Gobi Desert facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gobi Desert (Говь) |
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| Desert | |
 Gobi Desert landscape in Ömnögovi Province, Mongolia
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| Countries | Mongolia, China |
|---|---|
| Mongolian Aimags | Bayankhongor, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Govi-Altai, Govisümber, Ömnögovi, Sükhbaatar |
| Chinese Autonomous Region | Inner Mongolia |
| Range | Govi-Altai Mountains |
| Landmark | Nemegt Basin |
| Length | 1,500 km (932 mi), SE/NW |
| Width | 800 km (497 mi), N/S |
| Area | 1,295,000 km² (500,002 sq mi) |
The Gobi Desert is a huge desert located in Mongolia and China. Its name, Govi, means "semidesert" in Mongolian. It is the largest desert in Asia. It is also the fifth largest desert in the entire world.
The Gobi is a special kind of desert called a rain shadow desert. This means it gets very little rain because tall mountains block the clouds. The Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas act like a giant shield, stopping rain from reaching the Gobi.
The Gobi Desert is surrounded by different landscapes. To the north, you'll find the Altai Mountains and the grassy plains of Mongolia. To the southwest, it borders the Hexi Corridor and the Tibetan Plateau. To the southeast, it meets the North China Plain. The Gobi is actually made up of several different geological and geographical areas.
Climate
The Gobi Desert is a high plateau, which means it's quite elevated. Because of this, it experiences very big changes in temperature. The weather can be extremely hot during the day and very cold at night. Temperatures also change a lot between summer and winter.
| Sivantse (1190 m) | Ulaanbaatar (1150 m) | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual mean | −2.5 °C (27.5 °F) | 2.8 °C (37.0 °F) |
| January mean | −26.5 °C (−15.7 °F) | −16.5 °C (2.3 °F) |
| July mean | 17.5 °C (63.5 °F) | 19.0 °C (66.2 °F) |
| Extremes | −43 to 38 °C (−45 to 100 °F) | −47 to 38.6 °C (−53 to 101 °F) |
This table shows how extreme the temperatures can be in the Gobi. For example, in January, the average temperature can be as low as -26.5°C in Sivantse. In July, it can reach an average of 19.0°C in Ulaanbaatar. The absolute lowest temperature recorded was -47°C, and the highest was 38.6°C!
Images for kids
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Gobi by NASA World Wind
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Sand dunes in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
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Flaming Cliffs in Mongolia
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Sacred ovoo in the Gobi Desert
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The sand dunes of Khongoryn Els, Gurvansaikhan NP, Mongolia
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Remains of the Great Wall of China in the Gobi Desert
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Bactrian camels in the Bayankhongor Province of Mongolia
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Alxa Left Banner, Inner Mongolia, China
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See also
In Spanish: Desierto de Gobi para niños
