Final answer:
The Silk Roads split to avoid the Gobi Desert, a challenging geographic obstacle.
Step-by-step explanation:
One of the geographic obstacles that the Silk Roads split to avoid was the Gobi Desert. The Gobi Desert is a vast and arid region located between China and Mongolia. It presented significant challenges to travelers due to its harsh climate, lack of water, and shifting sand dunes. To navigate around this obstacle, the Silk Roads took different routes, such as the Northern Silk Road, which passed through the northern edges of the Gobi Desert.
Learn more about Silk Roads and geographical obstacles