Ecosystems

Steppe

Man and steppe

Mines, industry and crafts in the steppe

As well as the extraction of hydrocarbons, the steppe contains many other underground bodies: copper, molybdenum, phosphor, gold (4,632 kg in Mongolia alone) as well as limestone and dolomite. In addition, these lands are rich in underground fields of bismuth, cadmium and thallium, which are essential for electronics. Mines have always been the main means of support for many people, who have built their settlements right against the extraction areas. Industry is still in its infancy and is almost essentially based on wool, leather (leather clothes and shoes), cashmere, meat and dairy products. Heavy industry is based on the electric sector, mineral and forest products and building materials. Crafts, as well as covering the same activities, boast a centuries-old tradition in silver and semiprecious stone working.