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Table of Contents
The Thar Desert is the world’s 17th largest desert and also the world’s 9th largest hot subtropical desert.
See the fact file below for more information on the Thar Desert or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Thar Desert worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
INTRODUCTION
- The Thar Desert is also known as the Great Indian Desert.
- The Thar Desert is a large dry region located in the northwestern area of the Indian subcontinent.
- The Thar Desert acts as a natural boundary between India and Pakistan.
GEOGRAPHY
- The Thar Desert is hugely occupied and covered by huge shifting sand dunes that receive sediments from the alluvial plains and the coast.
- There is only one river integrated to the Thar Desert, which is the Luni River.
- The Luni River is considered as the largest river in the Thar Desert. It originates in the Pushkar valley of the Aravalli Range, passes through the Thar Desert, and ends in the marshy lands of Rann of Kutch in Gujarat.
- On the other hand, there are several salt water lakes in the Thar Desert including the Sambhar, Kuchaman, Didwana, Pachpadra, and Phalodi in Rajasthan, and Kharaghoda in Gujarat.
- The mentioned salt water lakes collect rainwater during monsoon season.
- Other than salt water lakes, there are also several protected areas in the Thar Desert including the Desert National Park, the Tal Chhapar Sanctuary, the Sundha Mata Conservation Reserve, the Nara Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, the Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Lal Suhanra Biosphere Reserve and National Park that is also a UNESCO declared Biosphere Reserve.
BIODIVERSITY
- The diversified habitat and ecosystem of the area, including the vegetation, human life, and animal life in the Thar Desert is very rich as compared to the other deserts in the world.
- There are about 23 species of lizards that can be found in the Thar Desert.
- There are about 25 species of snakes that can be found in the Thar Desert and several of them are endemic in the region.
- Some other animals that can be found in the region include the blackbuck, the chinkara, and the Indian wild ass, or the ghudkhur.
- Other mammals that can be found in the Thar Desert include a subspecies of red fox and the caracal.
- The region where the Thar Desert belongs is also a place for more than 100 species of migratory and resident birds.
- These species of birds include eagles, harriers, falcons, buzzards, kestrel, and vultures.
- In the Thar region, the known resident breeder is the Indian peafowl, also known as the common peafowl and blue peafowl.
- The Indian peafowl is designated as the national bird of India and also the provincial bird of the Punjab or Pakistan.
- Other than animals, there is also vegetation found in the Thar Desert.
- The natural vegetation of the Thar Desert includes some trees and shrubs: Acacia jacquemontii, Balanites roxburghii, Ziziphus zizyphus, Ziziphus nummularia, Calotropis procera, Suaeda fruticosa, Crotalaria burhia and many more.
- There are also some herbs and grasses that can be found in the Thar Desert that include: Ochthochloa compressa, Dactyloctenium scindicum, Cenchrus biflorus, Cenchrus setigerus, Lasiurus scindicus, Cynodon dactylon, Panicum turgidum, Panicum antidotale, and many more.
- There are also endemic floral species in the region that include: Calligonum polygonoides, Prosopis cineraria, Acacia nilotica, Tamarix aphylla, and Cenchrus biflorus.
ECONOMY
- The Thar Desert, as one of the most heavily populated desert areas in the world, has its economy mainly focusing on agriculture and animal husbandry.
- Animal husbandry, trees, grasses, vegetables, and fruits are the viable crops for arid, drought-prone regions like the Thar Desert.
- Overgrazing due to high animal populations, wind and water erosion, mining, and other industries have resulted in serious land degradation.
- Agricultural production is mainly from kharif crops or autumn crops, including bajra and pulses such as guar, jowar, maize, sesame, and groundnuts.
- The Thar region of Rajasthan is a major opium production and consumption area.
- A large number of farmers in the Thar Desert heavily rely on animal husbandry for their livelihood.
- Cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, camels, and oxen are all produced.
- Forestry is also important when it comes to places like the Thar Desert. If properly planned, forestry can make an important contribution to the general welfare of the people living in desert areas.
- For people living in the desert, the living standard is low and they cannot afford other fuels like gas and kerosene, which is why firewood is treated as their main fuel.
- When it comes to tourism, domestic and international tourists have been frequent visitors of the desert, especially for people who seek adventure on camels.
- The ecotourism in the Thar Desert ranges from cheap backpacking treks to fancy Arabian night-style campsites with banquet and cultural performances.
Thar Desert Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Thar Desert across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Thar Desert worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Thar Desert which is the world’s 17th largest desert and also the world’s 9th largest hot subtropical desert.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Thar Desert Facts
- Additional
- T or F
- Finders Keepers
- Go Go!
- Coloring Time
- L.U.N.I.
- Mix n Match
- What To Do?
- Let’s Go!
- Point of View
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Link will appear as Thar Desert Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, April 13, 2021
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.