Named by the Mongolians who were, for so long, limited in their westward expansions by the unforgiving expanses of the Gobi, the desert certainly lives up to its name. The Gobi Desert is one of twenty-three of the worlds’ deserts and is considered to be the sixth largest desert. The Gobi Desert is home to many The Gobi Desert is roughly 1.3 million square kilometers in size, with its span able to fit the land mass of the UK and Spain within its area. This desert is not only large but is also one of the hottest and coldest deserts in the world. An average of approximately 194 mm (7.6 in) of rain falls annually in the Gobi. Additional moisture reaches parts of the Gobi in winter as snow is blown by the wind from the Siberian Steppes. [1]
In the Gobi Desert, temperatures reach a scorching temperature of 55℃ (131°F) in the summer season and a frigid temperature of −40 °C (−40 °F). The Gobi is a rain shadow desert, formed by the Tibetan Plateau blocking precipitation from the Indian Ocean reaching the Gobi territory. The reason behind this desert’s drastic changes in temperature is because of the high altitude that the desert resides. Despite the Gobi Desert being a dry and arid land mass, it does have some form of water. The Gobi Desert is home to nine naturally formed oases.[2]
Due to the Gobi Desert’s harsh terrain and varying conditions year-round, explorers, travelers and merchants during the silk road era did there best to try to avoid traveling through large passes of deserts if possible. Not only is the Gobi Desert have treacherous weather conditions, but it is also home to many valleys of sand dunes and bandits. Oases such as Crescent Lake were important rest stops for Silk Road merchants. The Silk Road played a huge role in the economies of many a country and was possibly responsible for the first contact between Far East Asia and Europe (Chinese silk was a prized commodity in Ancient Rome). Sometimes an unavoidable part of the Silk Road, the Gobi featured many market towns, rest stops and routes through its least hospitable stretches. [3]
During the height of the Mongol Empire, the Mongols had complete control of the Gobi Desert and therefore, had vital trade routes to southern Mongolia and northeastern China under their control. The Mongol took advantages of the land they controlled and travelers who were bold enough to travel though the Gobi were taxed. The Mongol Empire is known for their ferocious warriors and tactics, but they also had an excellent economy, thanks to routes on the silk road. Even though the Mongol empire did have control of the Gobi Desert, few Mongols did occupy parts of the Gobi Desert because the Mongols preferred the grasslands called Steppes. Today in the modern era, China and Mongolia split control of the Gobi Desert and is home to not only famous for dinosaur species discovery, but also home to its rich natural resources. The desert is rich in copper, gold, and coal deposits.[3]
Hansen, Valerie. The Silk Road: A New History with Documents (Oxford, 2016).
Rosie Tanabe, “Gobi Desert” New World Encyclopedia 1 (2017)