system of irrigation and flood-control that has made this utilization possible. The climate here is continental. The Romanian part of this grassland is one of the major grasslands in Europe considering the fact that there is a lack of grasslands in Europe. It consists of 28 different types of species of plants. This stretch of land is also used for small-scale farming.
8-Manchurian Plain
Sitting at the heart of the central lowland in North-eastern China, the Manchurian Plain, also known as Sung Liao Plain spreads over an area of 350,000 sq. km. The sea level of this grassland is very low. No part of this grassland is above 1000 ft.
It might be of particular interest:
Most part of this grassland area is covered by black fertile soil which comes down from the surrounding ranges of Da Hinggan on the west, Xiao Hinggan on the north and Changbai on the East. Towards the south, the Gulf of Liaodong surrounds it. Some major rivers related to this grassland are Sungari River, the Nen River and the Liao River. Government of China has utilized this vast grassland in many positive ways. It plays a vital role in the soybean production of China. In addition to this, corn, rice, wheat and other important crops are also cultivated in this grassland.
This grassland is so vast that three industrial cities are situated on this vast stretch of grassland: Harbin, Shenyang and Changchun.
7-Llanos Grasslands
Llanos is basically the Spanish word for “plains”. The Llanos stretch of grasslands are located across northern South America. They also enter western part of Venezuela and some part of North eastern Colombia. The Llanos grasslands have made into the biggest grasslands due to their vast area of 570,000 sq. km. These grasslands are encompassed by the Andes Mountains, Guiana Highlands and the famous Amazon River.
Llanos has two distinguishable areas of grasslands: areas that are considerably wet due to seasonal flooding and some relatively drier portions. The wet parts are populated by swampy grassy regions. On the other hand, long-stemmed grass covers most of the drier regions.
6-Pampas of Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil
The vastness of these grasslands can be judged by the fact that it touches almost three countries. Its area of 750,000 sq. km comprises of Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Rios and Cordoba. It also covers a large area of Uruguay and covers a vast Brazilian part i.e. Rio Grande do Sul.
The warm temperate/climate, mild and even distribution of rain throughout the year makes this stretch of grassland very viable for agriculture. Pampa Grass is one of the most distinct type of grass found in these regions. The vegetation in Pampas, however, is often destroyed by wildfires. Susceptibility to flooding also hinders the utilization of this grassland region.
Practically, grassland region towards south and west of Buenos Aires is used for cultivation. Growing vineyards plays an important aspect in this region’s cultivation.
5-Kazakh Steppe
The Kazakh steppe, as its name suggests, is a large grassland region in Northern Kazakhstan. It also extends to some portions of Russia that are adjacent to Kazakhstan. The Kazakh steppe extends to a wide region having an area of 804,500 sq. km. This region lies south of the famous Ural Mountain Range. This range is famous because it acts as the natural dividing line between the two continents: Europe and Asia. This steppe slopes up moving towards the north. Amazingly, this steppe is surrounded by further steppes like Pontic Steppe and Emin Valley Steppe.
This steppe region experiences extreme cold weather i.e. as low as 18 degree Celsius. On other hand, in months of June and July there is a moderate weather with temperatures ranging from 20 to 26 degree Celsius.
4-Australian Savanna
The Australian Savanna, also known as Australian Tropical Savanna, is situated in Northern Australia. Its area stretches from Broome all the way to Townsville. Having an area of 1,769,160 sq. km, this savanna experiences extreme temperatures. Summer fires are common to Australian Savannas. Wildfires occur in the drier seasons i.e. May to October. This particularly becomes the reason of lack of dense forestation in this area.
It might astound you:
Temperatures in this savanna can reach as high as 50 degree Celsius! However, average temperature in warm seasons is around 30 degree Celsius.
Along with shrubs and dense grass, saltwater crocodile is a distinguishable animal that resides in the lakes adjacent to this savanna. The saltwater crocodile is famous for its extended length i.e. even 7 to 8 meters long!
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This savanna is unique in every aspect. Vegetation types, animals (some unique animals that can’t be found elsewhere reside in this savanna) and climate; every aspect is unique for this savanna compared to other savannas. This uniqueness is particularly due to the unique location of this savanna which unlike other savannas is not near the equator.
