Central Asia is a region where the situation with water is rather complicated, the surface is covered mainly with plains, and uplands are present. The climate is dry. Where is Mongolia located? It is in this zone that this country is located.
The state covers more than 1.5 million square kilometers, which is three times the territory of France. In the majority - this is a plateau located at an altitude of 900 to 1500 meters above sea level. There are mountains in Mongolia, the highest point is the Mongolian Altai, which smoothly passes into the Gobinsky Altai mountain range.
The country boasts of pristine nature, vast expanses, and one of such places is the Gobi Desert.
a brief description of
Description of the country Mongolia is hard to imagine without the characteristics of this vast wasteland. According to scientists, about 65 million years in these places there have been no changes. This area was created by nature itself, there is yellow-transparent sand, hot air, salt marshes and constant silence.
An interesting fact is that in an area of 165,300 square kilometers (total desert area), 47,000 people live. Mongolia is already famous for its low population density, but here this figure is even lower and equals approximately 0.28 people per 1 square kilometer. Simply put, you can go through the wasteland several hundred kilometers and not meet a single living soul. For the most part, nomads live here, who constantly migrate, and are based in one place only for a short time, erecting small yurts. But there are places in the desert where no man’s foot has set foot. This place is located in the area of the Nemagata depression, only rare and specially trained groups of researchers managed to get here.
In direct translation from the Mongolian language, the word "Gobi" means - "a waterless place."
Geography
The desert is located on the territory of two states: Mongolia and China. The northern part is located near the mountains of Khangai and Mongolian Altai, the southern part is limited by the peaks of Altıntag and Nanshan.
Part of the wasteland, which is located in Mongolia, is characterized by sandy and gravelly soil, stony. There are also many swamps and salt sites.
In China, the desert is mostly represented by sand and dunes, which are not inferior in their beauty to the Sahara.
Landscape
The Mongols themselves conditionally divide the desert into 33 sectors. The classification is based on the structure of vegetation, climatic features and the terrain that is present in one or another part of the wasteland.
An interesting fact is that only 3% of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia is occupied by sand, the rest of the territory is stones, clay and beautiful landscapes, with unique vegetation and wildlife.
The landscape of the wasteland is also not homogeneous. Places where small gravel is on the surface - this is a plain. Where there are hills - on the surface are bedrock rocks, uniquely processed by wind and sand. The eastern part of the wasteland is located in the area of Greater Khingan and the Inyshan system, where ridges, rocky slopes and deep gorges of water bodies are located, where it is quite convenient to pass deep into China from the east. And in the middle of the desert there are many deflationary and tectonic depressions, in some places of the ridge relief, pronounced dunes.
The features of the relief of Mongolia in the desert in that there are huge deposits of coal. And the most interesting thing is that for the most part it lies very close to the surface. In some parts of the desert, mining is open pit mining. By the way, the presence of coal in the ground suggests that around the Cretaceous period it was quite humid and warm here.
Climate
In the part of the world where Mongolia is located, a rather harsh climate. In the desert, it is generally sharply continental. And the annual difference in atmospheric temperature is generally surprising. In summer there is unbearable stuffiness and heat, the temperature reaches +40, +45 degrees. In winter, on the contrary, the thermometer often drops to –45 degrees.
Along with such temperature differences in the desert, dry winds constantly blow. They transfer tons of sand from one place to another in a year. But archaeologists are at hand - due to the winds, they managed to find the remains of prehistoric dinosaurs. And in the area of the Nemagata depression, in the literal sense of the word, you can walk on petrified bones.
Water sources
If you look at Mongolia on a map, it immediately becomes clear that there are no large bodies of water, especially in the part where the desert is located. The only river bordering the south wasteland is the Yellow River.
However, throughout the desert, a sufficiently high level of subsurface water (from 0.5 to 1.5 meters). In some parts of the wasteland there are unique sources where the water is fresh and clean. Some sources are the work of man, and then an oasis forms around the source.
Around the natural sources live animals, and there are species that are found exclusively on the territory of the Gobi. By the way, such sources are called kuduks. It is in these oases that the nomads stop. Although they face a huge problem in winter, the water in the Kuduki freezes.
In addition to the Yellow River, in the wasteland there is a small river Zhoshui and several mountain streams. However, the waters of mountain rivers do not reach the plain, either the inhabitants of local villages take it apart, or the channel disappears somewhere in the sands.
Also on the territory of the Gobi there are lakes, mainly small in size and depth. But the water in them is not potable, it has a brackish-bitter taste. Most often, with the onset of heat, such lakes turn into salt marshes with a viscous structure.
Fauna
Despite the almost complete absence of moisture and a variable climate, animals in the Gobi desert live. Moreover, a sufficiently large number of representatives of the animal world was able to adapt to local harsh conditions. In the wasteland live:
- zeren;
- Wolves
- field voles;
- jerboas;
- snow leopards, mainly in the foothills;
- gobian pikas and others.
And the most unique animals that live only in this desert are the wild camel and the Gobian bear "small." There are also quite rare species: saigas, gazelles, argali rams and kulans.
The world of desert insects is also diverse. Hot sand is home to desert grasshoppers and black beetles.
The most valuable animal of the desert - camels. People wandering through the wasteland keep them as pets. Camel wool is very expensive, warm clothes, hats and blankets are made from it. Interestingly, in the hot season, camels are cut off, leaving the hair exclusively on the head and humps. This is done only for one purpose - so that the animal does not overheat during the forty-degree heat.
Flora
In the semi-deserts of the Gobi desert, plants are represented by fragrant wormwood, a bush of caragana. Juniper, ephedra, almonds and baglure grow here.
