<P> The Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, is a large arid region in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent that covers an area of 200,000 km (77,000 sq mi) and forms a natural boundary between India and Pakistan . It is the world's 18th largest desert, and the world's 9th largest subtropical desert . </P> <P> About 75% of the Thar Desert is located within India, with the remaining 25% in Pakistan . In India, it covers about 150,000 km (58,000 sq mi), and the remaining 50,000 km (19,000 sq mi) of the desert is within Pakistan . The Thar desert forms approximately 5% of the total geographic area of India . More than 60% of the desert lies in the state of Rajasthan, and extends into Gujarat, Punjab, and Haryana . The desert comprises a very dry part, the Marusthali region in the west, and a semidesert region in the east with fewer sand dunes and slightly more precipitation . </P> <P> The Thar Desert extends between the Aravalli Hills in the north - east, the Great Rann of Kutch along the coast and the alluvial plains of the Indus River in the west and north - west . Most of the desert is covered by huge shifting sand dunes that receive sediments from the alluvial plains and the coast . The sand is highly mobile due to strong winds occurring before the onset of the monsoon . The Luni River is the only river integrated into the desert . Rainfall is limited to 100--500 mm (3.9--19.7 in) per year, mostly falling from July to September . </P> <P> Salt water lakes within the Thar Desert include the Sambhar, Kuchaman, Didwana in Rajasthan and Kharaghoda in Gujarat . These lakes receive and collect rain water during monsoon and evaporate during the dry season . The salt is derived by the weathering of rocks in the region . </P>

What is the climate like in the thar desert
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