The Gobi Desert is one of the largest deserts on Earth. A significant part of it lies in which of the following countries?

Introduction / Context:
The Gobi Desert is a major cold desert located in Asia and is frequently mentioned in world geography topics. Many examinations ask about the location and spread of major deserts like the Sahara, Kalahari, Atacama, and Gobi. This question specifically focuses on the country in which an important part of the Gobi Desert lies, checking whether you can associate the correct desert with the correct continent and country, rather than confusing it with hot deserts of Africa or Australia.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The desert under discussion is the Gobi Desert.
• The question asks where a significant part of the Gobi Desert is located.
• Options include countries from different continents: Australia, Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, Madagascar, and Egypt.
• The student is expected to know that the Gobi Desert is in Asia.

Concept / Approach:
The key concept is the distribution of major deserts across continents. The Gobi Desert is a cold desert located in northern China and southern Mongolia in East Asia. It is not a tropical or subtropical hot desert like the Sahara in Africa or the Australian desert regions. Once you remember that the Gobi Desert belongs to the Asian interior, it becomes easy to connect it to Mongolia, which lies north of China. By contrast, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Madagascar, and Egypt are associated with other deserts like the Great Victoria, Arabian, or Sahara, not with the Gobi Desert.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Gobi Desert is located in Asia, not Africa or Australia. Step 2: Remember that the Gobi stretches across parts of northern China and southern Mongolia. Step 3: Examine each option. Australia and Madagascar are in the Southern Hemisphere and are not known for the Gobi Desert. Step 4: Saudi Arabia and Egypt are associated with desert regions of the Arabian Peninsula and Sahara, not with the Gobi. Step 5: Conclude that Mongolia is the country that contains a significant part of the Gobi Desert.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, think of common textbook descriptions that refer to the Gobi Desert as lying between Mongolia and China. Geography maps of Asia usually show the Gobi as a broad desert region covering southern Mongolia and adjacent Chinese regions such as Inner Mongolia. You can also recall that Australian deserts are called the Great Victoria or Great Sandy Desert, while African deserts include the Sahara and Kalahari. None of these are named Gobi, confirming that Mongolia is the correct association for the Gobi Desert.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Australia: Australia has large desert areas, but they are not called the Gobi; they have names like Great Victoria and Great Sandy Desert.
Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia is part of the Arabian Desert and Rub al Khali, but the Gobi Desert is not located there.
Madagascar: Madagascar is an island nation off the southeast coast of Africa and is not associated with the Gobi Desert.
Egypt: Egypt lies in North Africa and hosts parts of the Sahara Desert, not the Gobi Desert, which is entirely in Asia.

Common Pitfalls:
A common error is to assume that all large deserts are in Africa or Australia and to overlook Asia. Students sometimes pick Egypt or Australia because they quickly connect deserts with these regions. Another pitfall is to confuse the names Gobi and Kalahari or Sahara due to unfamiliarity. To avoid such mistakes, remember that Gobi is a cold desert in East Asia, particularly in Mongolia and China. Associating the name directly with Mongolia in your memory will help you answer similar questions correctly.

Final Answer:
A significant part of the Gobi Desert lies in Mongolia.