Atacama Desert @ National Geographic Magazine By Priit J. Vesilind Photographs by Joel Sartore Parts of Chile's Atacama Desert haven't seen a drop of rain since recordkeeping began. Somehow, more than a million people squeeze life from this parched land. Get a taste of what awaits you in print from this compelling excerpt. Stretching 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) from Peru's southern border into northern Chile, the Atacama Desert rises from a thin coastal shelf to the pampasvirtually lifeless plains that dip down to river gorges layered with mineral sediments from the Andes. The pampas bevel up to the altiplano, the foothills of the Andes, where alluvial salt pans give way to lofty white-capped volcanoes that march along the continental divide, reaching 20,000 feet (6,000 meters). At its center, a place climatologists call absolute desert, the Atacama is known as the driest place on Earth. There are sterile, intimidating stretches where rain has never been recorded, at least as long as humans have measured it.

You won't see a blade of grass or cactus stump, not a lizard, not a gnat. But you will see the remains of most everything left behind. The desert may be a heartless killer, but it's a sympathetic conservator. Without moisture, nothing rots. Everything turns into artifacts. Even little children. It is a shock then to learn that more than a million people live in the Atacama today. They crowd into coastal cities, mining compounds, fishing villages, and oasis towns. International teams of astronomersperched in observatories on the Atacama's coastal rangeprobe the cosmos through perfectly clear skies. Determined farmers in the far north grow olives, tomatoes, and cucumbers with drip-irrigation systems, culling scarce water from aquifers. In the altiplano, the descendants of the region's pre-Columbian natives (mostly Aymara and Atacama Indians) herd llamas and alpacas and grow crops with water from snowmelt streams. Get the whole story in the pages of National Geographic magazine. Rescued from the cutting room floor is this month's Final Edit, an image of a baby viscacha stretching from tail to toes.

In More to Explore the National Geographic magazine team shares some of its best sources and other information. Special thanks to the Research Division. Along much of the coast of northern Chile, rainfall is so scarce that remote communities long had to import water by truckan expensive and inefficient processin order to survive. Finally, however, some coastal residents discovered how to make use of the one form of precipitation they get plenty of: fog. Although rain rarely falls on the Atacama's coastline, a dense fog known as camanchaca is abundant. The fog nourishes plant communities called lomas, isolated islands of vegetation that can contain a wide variety of species, from cactuses to ferns. In the village of Chungungo, human residents now take advantage of the same camanchaca that their botanical neighbors have so successfully exploited. Thanks to Canada's International Development Research Centre and the Canadian Embassy in Santiago, a decade ago the villagers began to gather water using an ingenious system of nets that catch the fog as it rolls over the mountains above their homes. Constructed from a very fine mesh, the nets hang vertically above a series of troughs.

As the fog condenses on the nets' surfaces, moisture drips into troughs; pipes then carry the water down to the village. Residents of Chungungo can now take pride in their gardens; they can shower daily. The fog-catchers supply the village with an average of 2,600 gallons (10,000 liters) of water every day. The success of the Chilean fog-catchers has inspired people in countries such as Peru, Ecuador, South Africa, and Namibia to develop similar systems for their arid-land homes. For more information on the innovative art of fog-catching, go to . Robin A. Palmer In April 2003 an international team of scientistsmostly from NASA and Carnegie Mellon Universitytraveled to the Atacama Desert to begin field research for a new rover vehicle that will eventually search for signs of life on other planets. Read day-by-day accounts of the expedition and learn more about the emerging science of astrobiology.

Tourism Promotion Corporation of Chile: Atacama and Altiplano Driest Desert | Atacama Desert, Chile Driest Place: Atacama Desert, Chile Even the Driest Place on Earth has Water These incredibly dry mountains see an average of less than .004 inches/.01cm of rain per year. Many times this area will go without rainfall at all for years. Some places in the Atacama Desert have not had rainfall for over 400 years. The Atacama desert is found along the coast of Chile, South America - right next to the Pacific Ocean - the biggest body of water in the world. Much of the desert extends up into the Andes mountains and is very high in elevation. Unlike more familiar deserts, like the Sahara desert in Africa and the Mojave in California, the Atacama is actually a pretty cold place, with average daily temperatures ranging between 0°C and 25°C. The annual rainfall (or lack of it) defines a desert, but that doesn't mean that it never rains in Atacama.

