The
main geographic features of Rajasthan are the Thar Desert and the Aravalli
Range, which runs through the state from southwest to northeast,
almost from one end to the other, for more than 850 km. Mount Abu is at
the southwestern end of the range, separated from the main ranges by the West Banas
River, although a series of broken ridges continues into Haryana in
the direction of Delhi where it can be seen as outcrops in the form of the Raisina Hill
and the ridges farther north. About three-fifths of Rajasthan lies northwest of
the Aravallis, leaving two-fifths on the east and south. The
northwestern portion of Rajasthan is generally sandy and dry. Most of the
region is covered by the Thar Desert, which extends into adjoining portions of
Pakistan. The Aravalli Range does not intercept the moisture-giving southwest monsoon
winds off the Arabian Sea,as it lies in a direction parallel to that of the
coming monsoon winds, leaving the northwestern region in a rain shadow. The
Thar Desert is thinly populated; the town of Bikaner is the largest city in the
desert. The Northwestern thorn scrub forests lie in a band around the Thar
Desert, between the desert and the Aravallis. This region receives less than
400 mm of rain in an average year. Summer temperatures can exceed 45 °C in
the summer months and drop below freezing in the winter. The Godwar, Marwar, and Shekhawati
regions lie in the thorn scrub forest zone, along with the city of Jodhpur. The
Luni River and its tributaries are the major river system of Godwar and Marwar
regions, draining the western slopes of the Aravallis and emptying southwest
into the great Rann of Kutch wetland in neighboring Gujarat.
This river is saline in the lower reaches and remains potable only up to
Balotara in Barmer district. The Ghaggar River,
which originates in Haryana, is an intermittent stream that disappears into the
sands of the Thar Desert in the northern corner of the state and is seen as a
remnant of the primitive Saraswati river. The
Aravalli Range and the lands to the east and southeast of the range are
generally more fertile and better watered. This region is home to the Kathiarbar-Gir
dry deciduous forests ecoregion, with tropical dry broadleaf forests that
include teak, Acacia, and other trees. The hilly Vagad region lies in
southernmost Rajasthan, on the border with Gujarat. With the exception of Mount
Abu, Vagad is the wettest region in Rajasthan, and the most heavily forested.
North of Vagad lies the Mewar region, home to the cities of Udaipur and Chittaurgarh.
The Hadoti
region lies to the southeast, on the border with Madhya Pradesh. North of
Hadoti and Mewar is the Dhundhar region, home to the state capital of Jaipur. Mewat, the easternmost
region of Rajasthan, borders Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Eastern and
southeastern Rajasthan is drained by the Banas
and Chambal rivers, tributaries of the Ganges. The Aravali Range runs across the state from the
southwest peak Guru Shikhar (Mount Abu), which is 1,722 m in height, to Khetri in the northeast.
This divides the state into 60% in the northwest of the range and 40% in the
southeast. The northwest tract is sandy and unproductive with little water but
improves gradually from desert land in the far west and northwest to
comparatively fertile and habitable land towards the east. The area includes
the Thar Desert. The south-eastern area, higher in elevation (100 to 350 m
above sea level) and more fertile, has a very diversified topography. in the
south lies the hilly tract of Mewar. In the southeast, a large area within the districts of Kota
and Bundi
forms a tableland. To the northeast of these districts is a rugged region (badlands)
following the line of the Chambal River. Farther north the country levels out;
the flat plains of the northeastern Bharatpur district are part of an alluvial basin.
Major tribe in region Ajmer is Rawat.
