Extent thumb|The Great Plains near a farming community in central Kansas The region is about east to west and north to south. Much of the region was home to American bison herds until they were hunted to near extinction during the mid/late-19th century. It has an area of approximately . Current thinking regarding the geographic boundaries of the Great Plains is shown by this map at the Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska–Lincoln. This definition, however, is primarily ecological, not physiographic. The Boreal Plains of Western Canada are physiographically the same, but differentiated by their tundra and forest (rather than grassland) appearance.
Extent thumb|The Great Plains near a farming community in central Kansas The region is about east to west and north to south Much of the region was home to American bison herds until they were hunted to near extinction during the mid/late-19th century It has an area of approximately  Current thinking regarding the geographic boundaries of the Great Plains is shown by this map at the Center for Great Plains Studies University of Nebraska–Lincoln This definition however is primarily ecological not physiographic The Boreal Plains of Western Canada are physiographically the same but differentiated by their tundra and forest (rather than grassland) appearance