Every so often a warming effect over the Pacific Ocean around the equator changes the weather the world over and even places like the driest desert in the world can become doused with drenching storms. Even though Atacama gets almost no rainfall, there is water in this arid place and you'll find it in the following places: Salt Lakes During years of heavy rainfall in the distant past, enough water accumulated in basins found throughout the Andes to create lakes. Some of the lakes got their water from melting glaciers at the end of the last ice age. But in some lakes in the Andes mountains, such as Atacama, more water is lost through evaporation than is replaced by rainfall so the lakes are drying up. As the water evaporates, the mineral salts in the water become more concentrated, creating very salty water. Snow In the higher elevations when precipitation comes to Atacama snow falls instead of rain. There are small patches of unmelted snow in the mountain tops where in never gets warm enough to melt the snow. Underground Anywhere you go in the world, regardless of how much or little it rains, there is always water underground.

After it rains, some of the rainwater evaporates back into the air, but much of it trickles down into the ground and stays there - even in the desert. How much water and where depends on a number of things; soil composition, air and soil surface temperature, amount and frequency of rainfall/precipitation, and drainage. Since the Andes is a volcanically active mountain range, the magma beneath the ground will heat the groundwater in certain places causing geysers to erupt. Fog and Dew This mummy of a girl is from the Atacama Desert. Her remains are estimated to be about 800 years old. Find out more about mummies. Most of the precipitation that comes to the Atacama is in the form of fog that blows in the from the Pacific. Fog is essentially very low clouds, consisting of water vapor cooling and beginning to condense. If you've ever been in fog you know that it can leave you a little moist. When the air temperature reaches dew point the water vapor in the air condenses to leave little droplets of water behind. The few things that are able to survive in the Atacama live on the combined moisture from fog and dew. Does Anything Live There?

Many people have the view that deserts are places forsaken by Mother Nature and that no living thing would possibly want to set up camp in a place so dry. Although it is tough to find anything living in the Atacama there are isolated pockets and small patches of plants, which support life for animals and insects. Some plant species have adapted well to this dry environment by developing tap roots that run very deep into the ground gathering water from below. There are flocks of flamingos that live in and around the salt lakes feeding on red algae that grows in the waters. There are even people living in the Atacama. There is a town called Calama in the desert which is complete with motels, restaurants and shops, but it is definitely not the norm. For the most part, Atacama is a pretty lonely place. Humans have lived in the Atacama for many thousands of years, based on the cultural relics and artifacts that archaeologists have found. The South American Indians who have set up housekeeping in the desert over the millennia have left relics from their culture and even themselves. Because the Atacama is so bone-dry the bodies of the buried indians have dried perfectly preserved turning them into mummies.

Some of the oldest mummies found anywhere on earth have come from the Atacama Desert and have been dated to be 9,000 years old! What Causes Deserts? One reason is that the high atmospheric pressure in this region over the Andes can cause dry, cold air from the upper altitudes to compress and come down to earth. This dry air has almost no water vapor so it can be easily heated by the sun, causing high ground temperatures with very low humidity. Another reason that the Atacama doesn't get enough rainfall is because of a phenomenon called rainshadow. The warm, moist tropical air that blows on the tradewinds from the east, which douse the South American rainforest, get hung-up on the east side of the Andes. The mountains are so high in altitude that the air cools, condenses and rains (or snows) on the mountains. As the air descends the other side of the mountain range it warms, holding in its moisture preventing rain from falling on to the ground below. This is one of the reasons why the Amazon basin and river are the largest anywhere in the world.

The mountains that cause the Amazon to be the largest river from collecting all the rainfall are also responsible for preventing the Atacama from ever receiving any rainfall. The driest and one of the wettest places in the world are right next to each other! Get Your Degree! Land of winds: Geography 07 By Edgardo Civallero | Sara Plaza The Chilean Andes Chile stretches over 4,300 kilometres (2,880 mi) north to south and only 445 km (265 mi) at its widest point east to west. This long and narrow country is located in a region of high volcanic and seismic activity known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, which surrounds the majority of the Pacific Ocean Basin. The south-eastern side of this horseshoe is the result of the Nazca plate forced beneath the South American plate. The region is the home of many of the most famous and well known fault zones such as the one off the coast of Chile.