3-Canadian Prairies
Western Canada is home to the Canadian Prairies. This Prairie stretches from the north of Edmonton and covers 3 provinces towards the east of Manitoba-Minnesota border. The area of the Canadian Prairies is an amazing 1,780,650.6 sq. km. This extremely large area makes it the 3rd in the list of the largest grasslands in the world.
This prairie has three types of soil regions:
- Brown soil areas
- Dark brown soil areas
- Black soil areas
In the brown soil regions, semi-arid climate prevails. In the dark brown and black soil regions, humid continental climate prevails. Prairie areas towards Manitoba are the coldest with the possibility of thunderstorms and tornadoes in spring and summer.
The Canadian Prairies are unique in the elevation aspect relative to sea level. The elevation ranges from 0 feet to 12,293 feet.
2-Great Plains of North America
The vastness of the Great Plains of North America is inexplicable! These grasslands almost occupy one-fourth of the area of United States. It stretches over almost ten US states including Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. This grassland’s area is mind-boggling: 2,900,000 sq. km! The Great Plains are surrounded by the mighty Rocky Mountains on the west, Mackenzie River in the North and Rio Grande towards the South. The eastern side is surrounded by the well-known Canadian Shield.
Sudden changes in temperature with a continental climate is a major characteristic of the Great Plains. The sudden change in temperatures is due to a unique, warm and dry wind that blows. This wind can raise the temperatures up to 17 to 22 degree Celsius within few hours.
1-Nagqu Grassland in Tibet
This expansive and seemingly boundless region of grassland stretches over an area of 40,000,000 sq. km… 40 million square kilometres! Rising as high as 4500 meters, this grassland is unique due to its high elevation. This grassland is not generally cultivable but a small part of its eastern site is cultivable. This grassland is located between Tangula Mountain Range and Nyaingentanglha Range.
Since there is no industrial development in this grassland region, it is home to its own natural beauty. The Nagqu grassland is home to Tibetan antelopes, and some rare animals like yaks.
The maximum temperature in summer season is 23 degree Celsius whereas the lowest temperature is about -2 degree Celsius.
Below are some other famous grasslands, but in terms of largest grasslands, above are ranked as per there order.
- Pawnee National Grasslands
- Comanche National Grassland
- Thunder Basin National Grassland
- Buffalo Gap National Grassland
- Little Missouri National Grassland
FAQs
What are the largest grasslands in the world? ›
The largest temperate grassland in the world is the Eurasian steppe, extending from Hungary to China. It reaches almost one-fifth of the way around the Earth. The Eurasian steppe is so well-known, the area is sometimes referred to as just The Steppe.
Where are the major world grasslands? ›Tropical grasslands are found mainly in the Sahel south of the Sahara, in East Africa, and in Australia. Temperate grasslands principally occur in North America, Argentina, and across a broad band from Ukraine to China, but in most of these regions they have been substantially altered by agricultural activities.
Which 4 US states contain the largest grasslands? ›The majority of the acreage (3,161,771 acres, 82%) of the total National Grassland area is in the Great Plains states of Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming.
What are the five grasslands of the world? ›There are two main kinds of grasslands: tropical and temperate. Examples of temperate grasslands include Eurasian steppes, North American prairies, and Argentine pampas. Tropical grasslands include the hot savannas of sub-Saharan Africa and northern Australia.
Where is the largest grasslands in the US? ›Little Missouri National Grassland is located in western North Dakota, USA. At 1,033,271 acres (418,150 ha), it is the largest grassland in the country.
What are 3 countries that have grasslands? ›The major manifestations are the veldts of South Africa, the puszta of Hungary, the pampas of Argentina and Uruguay, the steppes of the former Soviet Union, and the plains and prairies of central North America. Temperate grasslands have hot summers and cold winters. Rainfall is moderate.
What country has a lot of grasslands? ›North America: the prairies of the Central Lowlands and High Plains of the US and Canada. The Palouse Prairie of eastern Washington state, the California grasslands, and the desert grasslands of the Southwest are also temperate grasslands. Eurasia: the steppes from Ukraine eastward through Russia and Mongolia.
