Shortlisted
Names of the Gobi Desert
International College Hong Kong, Hong Lok Yuen, Belle Ho, 10
T
he Gobi desert is a large desert region in Asia. It covers much of the southern part of
Mongolia. The word “Gobi” also comes from Mongolia, it means “waterless”, “dry”, “arid”
etc. The Gobi Desert also known as the “black desert”, “Place Of Dinosaurs Fossils”, “Dry
Sea”. In Chinese it is also called “Sha-Mo Han-Hai”.
黑沙漠
Black Desert:
Why is the Gobi Desert known as the Black Desert? Well, the answer is very simple. Based on
the evaporation of moisture and after a long time of abrasion, the iron from the soil and the sand
formed a layer on the top. It takes a long time to form that! Everyone knows that iron is black. So
the evaporated and worn down iron in the sand forms a thick, black layer on the surface of the
desert. So people call the Gobi “The Black Desert”.
恐龍化石的地方
“Place Of Dinosaur Fossils”:
There is a reason why people call the Gobi the “Place Of Dinosaurs Fossils”. One of the main
reasons is a place called the Flaming Cliffs in the Gobi Desert which were famous for yielding the
first discovery of dinosaur eggs. Another main reason is that a team of Chinese and American
scientists found well-preserved dinosaur fossils in the Gobi Desert. It is a really exciting discovery
because most of the dinosaur fossils were complete. This shows that Gobi has provided some really
good information of dinosaurs for scientists.
“Gobi” meaning Dry and Arid Place:
The Gobi is called a ‘dry sea’ because it seems like you are walking on a vast sea but it is dry
and sandy. Most people think that the Gobi is very hot but actually it is a cold desert because it is
on a high altitude surrounded by a lot of mountains. Even though it is cold it is very dry because
it rarely rains.
Extreme Weather Desert:
The temperature in the Gobi varies from over 40 degrees Celsius to minus 40 degrees Celsius.
The extreme change in temperature affects explorers and other travellers. They need to prepare
clothes and a lot of protection for the extreme temperature changes. The varying temperature can
also affect people’s health. They can get a fever easily. Usually cold temperatures will make people
feel lethargic and sometimes hot temperatures will make people get heat stroke.
沙漠
(
Shāmò
, a generic term for deserts)
瀚海
(
Hànhǎi
) “Endless Sea”
沙漠瀚海Shāmò
:
The name “
瀚海
(pronounced
Hànhǎi
)” was given by some travellers on the Silk Road. This
Chinese name means a “vast stretch of sea”. The famous Silk Road winds across the Gobi Desert.
Imagine you are part of a travellers or traders caravan pushing along the Silk Road through the
Gobi Desert, just like a barge moving slowly through the ocean. The Chinese name of “Hanhai”
is very poetic because you can imagine the desert like an enormous ocean stretching far into the
distance. It is a good word to describe Gobi Desert because of the size of the Gobi Desert when you
are standing one spot, you will see a massive ocean of sand and stone. It seems like it has no end
and that is the same as a vast sea. That is why the Gobi Desert is also known as the “
沙漠瀚
” in
