The Thar Desert, or Great Indian Desert, is an arid region of 208,000 square kilometers in northwestern India and eastern Pakistan; it is the largest desert in South Asia. Located between the Indus and Sutlej River valleys, much of the Thar Desert consists of shifting sand dunes and stony plains, along with smaller areas of grassland. Rainfall is highly erratic, ranging between 100 and 500 millimeters per year. About 90 percent of rain falls between July and September. Mean average temperatures range between 24° and 26°C in summer and between 4° and 10°C in winter. Summer temperatures may reach 50°C, especially in May and June, the hottest months. Despite its dryness, the Thar Desert supports a diverse flora and fauna, including twenty-three species of lizards and twenty-five species of snakes. The Great Indian bustard, Indian gazelle, black buck, and caracal (wild cat) are also found. Much of the region's economy is based on pastoralism, especially sheep and goats, and on a limited amount of irrigated agriculture. The largest cities are Jodhpur and Bikaner, India. India tested its first nuclear device in the area in 1974.
Further Reading
Sharma, R. C. (1998) Thar: The Great Indian Desert. London: Tiger Books.
Spate, Oskar Hermann Khristian. (1954) India and Pakistan:A General and Regional Geography. New York: Dutton.
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