SANDY WILDS OF INDIA

BY GROUP 4
 GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION
In India, the desert extends from Gujarat in the west to Punjab and Haryana in the north and
northeast, the Aravalli range in the southeast and the Rann of Kutch in the south. However, a
significant part of this desert lies in Rajasthan. The desert covers an area of 200,000 square km.
 THAR DESERT- FORMATION
 The amount of rain falls from east to west. The western region of Rajasthan receives little to no rainfall.
This is because of the following factors.
 The Arabian Sea branch of the southwest monsoon blows through Gujarat's Kathiawar area and escapes
to the north-west.
 There are no towering mountains to keep these winds at bay. The Aravalli range in Rajasthan runs
parallel to the path of the monsoon winds and cannot prevent them from moving north.
 The region's high temperatures improve the water retention capacity of the winds and diminish the
likelihood of rainfall.
 All of these factors contribute to high rainfall shortage, resulting in the creation of the Thar desert.
 FAUNA AND FLORA
 Plants with only xerophytic adaptations are able to establish
themselves.
The bulk of vegetation consists of stunted thorny or prickly
shrubs and perennial herds.

 The prevalent wildlife includes the leopard, the Asiatic wild cat ,
the chinkara, the chousingha, blackbuck , the Bengal desert fox
and various reptiles
 CLIMATIC CONDITIONS
 The average temperature ranges from 75 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit or 24 to 26 degrees Celsius in
summer and 39 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit or 4 to 10 degrees Celsius in winter. The region receives
very little rainfall. It is less than 10 inches per annum.

 The Thar Desert gets most of its rainfall in December and January. In June, July, and August, this
desert has no rain. As a result, it remains almost dry.
 LIFESTYLE
 About 40% of the total population of Rajasthan lives in the Thar Desert.
 The main occupations of the inhabitants are agriculture and animal husbandry.
 A colourful culture, rich in tradition, prevails in this desert.
 The people have a great passion for folk music and folk poetry.
 INTERESTING FACTS
 This sandstorm formation is about 66 to 59.2 million years old , a period just after the
extinction of dinosaurs ,in western Rajasthan at Gehun hills near Barmer.

In contrast to the Sahara, which has one of the lowest population densities (1 person
per sq. km), the Thar Desert is the most densely populated desert in the world (83
people per sq. km).

 India carried out its first nuclear weapon explosion test in the Thar Desert on 18 May
1974.

The desert features several great lakes which contain saltwater. Some of these lakes
are the Kuchaman, Didwana, Pachpadra, and Phalodi lake in Rajasthan, and the
Kharaghoda lake in Gujarat.

 The entire desert is surrounded by what was once a dense forest and which is referred
to as the “Northwestern thorn scrub forests.” This xeric shrubland encircles both
the Thar Desert and the Indus Valley Desert ecoregions.