How much of the US is grasslands? ›They are the America of the Assiniboine and Sioux, and of Lewis and Clark. Grasslands of one kind or another once covered about 40 percent of the United States. Only 5 percent of the original grasslands remain.
Does Texas have grasslands? ›The Prairies and Lakes region is in north central and central Texas. This area is a transition between the plains of the West Texas Panhandle and the Pineywoods of East Texas. Patches of woodland running in a north and south direction are sprinkled throughout this grassland prairie. The land is gently rolling to hilly.
What is the oldest grassland in the world? ›1. The Serengeti. This savanna is one of the oldest ecosystems on Earth. Ecologists believe the area's weather, flora, and fauna have barely changed over the past million years.
What is the king of the grasslands? ›
Lions: Kings of the Grasslands.
What is the largest tropical grassland in the world? ›Savanna is the largest tropical grassland in Africa. The grass here is taller compared to the temperate grasslands. This is because the tropical region has better sunlight and rainfall than the temperate region. The grass here can be as tall as 3-4 meters and even elephants can hide in it.
How many grasslands are earth? ›Depending on how they're defined, grasslands account for between 20 and 40 percent of the world's land area. They are generally open and fairly flat, and they exist on every continent except Antarctica, which makes them vulnerable to pressure from human populations.
What is Africa grassland called? ›Savanna is the biggest tropical grassland in Africa.
How many grasslands are in the world? ›The three types of grasslands of the world are prairie, steppe, and savanna.
What is the famous grassland? ›...
Grasslands of the World.
- Tropical Grasslands.
- Temperate Grasslands.
- Flooded Grasslands.
- Montane Grasslands.
- Desert Grassland.
What Types are There? Three types of prairie exist in North America; short, mixed and tallgrass prairie.
Where is the tallest grassland in the world? ›The Terai-Duar Savanna and Grasslands ecoregion, at the base of the Himalayan Mountains, supports the world's tallest grasslands, some more than 7 m tall.
How much of Texas is grassland? ›Of the 262,000 square miles that makeup Texas, 60% constitutes grassland or prairie ecosystems, including the most endangered ecosystem in North America – Blackland Prairie. The vast grasslands of Texas are a part of our heritage, our culture, and our economy.
How much of California is grassland? ›
California's grasslands span over 10% of CA's land area (5,640,400 ha).
What is the biggest grassland in Africa? ›Option -D-Savannah: Savannah is an example of tropical grassland found in Africa. Some of the World's largest grasslands are found in African Savannah, and these are maintained by wild herbivores as well as by nomadic pastoralists and their Cattle, Sheep, or Goats.
Where is the biggest savanna in the world? ›The Cerrado, the world's largest savanna spread across several states of Brazil, is often called an “upside-down forest” because of the deep roots its plants sink into the ground to survive seasonal droughts and fires.
Which continent has the most grasslands? ›Some of the world's largest expanses of grassland are found in the African savanna, and these are maintained by wild herbivores as well as by nomadic pastoralists and their cattle, sheep or goats.
Are grasslands only in Africa? ›Every continent except Antarctica has grasslands, but they have different names in different places: In Africa, they're called savannas and veldts; pampas in South America; steppes in in Europe and Asia; prairies or grasslands in North America; and rangelands in Australia.
What are the famous tropical grasslands? ›The savannas of Africa are probably the best known but tropical grasslands are also located in South America, India and Australia. There are llanos in Colombia and Venezuela, campos of the Brazilian highlands, pantanals of Upper Paraguay, plains in Australia and the Deccan Plateau of India.
Is the largest city in the world grassland? ›The world's largest city—in terms of landmass, at least—is Hulunbuir, China, a rural section of grasslands in inner Mongolia.
What are the grasslands of North America called? ›The vast grasslands in North America are called Prairies. Prairies are an ecosystem that include temperate grasslands, savannas and shrublands.
Are grasslands expanding in the US? ›Introduction. Several studies and federal reports have documented a resurgence in conversion of grasslands and other natural and semi-natural areas to row-crop production in the United States (US) beginning in the mid-to-late 2000s1,2.
Was America a grassland? ›Most people know that America used to be prairie, but most don't know the incredible richness of diversity that these endless grasslands comprised. To hear the colonists of the 18th and 19th centuries tell it, America was at one time a vast expanse of virgin forest and grassland.
