Its name translates as "waterless place" in Mongolian (4)

I believe the answer is:

gobi

(Other definitions for gobi that I've seen before include "Desert in east Asia" , "The . . . . Desert is a barren plateau of S Mongolia and N China" , "Asian desert, Chinese name Shamo" , "Asiatic barren plateau which means 'stony desert'" , "Dry spot" .)

I've seen this clue in The New York Times.

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