A. 5
B. 7
C. 8
D. 10
Submitted by: Mehran Ali
Pakistan hosts five major deserts which were historic forests. These include Thar desert(sindh), Kharan desert (Balochistan), Katpana desert (Sakardu) and Thal (Bkhar district of Punjab) & Cholistan (Bahalpur, Punjab.
Thar desert (Sindh)
The Thar Desert spans an area of 175,000 square kilometers and covers large areas of Pakistan and India. It is the largest desert of Pakistan and the only subtropical desert of Asia. It is the seventh largest desert on the planet and the third largest in Asia. It has also spread into 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. 85% of the Thar Desert is in India, and the remaining 15% is in Pakistan. In India, it covers 320,000 km2 (120,000 sq mi), of which 90% is in Rajasthan and extends into Gujarat, Punjab, and Haryana. In Pakistan, it spreads over Punjab and Sindh starting from the Tharparkar District in the east. This desert consists of a very dry part, the Marusthali region, in the west, and a semi-desert region in the east with fewer sand dunes and slightly more precipitation.
Kharan desert (Balochistan)
The Kharan Desert is located in Northwest Balochistan. It makes a nature boundary between Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. It is located in Kharan District. The Kharan Desert is a sandiest desert in Pakistan. It is distinct from the rest of the province’s landscape due to its sandy nature and more even ter. 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 20,0000 square km.
Katpana desert (Sakardu)
The Cold Desert, also known as the Katpana Desert or Biama Nakpo, is a high-altitude desert located near Skardu, in Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan region. The desert contains expanses of large sand dunes that are sometimes covered in snow during winter.
Thal (Bkhar district of Punjab)
The Thal Desert is located in Bhakkar District 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 Jhelum and Chenab rivers and to the west the Indus river.
Cholistan (Bahalpur, Punjab.
Cholistan Desert is locally known as “Rohi ‘and covers the area of Bahawalpur, Punjab. It adjoins the Thar Desert, extending over to Sindh and into India. Cholistan desert hosts an annual Jeep rally, known as Cholistan Desert Jeep Rally which is the biggest motor sports event in Pakistan.
