Thar Desert

Thar Desert or Great Indian Desert, extensive arid region, c.500 mi (800 km) long and c.250 mi (400 km) wide, S Asia, in NW India and E Pakistan, between the Indus and Sutlej river valleys on the west and the Aravalli Range on the east. Largely a desolate region of shifting sand dunes, broken rocks, and scrub vegetation, it receives an annual average rainfall of less than 10 in. (25 cm). The sparsely populated region has a pastoral economy. Through the extension of canals fed with Sutlej and Beas waters, irrigation has reclaimed some land for agriculture along the northern and western edges. In May, 1974, India exploded its first nuclear device in the desert in Rajasthan state.

Thar Desert (Great Indian Desert) Region in nw India and se Pakistan, between the Aravalli Mountains (e) and the River Indus (w). The region covers parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, and Sind. The desert areas of Rajasthan now benefit from the Indira Gandhi Canal, c.650km (400mi) long, bringing water from the rivers of Himachal Pradesh. Area: c.200,000sq km (77,000sq mi).

Thar Desert, India‐Pakistan Also called the Great Indian Desert. The name comes from the Hindi t'hul' ‘ridge’, a reference to its ridges of sand.