(tame) goat usually weighs about 100 to
120 pounds (45 to 54 kilograms). Goats
also have straighter hair and a shorter
tail than sheep. Both male and female
goats may have horns. Some male wild
goats grow horns up to 4 feet (1.2
meters) long. Most males also grow
beards.
Goats eat grass and shrubs. A goat
digests its food by swallowing and then
regurgitating it, or bringing it back up
from the stomach. The goat then chews
it again in a form called cud.
Wild goats are animals of the mountains.
They live in rugged parts of
Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. They
People cut the long hair of Angora goats to
use as a fiber called mohair. Mohair can be
made into sweaters, scarves, and other
types of clothing.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Goat 121
can climb on cliffs and rocks without
losing their footing. Most wild goats live
in herds of 5 to 20 animals. Males and
females usually come together only to
mate.
Goats have been kept by people for
about 9,000 years. People eat goat meat
and drink goat milk. They also use goat
milk to make cheese. Angora and cashmere
goats are prized for their wool,
which is made into clothing and rugs.
Goatskins are used to make gloves,
shoes, and other leather items.
#More to explore
Mammal • Sheep
Gobi
The Gobi is a vast desert in central Asia.
It covers parts of Mongolia and China.
The word gobi means “waterless place”
in the Mongolian language.
The Gobi is surrounded by mountain
ranges. Its land is mostly rocky plains
with some hills. Summer in the Gobi is
very hot, and winter is cold and harsh.
Temperatures range from .40° F
(.40° C) in January to 113° F (45° C)
in July. The Gobi gets very little rain or
snow. There are few rivers that flow
year-round. Most of the water is underground.
Because of the dry climate, few plants
grow in the Gobi. Rough grasses and
low bushes are most common. Animals
of the Gobi include wild camels and
horses, gazelles, and antelope. There are
also rodents, such as gophers.
The Gobi has a small population spread
out over its huge area. Most of the
people are Mongols, but some are Chinese.
The people are mostly nomads
who raise sheep, goats, cattle, and camels.
They move around the desert with
their animals.
#More to explore
Desert • Mongolia • Nomad
Gold Coast
#see Ghana.
The Gobi is bordered by several mountain
ranges, including the Altai Mountains.
122 Gobi BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Goldfish
The goldfish is a popular fish to keep as
a pet in aquariums and ponds. It also
lives in the wild, in rivers and lakes. The
goldfish is a member of the carp family.
Its scientific name is Carassius auratus.
Goldfish are naturally greenish brown or
gray. But about 1,000 years ago people
in China began breeding goldfish to
create more colorful varieties. There are
now more than 125 breeds of goldfish
found throughout the world. They can
be gold, red, orange, white, black, or a
combination of colors.
Some breeds of goldfish have unusual
features. For example, the celestial goldfish
has eyes that jut out and always look
upward. The lionhead has a growth on
its head that looks something like a
lion’s mane.
Wild goldfish eat mostly plants and
small animals. They grow to a size suitable
for their environment. For example,
aquarium goldfish are only 2 to 4 inches
(5 to 10 centimeters) long. But goldfish
living in bigger spaces can reach a length
of 2 feet (0.6 meter).
Goldfish breed during spring or summer.
A female goldfish can produce
thousands of eggs during each breeding
season. The eggs usually hatch in less
than a week. Goldfish have an average
life span of 7 to 10 years. Some live as
long as 25 years.
#More to explore
Carp • Fish • Pet
Gold Rush
The metal gold has been considered
valuable for centuries. At times people
have discovered places where gold can be
dug out of the ground. This has created
a gold rush, when many other people go
to the same place hoping to find gold of
their own.
The biggest North American gold rush
took place in the U.S. state of California.
It started in 1848 when a carpenter
found gold at Sutter’s Mill, near the
Sacramento River. By 1849 there were
80,000 gold seekers—called “fortyniners”—
in the area.
A gold rush in 1851 brought people to
the Ballarat and Bendigo regions of Victoria,
Australia. People found nuggets,
or chunks, of gold as heavy as 200
pounds (75 kilograms).
Another major gold strike took place
along the Klondike River in the Yukon
Territory of Canada. Despite cold
Aquarium goldfish eat flake or pellet food.
They also like to eat plants.
U.S. author
Jack London
set his stories
Call of the
Wild and
White Fang
during the
Klondike gold
rush.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Gold Rush 123
weather, about 30,000 people came
between 1896 and 1899. Some gold was
found in Alaska also.
In 1886 a diamond digger discovered
gold in the Transvaal region of South
Africa. Today, South Africa is the world’s
largest producer of gold.
Gold is often discovered in isolated areas
with few people or towns. But because
so many people are attracted by the
gold, several major cities have grown up
around such areas. These include San
Francisco, California; Melbourne, Australia;
