Chinese+Deserts

=Chinese Deserts= By: Darah, Emily, Sarah, and Stephanie = =

=__Final Copy__= In China there are many important geographical places. For example the deserts. The Gobi desert, being the second largest desert in Asia, only has 3% of its land made of sand and the other 97% of it is covered in bare rock. Another major desert in Asia is the Taklamakan. This is the largest desert in China and one of the most hostile environments on the planet. It is also known as "The Land of Death" because of how hostile the environment is. The Silk Road is one of the most historic trade route in the world running 7,000 miles through Asia and connecting major bodies of water such as the Yellow River Valley and the Mediterranean Sea. The Tibetan Plateau, also located in Asia, is the highest area in the world today. It averages in more than 5,000 meters just in elevation and is know as the "Roof of The World" because it's so tall. The deserts are a very important part of China.

__The Silk Road__
The Silk Road is one of the worlds oldest and most historic trade routes. The 7,000 mile route went through China, Central Asia, Northern India, and the Parthian and Roman Empires. It also passes through the present-day city of Iraq, Iran, and Syria. The trading of silk became most popular under the Han Dynasty, however for some time the Chinese would only trade within their empire. Because of the frequent attacks from Central Asia, travelers began to expand the trade to the Central Asian Nomads. As the Roman Empire began to rise, the route began to expand. This was because the Chinese gave silk to the Romans as gifts. By expanding this trade route, trading increased throughout China because they were able to trade with more regions and countries.This route connected the Yellow River Valley to the Mediterranean Sea also. Because the route connected these bodies of water, you can imagine that more goods were incorporated into the trade such as fish.

**__The Taklamakan Desert__**
Once part of the Silk Road and one of the most hostile environments in the world is called the Taklamakan Desert. One reason why it is so dangerous is because of the frequent sandstorms. Also, there is very little vegetation in the desert, and almost no rain fall. There are only a few rivers running through the Taklamakan. So, there are barely any resources. The temperatures of the desert can reach over 50 degrees Celsius in the summer time and below -20 in the winter. The temperatures are blazing hot during the day but can drop to negative temperatures at dusk. Taklamakan means "if you go in, you won't come out." It is also called the "Sea of Death" or the "Land of Death" The Taklamakan desert is part of the Silk Road, which is a trade route that runs from China to Rome.The desert is considered an extremely dangerous part of the silk road because the protection of the Great Wall of China is no longer there. There are also many thieves in the Taklamakan that steal the goods that traders take through the desert and along the Silk Road.  Even though the Taklamakan Desert is a very dangerous place, it has still been used many times in history, especially through the Silk Road.

__The Gobi Desert__
The Gobi Desert is located in northern China and southern Mongolia. It is the second largest desert in Asia and the fourth largest in the world. The desert takes up a lot of space. It is 1,000 miles long and 300 to 600 miles wide, with an estimated area of 500,000 square miles. The desert is surrounded by the Altai Mountains and Hangayn Mountains to the north, the western edge of the Greater Khingan Range in the east, the A-erh-chin Mountains, Pei Mountains, and Yin Mountains in the south, and the eastern Tien Shan to the west of the desert.This desert is even still growing, because of desertification. The Gobi is very dry and windy. Most of it is not sandy, but covered with bare rock. Only 3% of the desert is sandy. The western part of the desert is made up of sand. The word "gobi" in Mongolian means "waterless place" and the desert is called that because of it's lack of rainfall. Some places in the desert average two to eight inches of rain a year, but, other regions sometimes go years without any rainfall. Vegetation, though not as sparse as in the Taklamakan Desert, is still not a lot. The Gobi Desert, being the fourth largest in the world, is quite a sight to see.

__The Tibetan Plateau__
The Tibetan Plateau, is the highest area in the world today. It is known as "The Roof of the World" because of its height. The Plateau averages to more than 5,000 meters in elevation. The Southern rim is called the Himalayan- Karakorum. In the Himalayan- Karakorum, it contains fourteen different peaks, all standing higher than 8,000 meters. One of the most famous peaks in the Himalayan- Karakorum is Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world. The plateau lies between the Kunlun Mountains in the north, and the Himalayas in the south, and is a region of many mountains that rise 13,000 to 15,000 feet. The Tibetan Plateau has very fertile soil and is a great place for farming.

==

= = =Sources= http://chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-06/19/content_897783.htm [|http://geology.about.com/od/structureslandforms/a/tibetanplat.htm][|http://oak.ucc.nau.edu/wittke/Tibet/Plateau.html] http://pennysleuth.com/chinese-deserts-and-water-stocks/ http://www.ess.uci.edu/~oliver/silk.html http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Takla_Makan_Desert http://www.eoearth.org/article/Taklimakan_desert http://www.eoearth.org/article/Eastern_Gobi_desert_steppe http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0821092.html http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1B1-365736.html http://library.thinkquest.org/13406/sr/ http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/information/geography/deserts/gobi.htm http://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/geo/yelriver.htm http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/236545/Gobi