Dzoosotoyn Elisen Desert

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The Dzoosotoyn Elisen Desert (Gu'erbantonggute Shamo, 古尔班通古特沙漠) is a remote, arid, and rugged area of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. The nearest population center to this sparsely populated land is the city of Ürümqi. The desert is the second largest desert in China, after Taklamakan Desert, which is also located in Xinjiang. The desert is approximately 50,000 square kilometers (19,000 mi²), and located around 300 to 600 meters above sea level.

It is in this desert that the remotest point of land from any sea is located. The precise point is at 46°16.8′N, 86°40.2′E. It was pin-pointed and reached on 27 June 1986 by British explorers Nicholas Crane and Dr Richard Crane. This position, located in the northwestern part of China, is over 2,600 kilometers (1,600 mi) from the nearest coastline.

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