RAS question
Thar Desert is classified as:
Correct answer: (B) Hot subtropical desert.
The Thar Desert is classified as a hot subtropical desert.
Explanation
The Thar, or Great Indian Desert, is classified as a hot subtropical desert because its climate is shaped by persistent high pressure and subsidence at that latitude. Britannica notes that the southwest monsoon winds, which bring rain to much of the Indian subcontinent in summer, tend to bypass the Thar to the east. That explains why the region remains arid despite lying within the wider monsoon zone. The Thar is also the world's 17th largest desert and the most densely populated desert in the world, but its classification rests on its hot, subtropical desert climate rather than its size or population density.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) A coastal desert is ruled out because the Thar is not classified by a coastal setting; its classification is hot subtropical desert.
- (C) A polar desert is ruled out because the Thar is not in a polar environment and has a hot subtropical desert climate.
- (D) A cold desert is ruled out because Ladakh-type cold deserts differ from the Thar, whose classification is hot subtropical.
Concept
Rajasthan's physical regions are classified through climate, especially how aridity and monsoon behaviour define the Thar. RAS geography frequently connects desert type with climate and regional physiography.