In places where it is more humid, black and white saxaul grows, very similar to an umbrella. There are whole groves of elms - this is a stunted tree, in the shadow of which birds often hide. The age of many elms is from 400 to 500 years. Picturesque vegetation in the southwest and east of the wasteland. Here, in addition to elma, a sprawling hailas grows.
Lichens grow on the lee cliffs. Closer to the southern part of the desert, the amount of vegetation decreases, although a number of plants can still cope with the severity of the climate:
- wyda;
- iris;
- saltpeter;
- Astragalus and others.
Myths and legends
The Gobi Desert in Mongolia and China is surrounded by many legends. In ancient Chinese writings you can read the story of the Asian prototypes of Adam and Eve - Well and Kun. According to legend, they appeared in the foothills of Kunlun, in the desert.
Adherents of occultism firmly believe that it is the wasteland region that is the spiritual center of all races. In ancient myths, the desert in Central Asia is the place where all civilization originated. And all this happened in the mysterious kingdom of Shambhala, which was located within the borders of the Gobi desert. Although the nomads of Mongolia are sure that Shambhala is located in the west, and not in the desert.
Interesting finds
The desert in Mongolia attracts not only mystics, but also scientists. After all, this is an unexplored vast territory. Marco Polo, Przewalski and Roerich visited the wasteland. Each of these people left behind a description of their journey.
An invaluable contribution to the study of the desert was made by the geographer P. Kozlov. The geographer was able to discover the "Black City", or the settlement of Khara-Hoto. Research was conducted from 1907 to 1909.
Hara Hoto is a Tangut cultural center. Studies have shown that the settlement appeared in the XI century. They managed to get to the settlement only after discovering the remains of an ancient road. By the way, it is believed that it was during the prosperity of the Tangut kingdom that the climate here was quite suitable for living.
An interesting fact about the Gobi Desert and the Black City: Kozlov managed to find a Sino-Tangut dictionary. Thanks to this find, it was possible to decipher many inscriptions that made it possible to learn a lot of new and interesting information about the culture of this nation. Most of the artifacts found in this expedition are stored in the Hermitage.
Later, in the 40s of the last century, Ivan Efremov was engaged in research in the wasteland, and he managed to discover the skeletons and bones of ancient dinosaurs. The invaluable artifacts found during the expedition made it possible for paleontologists to learn a lot about how ancient creatures lived in the Mesozoic era. It is believed that in those days there was a marshy lowland at the excavation site, and, in addition to dinosaurs, crocodiles, turtles and other mammals lived here. But gradually the water began to leave, and the whole territory was covered with sand, which well preserved the bones of dead animals.
Nature reserve
Despite the fact that the Mongolian Gobi Desert is a desert landscape, the country's authorities still created a large conservation zone (1975). The reserve is located in the western part of the state, near the border with China. This is the territory from the Zaaltai Gobi to the Dzungaria. Under the conservation area more than 5.3 thousand hectares.
Tourism
Looking at Mongolia on the map, it’s hard to believe that tourists go to the desert and at the same time return only with positive emotions. Everyone who has visited the wasteland assures us that it is unusually beautiful, and the stars, it seems, can be reached by hand. In the fall, the Gobi has colorful sunsets, especially a beautiful sight against the backdrop of red sandstones and jagged peaks of rocks. Many tourists even get sick with a kind of Gobi syndrome, that is, when after the first trip to the desert I want to return again and again.
Today there are many excursions to the desert of Mongolia, tourists are offered rides on camels, jeeps, motorcycles, horses and even bicycles. It is here that you can feel the charm of a fast ride, because there are practically no settlements and people on the way. However, such trips require a large supply of water and fuel. In difficult desert conditions, vehicles can absorb up to 25 liters per 100 kilometers. Least of all, travelers manage to get to the Namageti Depression.
You can visit the archaeological sites and historical sites.
Where to visit and what to see?
It is the inaccessibility and intactness of civilization that attracts tourists to the desert.
- The “Singing” Sands of Hongoryn Els. This is part of the desert in Mongolia, where the largest accumulation of sand dunes is located. The length of this territory is more than 120 kilometers. Some dunes are 300 meters high. Moreover, they can be up to 15 kilometers in diameter. The sand in this place has a light red tint. It is recommended to come here at sunset, when the rays of the sun give the dunes a special relief.
- Tsagaan-Agui cave is located on the ridge of Ikh-Bogd Uul (Mongolia). This place is about 40 kilometers from the city of Bayanliga. The cave itself consists of three halls, the walls in these halls are covered with crystalline calcite. An interesting fact is that it was here that a human parking was discovered. It is believed that people lived here about 33 thousand years ago. Further research gave reason to assume that in the future people lived here, because several artifacts of different periods of the development of mankind were found here, up to records on ancient paper.
- Hermin Cav Canyon, a place where until recently tourists were not taken. The road to the canyon is very difficult, and just getting lost is enough. The uniqueness of the canyon is that it consists of an erosive topography, which was formed under the influence of sand and wind. And on the tops of the canyon lives a huge number of birds, from falcons to black vultures. Photographers love to come here.
- Another interesting place is the Hot Cliffs, or Bayanzag. It was here that an American researcher found dinosaur eggs. But for tourists it will be much more interesting to admire the rocks of a red hue.
- One of the most visited places is Yueyatsuan area. This is an oasis shaped like a crescent, with a lake where the water has a turquoise hue. But this place is located in China, 6 kilometers from the settlement of Dunhuang. Interestingly, the ruins of ancient settlements are still preserved here. And the worst thing is that every year the water in the lake becomes less and less, the sand wins. The most interesting thing in this place is that it was through this oasis that the great Silk Road ran, which allowed the inhabitants of Europe to get gold, silk and find out what paper is.