Gobi Desert Facts for Kids

The Gobi Desert is located on the continent of Asia in regions of Mongolia and northern and northwestern China. It is the fifth biggest desert in the world and the largest desert in Asia. Its name derives from the Mongolian word Gobi meaning waterless place. The Gobi Desert is millions of years old, so old in fact that the world's first dinosaur egg was discovered there!

Our printable fact sheets are ideal for school kids and teachers, and may be used as homework help or as a factual guide to the Gobi Desert offering key information and interesting facts about its age, history, rock formation, desertification of the Gobi, animals, birds, plants, weather, temperature, rainfall, climate conditions, vegetation, size and location.

Interesting Gobi Desert Facts for Kids:- Factsmania's printable facts sheet are interesting and free to use, and provide important facts and information about the Gobi Desert for kids. Our facts sheet about Asia's cold desert biome offers a useful information guide to the fifth largest desert on Earth. Did you know that the Gobi Desert is subject to severe winters? Did you know that vegetation in the Gobi is sparse? Did you know that the term 'desertification' can be described as the process by which fertile land becomes desert? Did you know that the Gobi Desert is located in two Asian countries and consists mainly of rock formation?

Interesting Gobi Desert Facts for Kids:- Our free list of Interesting Gobi Desert Biome Facts for Kids is simple to print and includes important facts about the Gobi Desert including the effects of desertification, how quickly the Gobi Desert is expanding and growing, and how the people of China are trying to overcome this problem, and what means they are taking in order to prevent desertification of the Gobi Desert. Our interesting facts website looks closely at important information about the Gobi Desert including it how it was formed, why it is important, why it is classed as a cold desert biome, how big the area is, where it is located, what the climate is like, what plant and animal species are found in the Gobi Desert and what adaptations they make in order to survive its extreme climate conditions.

Interesting Gobi Desert Facts for Kids

Gobi Desert Fact File for Kids:- Official Gobi Desert Name Facts: The name of the Gobi Desert derives from the Mongolian word Gobi meaning waterless place ***Average Temperature in the Gobi Desert: Varies between -15.7 degrees Fahrenheit (26.5 degrees Celsius) at the coldest and 64.8 degrees Fahrenheit (18.2 degrees Celsius) at the hottest *** Location of the Gobi Desert: Central Asia in large parts of China and Mongolia *** Gobi Desert Climate and Weather Facts: Cold and dry climate conditions *** Gobi Desert Annual Rainfall Facts: 7.6 inches *** Type of Desert Facts: Cold, Rain Shadow Desert

Interesting Facts for Kids 1:- Where is the Gobi Desert located?
The Gobi Desert is located on the continent of Asia and incorporates five main ecoregions: Eastern Gobi Desert Steppe, Alahan Plateua Semi-desert, Gobi Lakes Valley Desert Steppe, Dzungarian Basin Semi-desert, and Tian Shan range. The Eco regions of the Gobi Desert can be defined as relatively large areas which are characterized by their vegetation and ecosystems, but are in fact smaller than a bioregion or ecozone.

Interesting Facts for Kids 2:- What countries does the Gobi Desert cover?
The Gobi Desert biome spans across two countries on the Asian continent. It occurs largely in parts of northern and northwestern China, and southern Mongolia.

Interesting Facts for Kids 3:- What is the temperature in the Gobi Desert?
The temperature of the Gobi Desert ranges considerably throughout the seasons. Depending on the time of year, temperatures can reach as low as -15.7 degrees Fahrenheit (26.5 degrees Celsius) at the coldest and increase to around 64.8 degrees Fahrenheit (18.2 degrees Celsius) at the hottest. The temperature is usually extremely cold during the winter, increasing but still remaining cold in the spring and rising to warm during the summer months.

Interesting Facts for Kids 4:- What is the climate of the Gobi Desert?
The climate of the Gobi Desert can be described as dry and cold to extremely cold during winter and spring, and dry and warm in the summer. The Gobi Desert is particularly dry as it is a rain shadow desert. The reason it is classed as a rain shadow desert is due to the Himalaya mountain range which blocks clouds and therefore, prevents the Gobi landscape from receiving a great amount of rainfall.

Interesting Facts for Kids 5:- Gobi Desert Rainfall
The Gobi Desert is arid as it receives only a small amount of rainfall during the year as rain-carrying clouds are typically blocked by the Himalayas. Precipitation is low with the Gobi Desert receiving around 7.6 inches of rainfall per year.

Interesting Facts for Kids 6:- How big is the Gobi Desert?
The Gobi is the fifth biggest desert, and the third biggest cold desert in the world. Hot and cold deserts, in size order, which are bigger by area than the Gobi include the Antarctic, Arctic, Sahara and Arabian Deserts. The Gobi desert is ever increasing in size due to desertification but currently covers an area of approximately 1,300,000 square kilometers (500,000 square miles) and is present in two countries including China and Mongolia. The Gobi landscape is around 1,000 miles (1,600 km) long and varies between 300-600 miles wide (500-1,000km).

Interesting Facts for Kids 7:- What animals live in the Gobi Desert?
The Gobi Desert, despite its sparse vegetation, provides an ecosystem to various animal species including large mammals such as kulan (Mongolian wild ass), wild camels, dzeren (antelope), and dzheiran gazelles. Small mammals, such as the marbled polecat, are found living in the Gobi Desert, as do species of birds such as sandplovers and golden eagles, rodents such as gophers, jerboa and marmots, and various types of reptiles. On occasion, wolves, brown bears and snow leopards, which are becoming increasingly endangered, have been known to wonder the vast landscape of the Gobi Desert.

