Page | 7beginning of the Gobi Desert. Some of this region receives rainfall only once every two
or three years. While climatically a desert, few sand dunes occur in the Gobi. Gravel-
covered plains and rocky outcrops are the more common types of Gobi landscape.^16
Much of eastern Mongolia consists of rolling grassland steppes that transition into level
plains toward the country’s eastern border with China.
(^17) This region of Mongolia is one
of the world’s largest unspoiled grassland systems.18,^19 It also is the site of more than 200
extinct volcanoes in the Dariganga area, located near the Chinese border.^20
Climate
Mongolia lies far from any ocean influence that
might moderate its climate. As a result, it
experiences an extreme continental climate
marked by long, bitterly cold winters, short
summers, large daily and annual swings in
temperature, and little rainfall in most
locations.21,^22 Winter runs from November
through February, and in many places the
temperature may never rise above freezing during
this time.23,^24 Ulaanbaatar, with an average daily
temperature of -1.3°C (29.7°F), is possibly the coldest capital city in the world.^25 (It has
never recorded a temperature above freezing during the months of December and
January.)^26
(^16) Rogier Gruys, “The Gobi Desert,” BluePeak Travel Photography, 2009,
Snowfall during winter months is generally light due to a high-pressure
http://www.bluepeak.net/mongolia/gobi.html
(^17) Encyclopædia Britannica Online, “Mongolia: The Land: The Plateau and Desert Belt,” 2011,
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/389335/Mongolia
(^18) Michael Koln, “Eastern Mongolia,” in Mongolia, 5th ed. (Footscray, Victoria, Australia: Lonely Planet
Publications, 2008), 164.
(^19) Wildlife Conservation Society, “Eastern Steppe, Mongolia,” 2011, http://www.wcs.org/saving-wild-
places/asia/eastern-steppe-of-mongolia.aspx
(^20) Encyclopædia Britannica Online, “Mongolia: The Land: Climate,” 2011,
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/389335/Mongolia
(^21) Encyclopædia Britannica Online, “Mongolia: The Land: Drainage,” 2011,
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/389335/Mongolia
(^22) Donald R. DeGlopper, “Chapter 2: The Society and Its Environment: Geography: Climate,” in Mongolia:
A Country Study, 2nd ed. (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1991), 63.
(^23) Michael Koln, “Directory: Climate Charts,” in Mongolia, 5th ed. (Footscray, Victoria, Australia: Lonely
Planet Publications, 2008), 252–253.
(^24) Blue Wolf Expeditions, “Preparing to Come to Mongolia: What Kind of Weather Conditions Should I
Pack For?,” 2000, http://www.mongoliaaltaiexpeditions.com/FAQ.htm
(^25) Matt Rosenberg, “Coldest Capital Cities: Is Ottawa the Coldest Capital City?,” About.com, 2011,
http://geography.about.com/od/physicalgeography/a/coldcapital.htm
(^26) BBC Weather, “Ulaanbaatar: Average Conditions,” 2011, http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/1799?#