Badain Jaran Desert between the dunes, some of which are fresh water while others are extremely saline. These lakes give the desert its name which is Mongolian for "mysterious lakes". It is also crossed by one river, the Ruo Shui ("weak water"), which has formed an alluvial plain in the desert. Measuring over , the Badain Jaran Desert covers a significant part of the south-central part of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region as well as the North part of Gansu province. Located in the Alxa Plateau at about 1200 meters above sea level it is listed as a subsection to the Gobi Desert.
Great Gobi A Strictly Protected Area an arid region of the Gobi desert. The vegetation is dominated by desert and desert steppe. Great Gobi A is generally drier than Great Gobi B. Together with Great Gobi B, the reserve was established in 1975 and has been designated by the United Nations as an international Biosphere Reserve in 1991. With a total area of about 46,369 km it is one of the largest reserves worldwide. The headquarters for the Great Gobi SPA is situated in Bayantooroi, a settlement about 20 km north to the Great Gobi A reserve. The Climate is extremely "continental". Temperatures in the Gobi