What is the biggest grass field in America? ›
Little Missouri National Grassland is the largest national grassland in the US. The grassland is located in western North Dakota. Little Missouri covers 1,028,784 acres.
What is the largest prairie in the US? ›The Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve at 39,650 acres is the largest protected piece of tallgrass prairie left on earth. Urban sprawl and conversion to cropland have left this once expansive landscape, originally spanning across 14 states from Texas to Minnesota, at less than 4% of its original size.
Is Florida a grassland? ›South-central and southwest Florida are home to a Florida's “great prairie region” where vast grasslands were native along with species adapted to them. This includes the Florida dry prairie ecosystem– native upland grasses, palmettos, and scattered shrubs and pines, wet prairies, hammocks, and forested wetlands.
Is California a grassland? ›California grasslands are found throughout the Central Valley, interior valleys of the Coast Ranges and on terraces along the California coastline. There is much debate about the original vegetative composition of California grasslands.
Is Arizona a grassland? ›Arizona's grasslands are part of a large and diverse network of grasslands found throughout the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico. Semi-desert grasslands in central and southeastern Arizona extend into New Mexico and Sonora, Mexico.
Is grass older than dinosaurs? ›Although grasses are dominant in habitats across the world today, they weren't thought to exist until some ten million years after the age of dinosaurs had ended. Dinosaurs ruled between 275 and 65 million years ago, but the earliest verified grass fossils are from about 55 million years ago.
How old are grasslands in North America? ›Pleistocene History. While grasslands may have been present on the North American continent for 20 million years (Weaver 1968, Risser et al. 1981, Axelrod 1985, Benedict et al.
What are the 3 interesting facts about the grassland? ›The three interesting facts about the grasslands are as follows: Grasslands are situated between forests and deserts. In Asia itself many deserts are surrounded by grasslands. Grasslands are ideal for agriculture because of their fertility.
What is killing the grasslands? ›Herbicides can kill native grassland plants and harm grassland animals such as insects and frogs. Native grassland plants prefer low nutrient soils. The application of fertilisers can kill native plants and favour weed species. Native grassland plants prefer low nutrient soils.
Do grasslands have lions? ›Lions live in a variety of habitats but prefer grassland, savanna, dense scrub, and open woodland. Historically, they lived across much of Europe, Asia, and Africa, but now they are mainly found in parts of Africa south of the Sahara.
What is the largest animal in the grasslands? ›
African Elephant (Loxodonta africana)
African elephants know how to stand out. They are the largest land mammals on the face of the Earth.
Banni grassland in Gujarat's Kutch district, considered to be Asia's largest and finest, has finally been demarcated on land in a joint exercise taken out by district administration and forest department recently.
What is the biggest grassland in South America? ›The grassland of south America is called pampas.
Are a huge grassland in Argentina? ›The Pampas is one of the largest fertile grassland plains in the world, covering almost one third of Argentina's land area. Pampa is in fact a Quechua word meaning “flat plain”. The Pampas extends for 750,000 square kilometres from the Atlantic to the Andes and continues into Uruguay.
Where is largest grassland in US? ›Little Missouri National Grassland is located in western North Dakota, USA. At 1,033,271 acres (418,150 ha), it is the largest grassland in the country.
What is the largest savanna grassland in the world? ›The largest savanna is located in Africa. Nearly half of the continent of Africa is covered with savanna grasslands. Other major savannas are located in South America, India, and northern Australia. One of the more spectacular sights in nature is the animals of the African Savanna.
Which country is famous for grassland? ›...
Grasslands of the World.
In the U.S. Midwest, they're often called prairies. In South America, they're known as pampas. Central Eurasian grasslands are referred to as steppes, while African grasslands are savannas.
What is Asia grassland called? ›Thus, the correct answer is 'Steppes. '
What is Africa's largest grassland called? ›Savanna is the biggest tropical grassland in Africa.
Where is the largest grassland in Africa? ›
Grasslands are located on every continent except Antarctica. The largest savannas are located in Africa near the equator. One of the most famous African savannas is Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, which is known for its large wildebeest and zebra populations.