Central Asia peoples of the vast region. Central Asia is sometimes referred to as Turkestan. There are several places that claim to be the geographic center of Asia, for example Kyzyl, the capital of Tuva in the Russian Federation, and a village north of Ürümqi, the capital of the Xinjiang region of China. Central Asia is an extremely large region of varied geography, including high passes and mountains (Tian Shan), vast deserts (Kyzyl Kum, Taklamakan), and especially treeless, grassy steppes. The vast steppe areas of Central Asia are considered together with the steppes of Eastern Europe as a homogeneous geographical zone known
Plains-wanderer fox. Sites identified by BirdLife International as being important for plains-wanderer conservation are Boolcoomatta, Bindarrah and Kalkaroo Stations in north-eastern South Australia, Diamantina and Astrebla Grasslands in western Queensland, Patho Plains in northern Victoria and the Riverina Plains in New South Wales. This bird is listed as an endangered species on the 2007 IUCN Red List. Plains-wanderers are listed as "Critically Endangered" on the Australian "Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999" (EPBC). Their conservation status also varies from state to state within Australia. For example: Plains-wanderer The plains-wanderer ("Pedionomus torquatus") is a bird, the only representative of family Pedionomidae