Thar Desert
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Overview
The Thar, or Great Indian Desert, lies north-west of the Aravallis in Rajasthan and Gujarat. It is an undulating sandy plain with barchans (crescent-shaped dunes), longitudinal dunes and shifting dunes called dhrians.
Annual rainfall is low and erratic, mostly under 250 mm in the west, and the Luni is the main river of the region, ending in the Rann of Kachchh.
Much of the desert is a rocky plain covered by sand, with salt lakes called playas or tals.
The Indira Gandhi Canal, fed from the Harike barrage, has brought irrigation to the north-western part, changing cropping and settlement patterns.
Geography and key facts
- Lies north-west of the Aravallis
- Barchans and longitudinal dunes
- Shifting dunes called dhrians
- Main river: Luni
- Indira Gandhi Canal irrigates the north-west
Why it matters for UPSC
Desert landforms and the physiographic divisions of India are standard Prelims map topics.
Note for UPSC
Rajasthan and Gujarat; the Great Indian Desert. Label position is approximate.
Physical regions help answer questions on soils, crops and drainage; labels are approximate.
Asked in PYQs
No question in our Prelims bank names Thar Desert yet.
Key facts
- Type
- Physical region
- State / UT
- Rajasthan
- Coordinates
- 27.000°N, 71.000°E
From the Map Explorer data; positions are for orientation.
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Other places in Rajasthan
All plateaus, plains and deserts · Revision list · Most asked in PYQs