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Year 7 - Geography

The Gobi Desert

China: a global superpower?

Unit Summary

This unit teaches pupils about the human and physical geography of China, how this leads to diverse lives within the country, and how it affects its power and status around the world. Pupils will learn about China's economy and how this affects its relationship with the rest of the world.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to describe what the Gobi Desert is like, explain why it is growing in size and give examples of action that is being taken to reduce this desertification.

Key Notes

  • The Gobi Desert is a large, cold desert that covers parts of northern China and southern Mongolia.
  • The Gobi Desert is a rain shadow desert and is formed by the blocking of rainfall by the Himalayas.
  • Different factors make the Gobi Desert a challenging environment to survive in.
  • Human activities are causing the Gobi Desert to increase in size.
  • Different actions are being taken to try and reduce desertification in and around the Gobi Desert.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • desert: an area of land that is extremely dry and receives less than 25 centimetres of rain per year
  • monsoon: a seasonal change in wind direction that brings a very rainy season or a very dry season
  • desertification: the process by which semi-arid land becomes drier and turns into desert
  • climate change: a large-scale and long-term change in the planet's climate, including weather patterns and average temperatures
  • erosion: process of Earth's surface, e.g. rock or soil, being worn away and transported from its original site

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Deserts are only found in very hot climates.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this geography topic using two clear key points.

The Gobi Desert is a large, cold desert that covers parts of northern China and southern Mongolia. The Gobi Desert is a rain shadow desert and is formed by the blocking of rainfall by the Himalayas.

2. Define this geography term and use it in an example. 'desert'

an area of land that is extremely dry and receives less than 25 centimetres of rain per year.

3. Correct this common geography misunderstanding.

Mistake: Deserts are only found in very hot climates. Correction: Deserts are areas with extremely low rainfall and can be hot or cold depending on where they are located. The Gobi Desert is a cold desert.

More Lessons In This Unit

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