Geography of Rajasthan

What the official syllabus says

RPSC, RAS/RTS Preliminary Examination, General Knowledge and General Science, under “Geography of Rajasthan”:

• Rajasthan: Location, Extent and Physiography
• Rivers and Lakes
• Climatic characteristics
• Natural Vegetation, Biodiversity & Conservation
• Soil
• Agriculture
• Livestock
• Irrigation
• Population-Growth, Density, Literacy, Sex-ratio
• Urbanization
• Tribes
• Minerals-Metallic & Non-Metallic
• Tourism

Topics in detail

Location, extent and physiography

• Location: about 23°3’ N to 30°12’ N and 69°30’ E to 78°17’ E; the Tropic of Cancer passes through the south (Banswara)
• Area: 3,42,239 sq km, the largest state of India (about 10.4% of the country’s area); rhomboid shape
• International border with Pakistan (the Radcliffe line) along the western districts; neighbouring states: Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat
• Administrative units: divisions, districts, tehsils (the district map was redrawn in 2023 and revised in December 2024; learn the current list)
• Physiographic regions: the western sandy plain (Thar), the Aravalli range, the eastern plains (Banas and Chambal basins), the south-eastern plateau (Hadoti)
• Thar: dune types (barchan, longitudinal, parabolic), playa lakes (rann/tal), the Bagar and the Ghaggar plain, the Luni basin
• Aravalli: one of the oldest fold mountains; Guru Shikhar (1,722 m, Mount Abu, the highest point), Ser, Jarga, Achalgarh; passes (nal) such as Desuri; the Aravalli as a climatic and drainage divide
• Plateaus: Abu plateau (Uriya), Bhorat plateau, Mesa plateau (Chittorgarh), Uparmal; the Hadoti plateau

Rivers and lakes

• Drainage into the Bay of Bengal: Chambal (perennial; Gandhi Sagar in Madhya Pradesh, Rana Pratap Sagar, Jawahar Sagar and the Kota barrage; ravines) and its tributaries Banas, Kali Sindh, Parvati, Mej; Banas with Berach and the Triveni at Bigod
• Drainage into the Arabian Sea: Luni (saline below Balotra, ends in the Rann of Kutch), Mahi (enters from Madhya Pradesh, crosses the Tropic of Cancer twice; Mahi Bajaj Sagar), Sabarmati, West Banas
• Inland drainage: Ghaggar (identified with the ancient Saraswati), Kantli, Kakni, Sabi, Rupangarh, Mendha
• Saline lakes: Sambhar (India’s largest inland salt lake), Didwana, Pachpadra, Lunkaransar, Phalodi
• Freshwater lakes: Jaisamand, Rajsamand, Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Udai Sagar, Pushkar, Anasagar, Nakki (Mount Abu), Siliserh, Kaylana, Balsamand, Gadisar
• Wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites): Keoladeo and Sambhar, and the sites added later (for example Menar and Khichan)

Climatic characteristics

• Climatic regions: arid, semi-arid, sub-humid, humid and very humid; Koppen types in Rajasthan
• Seasons: summer (loo and dust storms), south-west monsoon (the Arabian Sea branch runs parallel to the Aravalli; the Bay of Bengal branch brings most rain to the east and south-east), winter (western disturbances and the ‘mavath’ rain useful to rabi crops)
• Rainfall decreases from south-east to north-west; the 50 cm isohyet roughly follows the Aravalli; drought and famine in the west

Natural vegetation, biodiversity and conservation

• Forest types: tropical thorn forest (khejri, babool, rohida, ker), tropical dry deciduous (dhok, salar, teak in the south), sub-tropical evergreen forest (Mount Abu), grasslands (sewan, dhaman)
• State symbols: khejri (tree), rohida (flower), chinkara and camel (animals), Great Indian Bustard or godawan (bird)
• National parks: Ranthambhore, Keoladeo (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Mukundra Hills; Desert National Park (sanctuary) for the Great Indian Bustard
• Tiger reserves: Ranthambhore, Sariska, Mukundra Hills, Ramgarh Vishdhari, Dholpur-Karauli
• Wildlife sanctuaries such as Kumbhalgarh, Sitamata, Mount Abu, National Chambal (gharial), Tal Chhapar (blackbuck), Kailadevi, Phulwari ki Nal; conservation reserves; community traditions (orans, the Bishnois)

Soil

• Soil types: desert sandy soils, red-yellow and red loamy soils, black soils (Hadoti), alluvial soils (east), mixed red-black, saline and alkaline soils, hill soils
• Problems: wind erosion, ravines along the Chambal, salinity and waterlogging in canal areas; remedies (shelterbelts, gypsum, contour bunding)

