Question

Describe the main features of the Indian desert in detail.

Answer 1

Hint: In the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent, the Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, is a largely arid region that covers an area of 200,000 km2 (77,000 sq mi) and forms a natural boundary between India and Pakistan. It is the 17th-largest desert in the world and the 9th-largest hot subtropical desert in the world.

Complete answer: Inside India, about 85 percent of the Thar Desert is situated, with the remaining 15 percent in Pakistan. It occupies about 170,000 km2 (66,000 sq mi) in India, and within Pakistan, the remaining 30,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi) of the desert. The Thar Desert makes up approximately 5% (c. 4.56%) of India's total geographical area. In the Indian state of Rajasthan, more than 60% of the desert lies and it spreads into the Indian state of Rajasthan and it extends into the states of Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana, and the Pakistani province of Sindh.

Thar, Pakistan's province of Punjab, continues as the Cholistan Desert. There is a very dry portion of the desert, the Marusthali region in the west, and a semi-desert region in the east with fewer dunes and slightly more rainfall.

As follows, the main features of the Indian dessert are
-The Indian desert lies on the western edge of the hills of Aravalli.
-It is an undulating sandy plain surrounded by dunes of sand.
-Very low rainfall, below 150 mm per year, occurs in this area. With poor vegetation cover, it has an arid atmosphere.
-During the rainy season, streams emerge. They vanish into the sand shortly after, as they do not have enough water.
-In this area, Luni is the only large river. Barchans (crescent-shaped dunes) cover larger areas, but along the Indo-Pakistan border, longitudinal dunes are becoming more prevalent.

Note: The grass in the desert has multi-purpose medicinal features. Further, there are five key breeds of cattle in this desert and each breed is used for a different purpose. Camels are used to ferry individuals from one location to another. Cotton and wheat growth is encouraged by the landscape of the Thar Desert. Despite water shortage, the desert uses groundwater to satisfy its domestic needs, agricultural and energy needs. For example, the Indira Gandhi canal is used for irrigation in this desert area.