List of deserts of Pakistan

Pakistan hosts five major deserts which were historic forests.

Cholistan Desert

Cholistan Desert covers the areas of Bahawalpur, Bhawalnagar and Rahimyar Khan.

Indus Valley Desert

The Indus Valley Desert is located in the northern area of Pakistan. The desert spans an area of 19,500 square kilometers and is surrounded by northwestern scrub forests. It lies between two major rivers in the region, the Chenab and the Indus.

Kharan Desert

The Kharan Desert is located in Northeast Balochistan. The desert was used for nuclear testing by the Pakistan military, making it the most famous of the five deserts. It is in the center of a large empty basin. It estimated area of more than 20,000 Square KM.

Thal Desert

The Thal Desert is located in Mianwali region of Pakistan between the Indus and Jhelum rivers. A large canal-building project is currently underway to irrigate the land. Irrigation will make most of the desert suitable for farming. In the north of the Thal Desert there are salt ranges, in the east the Jehlum and Chenab rivers and to the west the Indus river.

Thar Desert

The Thar Desert spans an area of 175,000 square kilometers and covers large areas of Pakistan and India. It is the seventh largest desert on the planet and the third largest in Asia.It was also spread in India The Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, is a large, arid region in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent that forms a natural boundary between India and Pakistan. It is the world's 17th largest desert, and the world's 9th largest subtropical desert. About 85% of the Thar Desert is in India, and the remaining part in Pakistan.[2] In India, it covers about 320,000 km2 (120,000 sq mi), of which 90% is in Rajasthan and extends into Gujarat, Punjab, and Haryana.This desert comprises a very dry part, the Marusthali region in the west, and a semidesert region in the east with fewer sand dunes and slightly more precipitation. The Thar Desert extends between the Aravalli Hills in the north-east, the Great Rann of Kutch along the coast and the alluvial plains of the Indus River in the west and north-west. Most of the desert is covered by huge shifting sand dunes that receive sediments from the alluvial plains and the coast. The sand is highly mobile due to strong winds occurring before the onset of the monsoon. The Luni River is the only river integrated into the desert. Rainfall is limited to 100–500 mm (3.9–19.7 in) per year, mostly falling from July to September.

Salt water lakes in the Thar Desert include the Sambhar, Kuchaman, Didwana in Rajasthan and Kharaghoda in Gujarat. These lakes receive rain water during monsoon and evaporate during the dry season. The salt is derived by the weathering of rocks in the region.

Lithic tools belonging to the prehistoric Aterian culture of the Maghreb have been discovered in Middle Paleolithic deposits in the Thar Desert.

See also

Further reading

References

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