Tourism

List of 5 Famous Deserts of Pakistan

deserts of Pakistan

Pakistan – a land of magnificent mountain ranges, stunning tourist points, home to glittering sea coasts and the world’s most fascinating deserts!

Tourists find Pakistan a fantastic country with different colors and versatile tourist points. Due to its immense beauty, the country was named the ‘world’s top tourist destination in 2023’. Northern areas of Pakistan are no less than a heaven on Earth.

Every region of Pakistan encompasses different features that make it unique and beautiful. The deserts of Pakistan are among those stunning places. Pakistan has around 10% of barren land, known as deserts, and every desert is known for its unique features.

In this blog, realtorspk.com has gathered a list of deserts in Pakistan known for their unique features that differentiate them from one another. We will also explore some interesting facts about these stunning barren lands of Pakistan.

How many deserts are there in Pakistan?

The majority of us have been to famous hill stations in Pakistan and have a plethora of information about them. But have you ever wondered how many deserts there are in Pakistan? Or how many noteworthy barren lands are in our country? Pakistan consists of 5 major deserts in the region.

List of 5 Famous Deserts of Pakistan:

  1. Thar Desert – Biggest Desert of Pakistan
  2. Cholistan – Rohi Desert
  3. Thal Desert
  4. Kharan Desert – Sandy Desert
  5. Katpana Desert – Cold Desert

So let’s have a look:

1. Thar Desert – Biggest Desert of Pakistan:

Deserts of Pakistan

At the top of our list of deserts of Pakistan is Thar. It is the biggest desert of Pakistan. It is also known as the Great Indian Desert and is one of the largest deserts on Earth. The biggest desert of Pakistan covers an area of 175,000 square kilometers and spans over India and Pakistan. It is the only subtropical desert in Asia. 85% of the desert area is in India, and the rest is in Pakistan.

Habitats of Tharparkar

Tharparkar has one of the most unique habitats in Pakistan. It has beautiful granite mountains, arid wetlands  and desert plains.  Many incredible features make it this biggest desert of Pakistan unique.

More than 30 million people inhabit Thar, making it one of the most populated deserts. The barren lands are known for their harsh climate and surviving elements. Still, with such many inhabitants, the desert is easily accessible and also known as the friendly desert of Pakistan.

There are saltwater lakes in Thar desert. In 2020, a small dam in Nagarparkar was inaugurated. The dam was considered as an important addition to the dams in Pakistan.

Vegetation of Thar

The vegetative propagation of Tharparkar includes

  • Herbaceous and stunted scrub
  • drought-resistant trees
  • gum arabic acacia
  • euphorbia
  • Khajri tree

Weather of Tharparkar

The summer days in the Thar are pretty hot whereas the nights are cool. The hottest months in the desert are June and July.The winter days in the desert are quite warm and its cold at the night.  January and December are the coolest months in the desert. In summers, the rivers dry up due to excessive heat and little to no rain.

Major occupation of Thar desert

The land’s inhabitants are practitioners of Islam and Hinduism, which offers the area a diverse, colorful culture, and many colorful events are celebrated throughout the year. Primarily, Thar is based on nomads, and the primary source of livelihood is animal farming and agriculture.

2. Cholistan – Rohi Desert:

Deserts of Pakistan

The Cholistan is one of the prominent names of deserts in Pakistan. The magnificent desert, also known as the Rohi desert, is located in the vicinity of Bahawalpur, one of the most famous cities in Punjab, Pakistan. Cholistan is a popular tourist destination since it has several heritage sites. These sites are included in the most-visited historical places in Pakistan.

Cholistan desert temperature

The climate of Cholistan is arid and semi-arid Tropical, with very low humidity. The mean temperature in Cholistan is 28.33 °C (82.99 °F), with the hottest month being July with a mean temperature of 38.5 °C (101.3 °F).

It is one of the stunning deserts of Pakistan, which is spread over 16,000 square kilometers of area. The land is inhabited by semi-nomadic people who constantly move from one place to another for shelter, food, and livelihood.

Major occupation of Cholistan desert

The barren land is known as one of the main deserts of Pakistan for its numerous incredible features. Cholistan is known for products like hand-woven rugs, blankets, and different traditional jewelry items made with silver and gold. Among other things that make it one of the main deserts of Pakistan are Cholistani Khusas (flat shoes) and the cottage industry, which serve as the economic hub in the region.

The other primary source of earnings in the Cholistan desert of Pakistan is from livestock, as they breed animals and sell milk, meat, and wool for earnings.

Habitat of Cholistan desert

The Cholistan is home to rare wildlife species like Red Fox, Caracal cat, Nilgai antelope, Black vulture, Black beak, Saker Falcon, Indian mongoose, Chinkara gazelle, etc.The Derawar fort gives the Cholistan historical significance. The fort is centuries old and spread over 130 km south of Bahawalpur. The fort is enlisted in monuments of Pakistan. The desert is also home to Dodhla Forest, Pakistan’s well-protected rainforest. The desert is home to lush green vegetation of some of the rarest plant species in the country, and it adds to its unique features.

