Q 01/05

Which ancient trade route crossed the southern Gobi?

A) Amber Road

B) Silk Road

C) Incense Route

D) Royal Road

Answer · why

B) Silk Road

Silk Road. It crossed the desert's southern reaches, where bandits were a constant threat, so traders banded together in caravans for protection.

Q 02/05

Which desert is the largest in Asia, ahead of the Gobi?

A) Thar Desert

B) Karakum Desert

C) Arabian Desert

D) Negev Desert

Answer · why

C) Arabian Desert

Arabian Desert. The Arabian Peninsula is part of Asia, so its desert outranks the Gobi, and its Empty Quarter alone is the largest unbroken sea of san...

Q 03/05

The Gobi's name comes from a Mongolian word meaning what?

A) Dryland

B) Red earth

C) Endless wind

D) Cold place

Answer · why

A) Dryland

Dryland. Dictionaries gloss the Mongolian word simply as 'desert', which makes the phrase 'Gobi Desert' say the same thing twice.

Q 04/05

What is the name of the two-humped camel native to the Gobi?

A) Dromedary

B) Guanaco

C) Vicuña

D) Bactrian

Answer · why

D) Bactrian

Bactrian. Its two humps store fat, not water, and they shrink and flop to one side when food runs short.

Q 05/05

The Gobi covers about 1.3 million km², roughly the size of which country?

A) India

B) Japan

C) Peru

D) Spain

Answer · why

C) Peru

Peru. Both cover close to 1.3 million km², a span so wide that the Gobi's eastern side gets far more rain than its west, enough to graze livestock.