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Table of Contents
The Gobi Desert is the fifth largest desert in the world, and the second largest in Asia. It occupies the north and northeastern part of China and southern part of Mongolia. The Gobi is not a sandy desert, but it is full of rocks. Explorers have said that it is possible to drive a car over the desertβs surface in any direction. The Gobi has an estimated total land area of 1,295,000 sq. km.
See the fact file below for more information on the Gobi Desert or alternatively, you can download our 19-page Gobi Desert worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
ETYMOLOGY, PHYSICAL FEATURES, AND CLIMATE
- The desertβs name came from the Mongolian word gobi, which means βwaterless placeβ.
- The Gobi Desert is surrounded by different landforms, and these are the following:
- North: Mongolian steppes and grasslands, Altai Mountains, and Hangayn Mountains
- West: Taklamakan Desert
- Southwest: Tibetan Plateau, and the Hexi Corridor
- Southeast: North China Plain
- In terms of climate, the Gobi Desert is generally a cold desert. In fact, on its dunes, there is occasional snow and frost.
- Since it is located on a vast plateau measuring between 910 to 1520 meters above sea level, and has lower temperatures.
- During winter, the Gobi Desert reaches about -40Β°C, while 45Β°C is the temperature during summer.
- As mentioned earlier, the desert is not sandy. Only 5% of the Gobi Desert is covered by sand dunes. Other areas have large dry grasslands and rocks.
ISSUES OF DESERTIFICATION
- In the southern edge of China, it was observed that the desert is expanding rapidly. In fact, dust storms were very frequent in the past 2 decades, and about 3,600 sq. km. of grasslands were desertified each year.
- The desertification of Gobi was due to the changing climate conditions, as well as increasing human activities such as deforestation, overgrazing, and water resource depletion.
THE DESERTβS ECOREGIONS
- The desert is divided into five eco-regions, depending on the climate and topography:
- Eastern Gobi Desert Steppe: Located at the eastern part of the Gobi Desert that has a lot of low-lying lands with small ponds.
- Alashan Plateau Semi-Desert: This part has desert basins and low mountains at the west and southwest of the Eastern Gobi Steppe.
- Gobi Lakes Valley Desert Steppe: It is bounded by the Alashan Plateau semi-desert and Khangi Mountains on the north, and by the Gobi Altai range on the south.
- Dzungarian Basin Semi-Desert: This region has the desert basin that is located at the north of Altai Mountains, and at the south of Tian Shan range. This range divides the Dzungarian and Taklamakan Desert.
- Tian Shan Range: As mentioned earlier, this serves as the boundary between Dzungarian Basin Semi-Desert and the Taklamakan Desert. It is characterized by a low and sandy desert basin which is bounded by the Tibetan Plateau mountain ranges.
OTHER FACTS ABOUT THE GOBI DESERT
- It was mentioned that the Yadan National Geological Park of China can be found in the Gobi Desert where sculptures of rocks and stones are housed. These were made by natural elements over about 300,000 to 700,000 years.
- The Gobi Desert is also home to different water bodies. In fact, there are underground and surface rivers that are found along the desert. Lakes are also present elsewhere in the Gobi Desert.
- Dinosaur eggs and other fossils were found at the Gobi Desert, mostly at the Flaming Cliffs, which are located at the northwestern part of the desert. Speaking of the Flaming Cliffs, these are sand formations.
- The desert has 45 different species of birds and animals like golden eagles, jumping rats, brown bears, and wild camels.
- In terms of population, the desert has a very small population. One (1) person per square kilometer is the population density. Since 1950, the population of Chinese people continued to increase, which decreased the vegetation cover of the desert.
Gobi Desert Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Gobi Desert across 19 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Gobi Desert worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Gobi Desert which is the fifth largest desert in the world, and the second largest in Asia. It occupies the north and northeastern part of China and southern part of Mongolia. The Gobi is not a sandy desert, but it is full of rocks. Explorers have said that it is possible to drive a car over the desertβs surface in any direction. The Gobi has an estimated total land area of 1,295,000 sq. km.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Gobi Desert Facts
- Whatβs fascinating about Gobi?
- Is it a Fact or Bluff?
- Gobi Jumbled Words
- Mapping Ecoregions of Gobi
- Rocks in Gobi Desert?
- Animals in the Gobi Desert
- People in the Gobi Desert
- Desertification in Gobi
- Pollution in Gobi Desert?
- Gobi Desert Art
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Link will appear as Gobi Desert Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, September 11, 2019
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.