Visit to Gobi Desert in China

Gobi Desert Map

A ‘cold desert’ which is spread over 1000 miles from south-west to north-east and 500 miles from south
to north, occupying an area of 500,002 sq. miles in southern part of Mongolia is the Asia’s largest and

fifth largest desert in the world. It is identified as the ‘Gobi Desert’; where there are more exposed bare
rocks and gravel plains than sand dunes unlike Sahara.


It is also known as ‘sha-mo’ (sand desert) and ‘hal-hal’ (the dry sea) in Chinese language.

Desert Weather

Frequent rainfalls, snowfall and frost have earned it the name ‘The Cold desert’. It is about 4000
ft. above sea-level contributing to the low temperature which reaches as much low as -40°C. Extra
moisture is added to the crisp air as the snow is driven by the wind from Siberian Steppes. Unexpected,
extreme changes in temperature can go up to 35°C in one single day.

Expanding at the disturbing rate of 3600 km2 annually, Gobi desert is undergoing the process
of ‘desertification’. Hence dust storms are occurring more frequently in past twenty years in China,
causing damage to her agriculture economy.

The Great Gobi National Park is one of the biggest World Biospheres. It holds the last remaining species
of wild Bactrian camels, wild ass and the only desert-inhabiting Gobi bears.

The small oasis on the north of the desert attracts the herders and provides supply of drinks and food
for them and their livestock. Here the desert gives way to ‘grasses.

To the west of Mongolia lies the great Black desert, which is a continuation of the Gobi desert itself.

A small isolated oasis is also found in the south of Gobi known as Ekhiingol. It provides an important
agricultural land for many of the vegetables and fruits. But the transport is almost impossible, as there is
no availability of flights and the provincial capital is about 400 km far.

 Animal Info

The most popular livestock of desert is the Cashmere goat, known for their fine hairs. They can easily
strive in the harsh and challenging climate of the desert.

Life in Desert

The desert is important for the country both culturally and economically. As it provides the ecosystem
services to human population residing there, this includes livestock grazing pastures and firewood.

However the lives of the inhabitants are affected harshly because of desertification. Hence there is
a strong need of establishment of biodiversity and threat monitoring devices in the desert and the
initiation of the conservation projects to diminish the damages done by human beings and climate.

Gobi Desert