Thar Desert Facts for Kids

The Thar Desert is located on the continent of Asia in the countries of India and Pakistan. It is the 9th biggest desert in the world and the biggest wool-producing area in India. Its name derives from the word 'thal' which refers to sand ridges present in the formation of the Thar Desert. As the biome's largest presence is in India, where around 85% of the Thar occurs naturally, it is no wonder that it is known as the Great Indian Desert.

School kids and teachers can print our free fact sheets for homework help or as a factual guide to the Thar Desert with interesting information about its name, structure, age, history, desertification, biome of animals, birds and plant life, weather conditions and extreme temperature changes, precipitation, vegetation, size and location on the continent of Asia.

Interesting Thar Desert Facts for Kids:- Factsmania's printable facts sheet are interesting and free to use, and provide important facts and information about the Thar Desert for kids. Our facts sheet about Asia's Thar Biome provides facts about the 9th largest desert on Earth. Did you know that the Thar Desert is subject to severe temperature changes between day to night? Do you know how plant life in the Thar grows? Did you know that the term 'desertification' can be described as the process by which fertile land becomes desert? Did you know that the Thar is present in two Asian countries, with the majority taking presence in India and the remainder in Pakistan?

Interesting Thar Desert Facts for Kids:- Our free list of Interesting Great Indian Desert Biome Facts for Kids is printable and includes amazing facts about the Thar Desert such as which animals are endangered, how wildlife and plants grow and survive. Our interesting facts website helps kids discover the most interesting facts about the Thar Desert including it how it was formed, why it is important, why it is classed as a biome, where it is located, what the weather is like, what adaptations animals have to make in order to survive the extreme climate conditions of the Thar Desert.

Interesting Thar Desert Facts for Kids

Thar Desert Fact File for Kids:- Official Thar Name Facts: The name of the Thar Desert derives from the word Thal which refers to sand ridges ***Average Temperature in the Thar Desert: Varies between below freezing at the coldest and 50 degrees Celsius at the hottest *** Location of the Thar Desert: India and Pakistan *** Thar Annual Rainfall Facts: 100-500mm per year ***

Interesting Facts for Kids 1:- Where is the Thar Desert located?
The Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, lies in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent forming a natural boundary between India and Pakistan. You can find 85% of the desert in India and the remaining 15% in Pakistan.

Interesting Facts for Kids 2:- What countries does the Thar Desert cover?
The Thar Desert is present in two Asian countries where it has formed naturally over millions of years: India and Pakistan. It is in fact the ninth largest desert in the world, covering a total area of approximately 375,000 square kilometers.

Interesting Facts for Kids 3:- What is the temperature in the Thar Desert?
The Thar Desert has an extreme climate. The temperature can fall below freezing in the winter and rise as high as 50 degrees Celsius during the summer season. Typically, as with many deserts, the temperature can vary dramatically between daytime and nighttime hours. Even in the summer months, the night temperature can fall to the low thirties. There is not as great deal of rainfall activity over the area. However, the Southwest monsoon can bring between 100 to 150 millimeters of rain annually.

Interesting Facts for Kids 4:- What is the climate of the Thar Desert?
The Thar Desert has an extremely harsh climate with temperatures plummeting and souring during summer time as well as winter. The Thar Desert doesn't receive much precipitation and the temperatures can vary a great deal from day to night too.

Interesting Facts for Kids 5:- Thar Desert Rainfall
The Thar Desert receives a small amount of rainfall during the southwest monsoon months which occur between July and September. The average rainfall for a year is around 100 to 500 millimeters.

Interesting Facts for Kids 6:- How big is the Thar Desert?
The Thar Desert encompasses an area of around 375,000 square kilometers, out of which around 320,000 kilometers are in India and the rest is in Pakistan. In India, you can find about 60% of the desert in the state of Rajasthan. It extends over to Gujarat (Rann of Kutch), Punjab, as well as Haryana.

Interesting Facts for Kids 7:- What animals live in the Thar Desert?
The formation of the Thar Desert is unique as encompasses stretches of sand interspersed by hillocks and sandy, gravel plains. This diversified habitat and ecosystem make it different from other deserts in the world. There are around 23 species of lizards and about 25 species of snakes in the region. There are many other types of animals too, some of which are vanishing fast from the face of the Earth and are soon to become extinct if we are not careful. These endangered animals include the blackbuck, the chinkara, and the India wild ass in the Rann of Kutch. Due to the extreme climate of this region, some of the animals have adapted to a nocturnal way of living. The Desert is also home to a rare subspecies of the red fox and the caracal. You can see a number of migratory birds such as eagles, falcons, buzzards, and vultures. The Indian peafowl is also a prominent animal in the Thar biome.

Interesting Facts for Kids 8:- How do Thar Desert animals survive?
The Thar Desert has a unique type of a climate. The animals have evolved to adopt special survival techniques to withstand the harsh conditions. The magnificent wildlife have developed excellent survival techniques. In comparison with other similar animals found living in different parts of the world, many animals in the Thar Desert are smaller. They have developed a nocturnal style of living as the nighttime temperature is far more bearable as it's much lower than hot temperatures experienced during the day, particularly in the summer season.

Interesting Facts for Kids 11:-What plants grow in the Thar Desert?,
The Thar Desert is an endless expanse of sand. However, there are thorny shrubs growing in abundance all over the region. The natural vegetation of this region is the Northwestern thorn shrub. They are sparse and spread all over the the area. During times of excess rainfall, you can see a growth in these shrubs. The Prosopis cineraria, also known as the 'Khejri', is the prime shrub in this area. As far as agriculture is concerned, you can find people growing maize, bajra, jowar, seasame, and groundnuts in the kharif season. In Rajasthan, you can see some rabi crops such as wheat, mustard, and cumin.

Interesting Facts for Kids 12:-  Thar Desert plant adaptations
The soil in the Thar Desert areas is sandy and has less water content. Hence, more thorny shrubs exist. The thorns provide the best way for plants to conserve water. The water content is naturally salty which is one of the main reasons why vegetation is sparse in the Thar Desert. The trees are often used as firewood for the people living in this region.

Interesting Facts for Kids 13:- Thar Desert landscape and vegetation facts
The Thar Desert is present in four different states in India. In Gujarat, you can see white stretches of sand interspersed with saltpans in the areas near to the seashore. As we move northward, the color of the sand changes from white to a golden brown color. Due to the extreme heat and dryness of this region, you will usually find thorny vegetation growing. However, some of the villages present in the Thar have excellent irrigation facilities. This enables people to grow cash crops such as red chilly as well as other crops such as wheat and groundnuts.

Interesting Facts for Kids 14:-  Thar Desert tourism
Tourism is an important activity in this part of the world. Tourists visit to witness the vastness of the Thar Desert and to enjoy the magnificence of the Great Rann of Kutch; a seasonal salt marsh. The main mode of transport in the Thar Desert is by camel. However, due to heightened hostility between India and Pakistan, the armed forces do not allow tourists to venture into the border areas. However, people are allowed to visit the desert towns of Bhuj in Gujarat and Bikaner, Jaisalmer etc in Rajasthan.

Interesting Facts for Kids 15:- Thar Desert name
This biome has sand hillocks and sand ridges. The local people refer to the sand ridges as 'thul'. These sand ridges form a natural border between the two countries of India and Pakistan. The word 'thul' is the source of the desert's name, the Thar.

Interesting Thar Desert Facts for Kids