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Thar Desert, also called Great Indian Desert, arid region of rolling sand hills on the Indian subcontinent. It is located partly in Rajasthan state, northwestern India, and partly in Punjab and Sindh (Sind) provinces, eastern Pakistan.
The Thar Desert covers some 77,000 square miles (200,000 square km) of territory. It is bordered by the irrigated Indus River plain to the west, the Punjab Plain to the north and northeast, the Aravalli Range to the southeast, and the Rann of Kachchh to the south. The subtropical desert climate there results from persistent high pressure and subsidence at that latitude. The prevailing southwest monsoon winds that bring rain to much of the subcontinent in summer tend to bypass the Thar to the east. The name Thar is derived from thul, the general term for the region’s sand ridges.
1) Land :
The Thar’s desert sands overlie Archean (early Precambrian) gneiss (metamorphic rocks formed between 4 billion and 2.5 billion years ago), Proterozoic (later Precambrian) sedimentary rocks (formed about 2.5 billion to 541 million years ago), and more-recent alluvium (material deposited by rivers). The surface consists of aeolian (wind-deposited) sand that has accumulated over the past 1.8 million years.
2)People :
Most of the desert’s inhabitants reside in rural areas and are distributed in varying densities. Both Islam and Hinduism are practiced, and the population is divided into complex economic and social groups. The prevailing languages are Sindhi in the southwest, Lahnda in the northwest, and Rajasthani languages—especially Marwari—in central and eastern portions of the Thar. The ethnic composition of the Thar is diverse. Among the most prominent groups are the Rajputs, who inhabit the central Thar. Many nomads are engaged in animal husbandry, crafts, or trade. In general, the nomads are symbiotically related to the sedentary population and its economy.
3) Economy :
The grasses form the main natural resources of the desert. They provide nutritive pasturage as well as medicines used locally by the inhabitants. Alkaloids, used for making medicine and oils for making soap are also extracted. There are five major breeds of cattle in the Thar. Among those the Tharparkar breed is the highest yielder of milk, and the Kankre breed is good both as a beast of burden and as a milk producer. Sheep are bred for both medium-fine and rough wool. Camels are commonly used for transport as well as for plowing the land and other agricultural purposes. Where water is available, farmers grow crops such as wheat and cotton.