The Gobi Desert

The Gobi Desert
pronounced: (GOH bee)

In northern China and southern Mongolia, you will find the Gobi Desert. This cold desert covers about 450,000 square miles (411, 000 square kilometers). It sits on a high plateau and has elevations above 4,000 feet.

Nomads and other peoples have been living in the Gobi Desert since ancient times. In fact, the word Gobi actually means "desert" in some languages. Nomadic tribes are still living there today.

In the landscape of the Gobi Desert, visitors can see rocky mountain areas, sandy valleys, sand dunes, oasis areas, and steppe lands (stretches of flat land without tree).

Like many other deserts, the Gobi Desert contains valuable rocks and minerals. In the Gobi, turquoise, jasper, agate, and crystal are mined.