Continental or Steppeland is is a type of climate, which occurs mainly in the interior of great landmasses, hence the description 'continental'. The word steppe is a Russian one, meaning open grassy plains without forest; it has come to be used for all such similar areas around the world.

Steppe climate falls broadly into two categories: one in the Northern Hemisphere and one in the Southern Hemisphere. The northern steppe areas lie in the central Soviet Union and constitute the prairie lands of North America. Both areas are far away from the moderating influence of the seas and this gives them warm, but short summers, and long, cold winters, sometimes made worse by blizzards sweeping across the wide open plains.

Those steppe areas found in the Southern Hemisphere are parts of South Africa (the veld), parts of Argentina (the pampas) and parts of Australia, where the climate is made more moderate by the relative proximity to the equator and the influence of the seas. Such temperate grasslands – another term for this form of climatic region – have warmer winters.

In East Africa, the temperate grasslands are home to much of the world's larger wildlife such as lions, giraffe, wildebeest and hyenas. In summer, when the rains come, the plains are filled with vegetation many feet high and are an impressive sight. Similar lands in North America and the Soviet Union were once occupied by hunters tracking after the abundant prey such as the herds of bison which characterised the region.

Now, particularly in the United States and the Soviet Union, temperate grasslands have been widely turned over to large-scale agriculture and, because of their fertile soil, they have become known as the 'granaries' of the world, producing vast amounts of grain. Unfortunately in the Soviet Union, westerly winds bringing the necessary moisture to sustain such crops have become less common, occasionally causing the grain-bearing crops to fail.

The prairies have also suffered in the past from shortages of rain, notably in the 1930's when the presence of the Rocky Mountains removed moisture from the air, causing the land to become drier and dustier. Eventually the appalling 'dust bowl' conditions developed, made famous in John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath.

It was once thought that these grasslands were too dry to be able to support trees, but subsequent research had shown that trees could survive on the plains, which may have once been forested. However, the presence of man and livestock means the forests are unlikely ever to return.

Other features in the Climate Zones series:

- Temperate Zone
- Mediterranean Zone
- Tropical Zone
- Polar Zone
- Desert Zone
- Monsoon Zone