The geologic forces in play helped shape the countryâs topography: east to west, the Andes Cordillera (running north to south and forming a sharp natural border with Argentina), the Intermediate Depression (Central Valley), the Coast Cordillera (a coastal range less formidable than the Andes) and the coastal plains. Spanning half a subcontinent, Chile landscapes features the Atacama Desert, the snow-capped Andes, more than 600 volcanoes, native forests, grazing lands, remote lakes, an intricate labyrinth of channels, fjords, inlets and twisting peninsulas, a multiplicity of islands and the Cape Horn, the southernmost point in the Americas. If something characterizes this slender strip of land between the Andes and the Pacific, it is the impressive diversity of natural beauties. Geographically Chile is usually divided into five regions: the Big/Far North, the Small/Near North, central Chile, the south, and the far south. Chile (geography), in Wikipedia . Geography of Chile, in Wikipedia . The Andes, in Wikipedia . Chilean Central Valley, in Wikipedia . Chilean Coast Range, in Wikipedia .

Chilean Coastal Plains, in Wikipedia [es]. Picture 01 . Chilean Andes from the air. Picture 02 . Santiago de Chile; The Andes in the background. Picture 03 . Chilean vineyards landscape, The Andes in the background. Picture 04 . Chilean Patagonia (Torres del Paine). The Norte Grande (Chilean Big/Far North) extends from the Peruvian border to about 26Âº south latitude (regions of Arica and Parinacota, TarapacÃ¡, and Antofagasta). This part of the country includes a large section of the Andean high plateau (which also comprises northern Argentina and southwest Bolivia ), known as the Puna de Atacama or Atacama Plateau. Within this area there are a number of salt beds (Atacama, Pocitos, Pastos Grandes, Arizaro, Hombre Muerto), volcanoes, snow-capped mountains and alkaline lakes, whose striking colours change according to the level of salt, sediments or algae present. Some of the water from the plateau trickles down the Andes in the form of narrow rivers.

Many of them form oasis before being lost into the desert sands, while few others manage to reach the Pacific after having carved fertile valleys in the desolated plains that lie between the puna and the coastline, including the Pampa del Tamarugal and the Atacama Desert, one of the driest areas in the world. One of those rivers is the Loa River, whose U-shaped course across the desert makes it Chileâs longest river. The highest peaks in this section of the Chilean Andes are volcanoes Llullaillaco (6,739 m), Incahuasi (6,638 m), Antofalla (6,409 m), Socompa (6,050 m), Licancabur (5,916 m) and Vilama (5,653 m.), as well as mountains such as Cerro Diamante (5,857 m), Cerro Zapaleri (5,653 m), and Cerro RincÃ³n (5,594 m). Many of these summits are shared with neighbouring Argentina.

Besides the rich vegetation in the valleys and the fruits and vegetables grown on the irrigated land, subterranean aquifers have permitted the development of forests made up mainly of tamarugos, spiny trees native to the area, queÃ±oas, algarrobos, alpatacos and chaÃ±ares. This arid wilderness is also home to ichos, pajas bravas, tolas and yaretas, as well as cacti. Among the fauna are the Andean camelids (vicuÃ±a, llama, alpaca), deer taruca, chinchilla, condor, parinas or Andean flamingos, puma and cat colocolo. This region was the homeland of the Atacama or Lickan Antay people , and was influenced by Aymara people coming from Bolivia. The geoglyphs discovered at Cerro Pintado, both Quitor and Lasana pukara (fortress), and the mommies found at the top of Llullaillaco mountain are all vestiges of Pre-Hispanic human presence.

At present, the regionâs main economic foundation is its great mineral wealth (copper, silver, gold, iron, lithium, boron, saltpetre, potassium salt and bischofite). Most of the population live in large towns such Arica, Iquique and Antofagasta, while the rest live in small villages scattered throughout the puna. These rural communities have deeply-rotted cultural traditions (such as the use of lichiguayos ). This region is also noted for its National Parks (Lauca, VolcÃ¡n Isluga), National Reserves (Las VicuÃ±as, Salar del Surire, Pampa del Tamarugal, Los Flamencos), and Natural Monuments such as the Nevados de Payachatas (Parinacota and Pomerape volcanoes), the Azapa Valley, the Pica Oasis, the TatÃ­o geysers and the MamiÃ±a hot springs. Norte Grande (Chielan Big/Far North), in Wikipedia . Atacama Desert, in Wikipedia . Desierto del PacÃ­fico, in Wikipedia [es]. Salar de Atacama (saltflat), in Wikipedia .

