Geography Of Rajasthan
Geographical Axis:
Rajasthan is situated in the North-w
estern part of India. It covers 342,239 square kilometers (132,139 square miles). Rajasthan lies between latitudes 23 degree 3' and 30 degree 12', north and longitudes 69 degree 30' and 78 degree 17', East. Compared to many countries that are located in a similar latitudinal belt, such as Northern Arabia, Rajasthan has a less harsh climate. The region's scorching and dry summers and its parched landscape is undergoing significant changes because of the developmental effort that have led to the spread of the Indira Gandhi Nahar. The huge portion of the state of Rajasthan is desiccated and houses the biggest Indian desert - the Thar Desert known as the 'Maru-kantar'. The oldest chain of fold mountains - the Aravali Range splits the state into two geographical zones - desert at one side and forest belt on the other. Only 9.36% of the total geographical region lies under forest vegetation. Mount Abu is the only hill station in the state and houses the Guru Shikhar Peak.
Geographical Terrain:
The southern part of Rajasthan is about 225 km from the Gulf of Kutch and about 400 km from the Arabian Sea. Rajasthan is bounded by Pakistan in the West and North-west; by the State of Punjab in the North; by Haryana in the North-east; by Uttar Pradesh in the East, by Madhya Pradesh in South-east and Gujarat in the South-west. The Aravali mountain ranges that run from Delhi to Gujarat cut through the state almost vertically. The Aravali ranges divide the state through South-east and North-west. The North-west region covering two-thirds of the state consist mostly of a series of sand dunes. Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and part of the Jhunjhunu districts form part of this region. The Eastern region has large fertile tracts.
Topography of Rajasthan:
Rajasthan has varying topographic features though a major part of the state is dominated by parched and dry region. The extensive topography includes rocky terrain, rolling sand dunes, wetlands, barren tracts or land filled with thorny scrubs, river-drained plains, plateaus, ravines and wooded regions. In a more broad way the topography of Rajasthan can be divided in the following regions- the Aravalli or the Hilly regions, the Thar and the other arid regions, the Plateaus including Vindhaya and the Malwa, the Fertile plains including the Mewar, the Forest Regions and the Water bodies including Rivers and Salt Lakes.
Rajasthan Desert:
The Thar Desert or the Great Indian Desert encompasses about 70% of total landmass of Rajasthan and hence it is identified as the “Desert State of India”. The Rajasthan desert which forms a major portion of the Thar Desert is the biggest desert in India and encompasses the districts of Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bikaner and Jodhpur. In fact the Rajasthan Desert comprises the desert triangle of three cities - Jaisalmer, Bikaner and Jodhpur. The desert becomes very hot during the summer and it experiences extreme climate with an average annual rainfall less than 25 cm. Days are hot and the nights are cold. Vegetation consists of thorny bushes, shrubs and xerophilious grass. Various species of lizards and snakes are found here.
Rajasthan Flora and Fauna:
Rajasthan is the abode of certain flora and fauna that are particularly endemic to arid regions and are specially adapted biologically to survive in the dry, waterless regions of the state. Owing to the varied topography one can find an assortment of flora and fauna and avifauna in Rajasthan. The forest vegetation that accounts for 9% in Rajasthan is deciduous and has thorny trees, grasses and shrubs. The tree species found are teak, bamboo, varied species of acacia and khejri. Some National Parks house numerous species of herbs and plants that have medicinal values. The fauna of Rajasthan consists of 23 species of lizards and 25 species of serpents including the Spiny Tail Lizards and the Russel's Vipers.Other wildlife species include Antelopes, Indian Gazelles or Chinkaras, endangered Great Indian Bustard, Black Bucks, the Nilgai or the blue bull, wild cats, silver foxes ans so on. There are about 450 species of avifauna including various migratory birds.
Rajasthan Weather:
Like its varying topography, Rajasthan has varying climate. The weather or climate of the Rajasthan can be broadly classified into four distinct seasons. They are Pre-monsoon, which is the hot season preceding the monsoon and extends from April to June, the Monsoon that occurs in the month of June in the eastern region and mid- July in the western arid regions, the Post-monsoon that commences from mid-September and continues till November and the Winter that extends from December to March, January being the coldest month of the year. The average temperature in winter ranges from 8° to 28° C (46° to 82° F) and in summer the average temperature range from 25° to 46° C (77° to 115° F).
