2. Location and Area
• The Gobi is Asia's largest desert.
• It stretches nearly 1,000 miles
east and west and nearly 5,000
miles north and south across
large parts of Mongolia and
China. In total, it covers 500,000
square miles.
3. Rainfall and
Temperature
• Less than 8 inches of rain fall in
the entire desert every year.
• The Gobi is very dry, but it is also
very cold.
• It is nearly 3,000 feet above sea
level, and so its temperatures are
very low at times.
• It can be quite hot or quite cold,
often in the same day.
• Winter days can be filled with
snowstorms and icy sandstorms.
Average low temperatures are -40
degrees Fahrenheit. Average
highs are 113 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. The Land
• The Gobi Desert has massive
rocky areas, large dry grasslands,
and a good bit of sand, but it also
has bodies of water.
• Surface and underground rivers
run through the desert, which is
also home to some lakes.
6. Animals and Life
• Some of archaeology's most
significant finds have come from
the Gobi, including the first
dinosaur eggs.
• Many species of animals and
plants live in the desert. Animal
residents include wild camels,
sheep, lynxes, black-tailed
gazelles, sand plovers, brown
bears, and snow leopards.
• Plant life includes such hearty
species as gray sagebrush and
needle grass.
7.
8. People
• People live in the desert as well,
although many of them are
nomads who follow herds of
animals around.
9. Treasures
• The Gobi has large deposits of
copper and gold, and Chinese and
Mongolian officials are looking
into mining operations.
