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Thar
The Great Indian Desert
Desert
Thar desert Rajasthan, India
Countries
India, Pakistan
State
India:
Rajasthan
Haryana
Punjab
Gujarat
Pakistan:
Sindh
Punjab
Biome
Desert
A NASA satellite image of the Thar Desert, with the India–Pakistan border superimposed.
View of the Thar desert
The Thar Desert (Rajasthani: थार मरुधर, Hindi: थार मरुस्थल, Urdu: صحراےَ تھر also known as the Great Indian Desert) is a large, arid region in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent and forms a natural boundary running along the border between India and Pakistan. With an area of more than 200,000 km2 (77,000 sq mi), within the Indian state of Rajasthan, covering the districts of Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bikaner and Jodhpur, and some region of the states of Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat.[1] it is the world's 18th largest subtropical desert.[2]
Contents
1 Location and description
2 Physiography and geology
3 Origin
4 Thar in ancient literature
5 Biodiversity
5.1 Natural vegetation
5.1.1 Small trees and shrubs
5.1.2 Herbs and grasses
5.2 Threats and preservation
5.2.1 Greening desert
6 Desert economy
6.1 Agriculture
6.2 Livestock
6.3 Agroforestry
6.4 Ecotourism
6.5 Industry
6.6 Salt water lakes
7 People
8 Water and housing in the desert
9 Desert for recreation
10 See also
11 References
12 Further reading
13 External links
Location and description
Thar Desert extends from the Sutlej River, surrounded by the Aravalli Ranges on the east, on the south by the salt marsh known as the Great Rann of Kutch (parts of which are sometimes included in the Thar), and on the west by the Indus River. Its boundary to the large thorny steppe to the north is ill-defined. It lies mostly in the Indian state of Rajasthan, and extends into the southern portion of Haryana and Punjab states and into northern Gujarat state.
In Pakistan, the desert covers eastern Sindh Province and the