Agriculture

• Agro-climatic zones of Rajasthan (ten zones) and rainfed farming
• Kharif crops: bajra, jowar, maize (south), moong, moth, guar, groundnut, sesame, cotton
• Rabi crops: wheat, barley, rapeseed-mustard, gram, cumin, coriander, fenugreek, isabgol
• Horticulture and plantation: kinnow (Sri Ganganagar), oranges (Jhalawar), pomegranate, ber, aonla, dates; spices and seed spices
• Crops in which Rajasthan leads the country (for example bajra, guar, rapeseed-mustard and seed spices)

Livestock

• Cattle breeds: Rathi, Tharparkar, Kankrej, Nagauri, Gir, Malvi, Mewati, Haryana; buffalo (Murrah)
• Sheep: Chokla, Marwari, Magra, Jaisalmeri, Pugal, Malpura, Sonadi, Nali; goats: Marwari, Sirohi, Jakhrana, Barbari
• Camel (Bikaneri, Jaisalmeri, Mewari) and the horse (Marwari)
• Institutions: National Research Centre on Camel (Bikaner), Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute (Avikanagar), CAZRI (Jodhpur), the veterinary university at Bikaner; dairy co-operatives (Saras)

Irrigation

• Sources: wells and tube wells (the largest share), canals, tanks
• Projects: Indira Gandhi Canal (from Harike barrage; lift canals), Gang Canal, Bhakra Nangal share, Chambal project (with Madhya Pradesh), Mahi Bajaj Sagar, Bisalpur, Jakham, Jawai, Narmada canal (sprinkler irrigation compulsory), Sidhmukh-Nohar
• Traditional water harvesting: khadin, tanka, nadi, johad, beri, kui
• Micro-irrigation, watershed programmes and groundwater over-exploitation

Population (Census 2011)

• Population: 6,85,48,437 (about 5.7% of India); decadal growth 21.3%
• Density: 200 persons per sq km (highest in Jaipur district, lowest in Jaisalmer)
• Sex ratio: 928; child sex ratio: 888
• Literacy: 66.1% (male 79.2%, female 52.1%); district differences
• Scheduled Castes 17.8% and Scheduled Tribes 13.5% of the population

Urbanisation

• Urban population 24.9% (Census 2011); large cities: Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Bikaner, Ajmer, Udaipur
• Urban issues: water supply, housing, slums, transport; urban missions (Smart Cities, AMRUT) and development authorities

Tribes

• Meena (the largest tribe), Bhil (Banswara, Dungarpur, Udaipur), Garasia (Sirohi, Udaipur), Sahariya (Baran; the state’s particularly vulnerable tribal group), Damor (Dungarpur), Kathodi; nomadic and denotified communities such as the Kanjar and Sansi
• Settlement, economy, social organisation and festivals of the main tribes
• Scheduled Areas under the Fifth Schedule (southern Rajasthan) and tribal development programmes

Minerals

• Metallic: lead-zinc (Zawar, Rampura Agucha, Rajpura-Dariba), copper (Khetri, Kho-Dariba), tungsten (Degana), iron ore, manganese, gold (Banswara), silver (with zinc)
• Non-metallic: rock phosphate (Jhamarkotra), gypsum, wollastonite, marble (Makrana), sandstone (Dholpur, Karauli), Kota stone, granite (Jalore), limestone, mica, feldspar, soapstone, garnet, emerald, ball clay
• Energy minerals: lignite (Palana, Barsingsar, Giral, Kapurdi), petroleum and gas (Barmer-Sanchore and Jaisalmer basins)
• Rajasthan as a mineral-rich state; minerals in which it is the leading or sole producer

Tourism

• Tourist circuits: Golden Triangle (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur), desert circuit (Jodhpur-Jaisalmer-Bikaner), Mewar, Hadoti, Shekhawati, Vagad, Braj-Mewat
• World Heritage Sites in Rajasthan: Keoladeo National Park (1985), Jantar Mantar, Jaipur (2010), the Hill Forts of Rajasthan (2013), Jaipur City (2019)
• Heritage hotels, luxury trains (Palace on Wheels), rural and eco-tourism, fairs and festivals; the state’s tourism policy and the role of RTDC

Overlaps

Mains Paper II (Unit III, Part C) covers the same topics with UNESCO geoparks and geo-heritage added. Agriculture and livestock link to Science and Technology (with special reference to Rajasthan) and to Economy of Rajasthan.