Imagine that Texas and Tibet fell in love. Never mind how they met. Maybe at a convention for regions that don't like to be pushed around. I don't know. Let's just pretend it could happen.

Now, imagine they had a baby country. What would happen if you rolled those genetic dice? You could get a devoutly Buddhist place where red meat is eaten three times a day. Or maybe an Asian country where boots and cowboy hats are everyday wear. There could be new money and ancient poverty, SUVs clogging the streets of the capital and maybe families in the countryside who can carry everything they own on a yak. A few things you could count on for sure: The sky would be big and the people friendly. It would be dusty. It would be proud.

It would be Mongolia.