ARAVALI RANGE

also called Aravalli Range, hill system of northern India, running northeasterly for 350 miles (560 km) through Rajasthan state. Isolated rocky offshoots continue to just south of Delhi. The series of peaks and ridges, with breadths varying from 6 to 60 miles (10 to 100 km) are generally between 1,000 and 3,000 feet (300 and 900 m) in elevation. The system is divided into two sectionsthe Sambhar-Sirohi ranges, taller and including Guru Peak on Mount Abu, the highest peak in the Aravali Range (5,650 feet) ), and the Sambhar-Khetri ranges, consisting of three ridges that are discontinuous. The Aravali Range is rich in natural resources (including minerals) and serves as a check to the growth of the western desert. It gives rise to several rivers, including the Banas, Luni, Sakhi, and Sabarmati. Though heavily forested in the south, it is generally bare and thinly populated, consisting of large areas of sand and stone and of masses of rose-coloured quartzite.