Gobi

Introduction
Physical features
- Physiography
- Geology
- Climate
- Drainage and soils
- Plant life
- Animal life
People and economy
Study and exploration

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

Physical map of the Gobi Desert region spanning southern Mongolia and northern China, showing major mountain ranges, sand areas, salt lakes, and spot elevations in meters. The map uses color shading to indicate elevation and includes a small locator map highlighting the Gobi Desert's position in Asia.

Map of Asia highlighting the location of the Gobi Desert in orange, spanning southern Mongolia and northern China. Surrounding regions and continents, including Europe, Africa, and the Pacific Ocean, are also shown for geographic context.

Tire tracks from vehicles cross the rocky, barren surface of the Gobi Desert, leading toward jagged sandstone formations under a cloudy sky.

A group of Bactrian camels grazes on green vegetation in the Gobi Desert, with large sand dunes rising in the background.

A group of expedition members push a large baggage cart loaded with supplies and topped with a dog and an American flag through sandy terrain in the Gobi Desert.

At a Glance

Gobi summary

Quizzes

Arabian Camel (Camelus dromedarius) in the Sahara Desert sand dunes. (pack animal; sand; Morocco; Africa; African desert; mammal; dromedary; drought)

Quick Quiz: Deserts

Rice terraces in Vietnam. (food; farm; farming; agriculture; rice terrace; crop; grain; paddy; paddies;garden)

Know Your Asian Geography Quiz

Related Questions

How are Bactrian camels adapted to the Gobi Desert’s extreme climate?
How cold can winter temperatures become in the Gobi Desert?
How did industrial activity contaminate groundwater in parts of the Gobi Desert?
How did population growth and overuse of land expand the Gobi Desert after the 1950s?
How did the dry desert air help preserve the Mogao Caves?
How do Mongolian nomads traditionally move their livestock across the Gobi Desert?
How do saxaul plants help people and animals in Mongolia’s semidesert regions?
How do the Himalayas create a rain shadow over the Gobi Desert?
How do the homes of Chinese farmers in Inner Mongolia differ from Mongolian yurts?
How do underground aquifers support lakes and springs in the Eastern Gobi?
How does Siberian air affect the Gobi Desert in winter?
How does the Gobi Desert connect to the Tarim Basin and the Takla Makan Desert?
How far can nomadic herds migrate in the Gobi Desert?
How have the Gobi Desert’s lakes changed during the Holocene Epoch?
How large is the Gobi Desert?
How much precipitation does the Trans-Altai Gobi receive each year?
What ancient artifacts were discovered at Tsagaan Agui in Mongolia’s Gobi region?
What did late 19th-century expeditions study in the Gobi Desert?
What kinds of homes have Mongolian nomads traditionally used in the Gobi Desert?
What types of landforms occur in the Gaxun Gobi?
When does the eastern Gobi Desert receive most of its precipitation?
Where did Przewalski’s horses once live in the Gobi Desert?
Where is the Gobi Desert located in Asia?
Which European traveler first gave detailed descriptions of the Gobi Desert?
Which animals make up most livestock herds in the Gobi Desert?
Which countries contain parts of the Gobi Desert?
Which groups of people live in the Gobi Desert?
Which landforms border the Gobi Desert to the south?
Which mountain ranges form the northern boundary of the Gobi Desert?
Which part of the Gobi Desert receives the most annual precipitation?
Which parts of the Gobi Desert have the most sand-covered land?
Which plants grow in the Gobi Desert riverbeds?
Which railroads and highways cross the Gobi Desert?
Which regions make up the western Gobi Desert?
Which winds are most common in the Gobi Desert during autumn and winter?
Why are the Mogao Caves near Dunhuang important to the history of Buddhism?
Why do many rivers in the Gobi Desert flow only during summer?
Why does the Gaxun Gobi have salt marshes in its depressions?
Why does the Gobi Desert have large temperature changes between day and night?
Why does the Gobi Desert receive so little precipitation?
Why is farming in the Gobi Desert mainly limited to river valleys?
Why is plant life so sparse in the Trans-Altai Gobi?
Why is population density low in the Gobi Desert?
Why is the Gobi Desert important for dinosaur fossil research?
Why were high radiation levels found near Lop Nur in the western Gobi Desert?
Why was the Great Wall of China built?
Can you see the Great Wall of China from space?
What are the physical features of the Himalayas?
Who actually reached the top of Mount Everest first?
What are other names for Mount Everest?
What are the major ethnic groups in China?

Geography & Travel Physical Geography of Land Deserts

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External Websites

UNESCO World Heritage Convention - Desert Landscapes of the Mongolian Great Gobi
National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - A Study of the Diversity Patterns of Desert Vegetation Communities in an Arid Zone of China
DigitalCommons at University of Nebraska-Lincoln - Environmental Adaptations of the Gobi Desert Plants in Mongolia: An Example of C4-plants (PDF)

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Gobi - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
Gobi - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Gobi

desert, Asia

Also known as: Gobi Desert

Written by

Guy S. Alitto

Associate Professor of Modern Chinese History, University of Chicago. Author of The Last Confucian.

Guy S. AlittoAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 2, 2026 •History

Gobi, great desert and semidesert region of Central Asia. The Gobi (from Mongolian gobi, meaning “waterless place”) stretches across huge portions of both Mongolia and China. Contrary to the perhaps romantic image long associated with what—at least to the European mind—was a remote and unexplored region, much of the Gobi is not sandy desert but bare rock. It is possible to drive over this surface by car for long distances in any direction: northward toward...

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