Interesting Facts for Kids 8:- How do Gobi Desert animals survive and what do they eat?
In order to survive life in the Gobi Desert, animals have to make many adaptations to their environment which can be subject to extreme temperatures, dry climate conditions, and sparse vegetation across a rocky landscape. The food chain is harsh but certain wildlife species, such as the snow leopards, are powerful predators which are able to adapt to cold climate conditions as they have thick fur coats. The golden eagle has strong wings and can fly at high speed, enabling them to actively hunt for food, usually small rodents such as jerboa, with their sharp claws. The jerboa might be the smallest rodent of the Gobi Desert but it's ability to jump 3 meters with their hind legs, coupled with its excellent hearing, enables the jerboa to avoid many of their potential predators. Like many rodents, it feeds off seeds, insects and roots.

Interesting Facts for Kids 9:-  Eastern Gobi Desert Steppe Facts
The Eastern Gobi Desert Steppe is one of the five main ecoregions. It is located in both China and Mongolia, spanning from the Inner Mongolian Plateau which is located in China, stretching into Mongolia. The Eastern Gobi Desert Steppe incorporates the Yin Mountains and covers an area of approximately 108,804 Square miles (281,000 square kilometers).

Interesting Facts for Kids 10:- Alashan Plateau Semi-desert Facts
The Alashan Plateau is located in the south of the Gobi Desert in north-central China and occupies an area of approximately 400,000 square miles (1,000,000 square kilometers). This ecoregion is also known as the Alxa Plateau and Ala Shan Desert, and incorporates the desert basin located between the Altai and the Tian Shan mountain ranges.

Interesting Facts for Kids 14:-What plants grow in the Gobi Desert?,
Although the Gobi is classified as a cold desert as it experiences extreme conditions, rainfall of less than 8 inches per year and low temperatures, some types of trees, plants and scrubs are able to grow and survive the rocky landscape and poor soil which lacks nutrition. Some of the names of the most common Gobi Desert plants include the saxual tree, saltwort, wild onion, hair moss, convolvulus and tamarix shrubs.

Interesting Facts for Kids 15:-  Gobi Desert plant adaptations and facts
The plants of the Gobi Desert are able to grow and survive as they can protect themselves from severe climate conditions. Some shrubs, plants and trees are protected by compact leaves and deep roots which prevent them from being ripped out of the ground during high winds. The most common type of tree growing in the Gobi Desert is called the saxual tree. It plays an important role in this particular cold desert biome as it stores water which is vital to the survival of animals. The tree's ability to store water is aided by its small leaves and deep roots which grow up to 30 feet long. Other plants found growing in the Gobi Desert feature different characteristics which make them adaptable to life in the biome. Saltwort is a week-like plant that is able to withstand high levels of salt found in the soil amongst areas of the Gobi Desert where this plant species typically dominates.

Interesting Facts for Kids 16:- Gobi Desert vegetation facts
The vegetation of the Gobi Desert consists of plants, shrubs and trees which have to be robust in order to survive harsh weather conditions and poor soils. The rocky formation, lack of rainfall and extreme climate are some of the main factors making it difficult, but by no means impossible, for plant life to exist amongst the Gobi Desert biome. Overall, the Gobi area typically receives less than 8 inches of rainfall per year but when it does rain, desert plants, shrubs and trees, are particularly good at retaining water in order for their survival.

Interesting Facts for Kids 17:-  History of the Gobi Desert
The Gobi Desert is millions of years old, and therefore, shrouded in history. It was an important part of the Mongol Empire which originated in the steppes of Central Asia and existed during the 13th and 14th centuries.  The Gobi Desert also incorporates several cities which became an important stopping point for people traveling along the Silk Road. The Silk Road can be described as an important ancient network of trade routes which connected the West and East from China to the Mediterranean Sea. It is an important part of history which has been visited by many famous people, including some of the world's greatest explorers such as Marco Polo who wrote about his encounters of the Gobi Desert in a book called 'The Travels of Marco Polo'.

Interesting Facts for Kids 18:- Gobi Desert desertification facts
One of the most interesting facts is that the Gobi Desert is growing at an astonishing rate and China are having to make plans in an attempt to slow down the process of desertification. In southern parts of the Gobi Desert, areas of grassland are fast disappearing as the desert land continues to expand. One of the mains reasons that the Gobi Desert is subject to rapid desertification is through human activity, in particular overgrazing, deforestation and the reduction of water sources. China is looking at a way of slowing down the rapid expansion of the Gobi Desert, and one of their most recent ideas is to plant a ring of forest area known as the 'Green Wall of China'. The hope is that the new forest will slow down desertification of the Gobi Desert as it will act as a barrier, retain moisture levels and contribute largely towards the stabilization of the soil.

Interesting Facts for Kids 19:-  Gobi Desert dinosaur fossils
Many interesting discoveries have been made in the Gobi Desert including over 80 genera of dinosaur fossils, particularly from the last of the three dinosaur ages, the Cretaceous period. One of the most interesting facts about this cold desert biome is that the first dinosaur eggs were discovered there!

Interesting Facts for Kids 20:-  Gobi Desert Tours
Tourists can discover the stunning scenery of the Gobi Desert with a planned tour. There are a number of different tours available which incorporate the main sights and attractions of the Gobi Desert and allow tourists to experience its majestic beauty with their own tour guide.

Interesting Gobi Desert Facts for Kids