The steppe extends more than 2,200 km (1,400 mi) from the east of the Caspian Depression and north of the Aral Sea, all the way to the Altai Mountains.

[1] The Kazakh Steppe lies at the southern end of the Ural Mountains, the traditional dividing line between Europe and Asia.

[citation needed] Because of low rainfall, the steppe has few trees, and consists of mostly grasslands and large, sandy areas.

Typical vegetation includes feathergrass (Stipa), wormwood (Artemisia (genus)), and fescue (Festuca).

Russia leases approximately 7,360 km2 (2,840 sq mi) in the southern region of the steppe for the world's oldest space launch facility, Baikonur Cosmodrome.