Exploring the Gobi Desert
The Gobi Desert covers parts of southern and eastern Mongolia. The desert basins of the Gobi are bound by the Altai Mountains in the west, and the grasslands and steppes of Mongolia in the north. The terrain of the Gobi is varied and includes sand dunes, gravel plains, scrublands, dry prairie, salt marshes, salt flats, willow breaks and mountains. Vegetation is sparse, but the soil of the Gobi is very rich.
The climate of the Gobi is more arid than other areas of Mongolia. The winters are bitterly cold, but summers are extremely hot. Rainfall averages only a little over 7 inches per year. Despite the harsh conditions, the Gobi Desert is home to many animals, including white and black-tailed gazelles, marbled polecats, Bactrian camels, Mongolian wild asses, brown bears, gray wolves and snow leopards. Several large nature reserves have been established in the Gobi, including the Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park, as well as the Great Gobi A and Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Areas.