Thar Desert

Located in south asia, the Thar Desert straddles the international border between western India and southeastern Pakistan covering an area of approximately 92,162 square miles (238,700 square kilometers). On the Indian side, most of this hot desert lies in the state of Rajasthan, but some parts extend into the states of Gujarat, Haryana, and [Page 1721]Punjab as well. In Pakistan, it is part of the Sindh and Punjab provinces. It is bounded by the Sutlej River in the northwest, the Aravalli mountains in the east, the Indus River in the west, and the Rann of Kutch (a salt marsh) in the south. Average annual rainfall in the Thar ranges between 6 to 31 cubic inches (100–500 millimeters) from the west eastward. It is an inhospitable ...