Indian Geography
Thar Desert
Arid region in India and Pakistan
Overview
The Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, is an arid region in the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent stretching across India and Pakistan. Covering an area of 264,091 km2 (101,966 sq mi), it is one of the largest subtropical deserts in Asia by area. About two-thirds of the desert area lies in India, with the remainder in Pakistan. It forms about six percent of the geographical area of India, with the majority of the desert lying in the state of Rajasthan, with portions extending into Gujarat, Haryana, and Punjab. Towards the west, it extends into the provinces of Sindh and Punjab in Pakistan. It is bordered by the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the north, west and northeast, Rann of Kutch to the south, and the Aravalli Range to the east.
Source: Wikipedia — Thar Desert (CC BY-SA)
Key concepts
How Thar Desert connects to the ideas, people and events around it.
Aridity is a condition of geographical regions characterized by low annual precipitation, increased temperatures, and limited water availability.
The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia south of the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west.
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the world's seventh-largest country by area and its most populous.
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population in the world as of 2023.
The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical and climate zones immediately to the north and south of the tropics. Geographically part of the temperate zones of both hemispheres, they cover the middle latitudes from 23°26′08.9″ (or 23.
A desert is a landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions create unique biomes and ecosystems. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation.
India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, for a total of 36 subnational entities. The states and union territories in turn are each subdivided into districts, of which a total of around 800 exist.
Rajasthan is a state in northwestern India. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It covers 342,239 square kilometres (132,139 mi2) or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area.
Revise Thar Desert
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Questions about Thar Desert
What is Thar Desert?
The Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, is an arid region in the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent stretching across India and Pakistan. Covering an area of 264,091 km2 (101,966 sq mi), it is one of the largest subtropical deserts in Asia by area. About two-thirds of the desert area lies in India, with the remainder in Pakistan.
What are the key concepts related to Thar Desert?
The main concepts connected to Thar Desert include Aridity, Indian subcontinent, India, Pakistan, Subtropics, Desert, States and union territories of India, Rajasthan. Each is linked on the map above with its own summary.
Which exams cover Thar Desert?
Thar Desert is part of Indian Geography, which appears in the syllabus of UPSC CSE, UPSC CAPF, NDA, CDS, AFCAT, SSC CGL and 49 more exams.