in ASIA~

The Gobi Desert Area: 1,040,000 sq km (400,000 sq miles)

Set between China and Mongolia is the Gobi desert, which in Mongolian, means 'waterless place'. The desert got its name for it is located in the heart of the continent and it is very difficult for water to reach there. Also classified as the 'cold desert', the Gobi has distinct seasons in the Gobi. Temperatures are held low during the long winter with extremely cold winds sweeping down, bringing snow sometimes! Then comes the short spring, when the temperature rises a little. Followed by the dry and warm summer, while the day reaches 35 degrees Celcius, the night falls till -5 degrees Celcius. Autumn is also as brief as the spring, which brings a little rain. The northern part of Gobi is rich in minerals, for example the chalk-like gypsum which can be used to make plaster. But there are more to be found in Gobi, for since the Europeans have heard of this place, there had been a long interval of silence. Then now, geographers and biologists are still exploring through the desert, adding our knowledge about the place.