Vegetation of Cholistan

There are trees, shrubs and grasses, including

  • Jand
  • Mallah
  • Phol
  • Khar
  • Mallai
  • Khabbar

3. Thal Desert:

Deserts of pakistan

Thal is the third prominent and largest desert in Pakistan. It is between river Sindh and Jhelum in Punjab, Pothohar plateau of Pakistan. The sandy land covers almost 20,000 square km of area. The desert is spread over 305 km, and its width stretches from 32 Km to 112km. Almost fifty to sixty percent of the desert is covered in dunes.

The stunning desert covers many districts of Punjab from the left bank of Jhelum, including Bhakkar, Mianwali, Khushab, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, and Jhang. Vegetation is challenging in the desert due to its harsh weather, but it is not a wasteland. From Feb to March, the locals cultivate green chickpeas (ہرے چھولے) for living which are pretty famous food item in many parts of Sindh and Punjab.

One of the highlighted features of the desert is Thal Canal. The water from Canal is used for irrigation and feeding the livestock. Once the harvest season is over, the desert returns to its naked emptiness, and the Canal water is the only source for everyday tasks. Wind Cyclones are also one common occurrence in the Thal Desert.

The temperature in Thal can go as high as 44o C as low as 0º C, whereas June is the hottest month of the year. The region is known for various languages; for instance, Urdu, Saraiki, and Thalochi are popularly spoken in the area.

4. Kharan Desert – Sandy Desert:

Deserts of Pakistan

Thal is the third most prominent and largest desert in Pakistan. It is between river Sindh and Jhelum in Punjab, Pothohar plateau of Pakistan. The sandy land covers almost 20,000 square km of area. The desert is spread over 305 km, and its width stretches from 32 Km to 112km. Almost fifty to sixty percent of the desert is covered in dunes.

Habitat of Thal Desert

The region is characterized by sand dunes, prone to massive shifting and rolling, as well as scanty rainfall, high diurnal variation of temperature and high wind velocity. Aridity is a common feature.

The stunning desert covers many districts of Punjab from the left bank of Jhelum, including Bhakkar, Mianwali, Khushab, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, and Jhang. Vegetation is challenging in the desert due to harsh weather, but it is not a wasteland. From Feb to March, the locals cultivate green chickpeas (ہرے چھولے) for living, which is a pretty famous food item in two highly populated Provinces of Pakistan, i.e., Sindh and Punjab. The region is known for various languages; Urdu, Saraiki, and Thalochi are popularly spoken.

Thal Desert weather

Wind Cyclones are also one common occurrence in the Thal Desert. The temperature in Thal can go as high as 44o C or as low as 0º C, whereas June is the hottest month of the year.

Major occupation of Thal desert

Agriculture and livestock form the primary sources of livelihood with gram flour being the main cash crop. Milk production is also a major source of income and for this reason, cows and buffaloes are raised more frequently than camels or goats.

Thal desert vegetation

  • Grasses and sedges
  • Thorny and prickly shrubs
  • Perennial herbs
  • Different crops like gram

One of the highlighted features of the desert is the Thal Canal. The water from the Canal is used for irrigation and feeding the livestock. Once the harvest season is over, the desert returns to its naked emptiness and the Canal water is the only source for everyday tasks. Another salient feature is the beautiful Chashma Lake. This lake is one of the famous man-made lakes in Pakistan.

5. Katpana Desert – Cold Desert:

Deserts of Pakistan

Pakistan is full of marvels, and the Katpana desert is one of the most marvelous deserts in Pakistan. Katpana is also known as the Cold Desert of the country because of its high altitude.

Katpana desert habitats

This beautiful desert is surrounded by the Karakoram and Himalayan mountain ranges in Pakistan. Cold Desert is in the renowned tourist point Skardu, northern Gilgit Baluchistan. The desert is full of surprises, comprising sand’s giant dunes covered in winter snow.

Katpana desert temperature

You will find that the Cold Desert is a kind of desert on the Pakistan map. It is located at 7,303 feet (2,226 meters) above sea level. It is one of the highest deserts in Pakistan. The desert area is between Skardu and Shigar Valley, easily accessible from the airport.

The temperature in the area ranges from 81º F (27º C) to 46 F (8º C) In October. However, the temperature falls to 1 o C (17º C) in December and January, and occasionally it falls as low as -13º F (25º C).

Major Occupation of Katpana desert

A vast land covered in white snow in line of sight makes it an appealing tourist point. Therefore, the primary way of earning in the area is tourism.

Katpana desert vegetation

The vegetation in the Katpana desert include

  • Algae
  • Grasses
  • Plants with spiny thin leaves.

FAQs

Which is the largest and coldest desert in Pakistan?

Katpana Desert is the cold desert of Pakistan.

Which desert is famous for the Jeep rally?

Cholistan desert is famous for the Jeep Rally. Moreover, other sports like camel race in Pakistan are also organized in this desert.

What are people in the desert called?

They are called Bedouin. The word stems from the Arabic word badawī, meaning “desert dweller”.

Let’s wrap:

So that’s all for now! We hope you have enjoyed reading the most exciting facts main deserts of Pakistan. Stay tuned to the realtorspk.com blog page and keep reading more fun and exciting and fun facts about Pakistan.

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