Puna de Atacama (high plateau), in Wikipedia . Incahuasi (volcano), in Wikipedia . Picture 10 . Laguna Roja (Red Lagoon), northern Chile. Picture 11 . Church of Socoroma, north of Chile. Picture 12 . Tamarugos (flowering tree) in Pampa del Tamarugal. The Norte Chico (Chilean Small/Near North) extends from the CopiapÃ³ to the Aconcagua River, about 32Âº south latitude, just north of Santiago (regions of Atacama and Coquimbo). It is a transition zone between the arid north and the fertile Central Valley. In this part of the country, the Andes become a single large mass consisting of a succession of mountains such as the Nevado Ojos del Salado (the highest volcano in the world, 6,893 m) and the Cerro Mercedario (6,770 m). Though rivers are scarce and their flow varies with the seasons, their deep transverse valleys provide broad areas for cattle raising and fruit growing. Important rivers are the Elqui, the LimarÃ­ and the Choapa.

The higher elevations are covered with shrubs and cacti of various kinds. Tamarugos, alpatacos and algarrobos trees complete the picture. The Norte Chico was inhabited by the extinct Diaguita , whose area of influence included part of north-western Argentina. Today, this area is home to a unique musical expression in Latin America: the âbailes de chinosâ, groups of dancers who dance and blow huge whistles in honour of their patron saints. As in the Norte Grande, several minerals are extracted from this ground including iron, manganese and copper. Within this region there are important towns such as Coquimbo, La Serena and CopiapÃ³. Finally, among its touristic attractions we find several National Parks (Pan de AzÃºcar, Llanos de Challe, Nevado Tres Cruces, Fray Jorge), National Reserves and Natural Monuments (PingÃ¼ino de Humboldt, Pichasca), as well as numerous beaches and resorts. Norte Chico (Chilean Small/Near North), in Wikipedia . Ojos del Salado (volcano), in Wikipedia . Cerro Mercedario (mountain), in Wikipedia .

Elqui River, in Wikipedia . Map of the Chilean Small/Near, in GoChile [es]. Picture 13 . Valley of the Elqui River. Picture 15 . Cerro Mercedario. Central Chile (regions of ValparaÃ­so, OâHiggins and Maule) extends from about 32Â° to 37Â° south latitude, including the three largest metropolitan areas (Santiago, ValparaÃ­so and ConcepciÃ³n). Other major cities are ViÃ±a del Mar, Los Andes and Talca. The region encompasses a coastal range of mountains running parallel to the Andes and the so-called Central Valley, which lies between the two mountain ranges containing some of the richest agricultural land in the country, especially in its northern portion. Between the coastal mountains and the ocean, there are large stretches of flat land that are lower than the Central Valley, where the longest beaches can be found. The southern portion of central Chile was originally covered with old-growth forests, which were cleared for agriculture. However, many of these agricultural lands were soon exhausted and have been reforested for the lumber.

Some of the highest summits in this part of the country are the Aconcagua (6,962 m, the highest mountain in the Americas), Cerro Tupungato (6,570 m) and Cerro Juncal (6,110 m). Other natural beauties worth to mention are the rivers Maule and Aconcagua, Chileâs vineyards flowering in the warm, fertile valleys, La Campana National Park and Altos de Lircay and Laguna Torca National Reserves. Chilean central zone, in Wikipedia [es]. Picture 18 . Santiago de Chile. The territory known as AraucanÃ­a (regions of BÃ­o BÃ­o and La AraucanÃ­a) lies within Southern Chile, which also comprises the regions of Los RÃ­os and Los Lagos and stretches from below the BÃ­o-BÃ­o River to Chacao channel at about 42Â° south latitude. This is the countryâs most lacustrine area.

There are hundreds of rivers (Itata, BÃ­o BÃ­o, ToltÃ©n, Valdivia, San Pedro, Cruces, Bueno and famous Calle-Calle) that descend from the Andes forming waterfalls and beautiful lakes (Villarrica, Caburga, Budi, Colico, Panguipulli, CalafquÃ©n, Ranco, RiÃ±ihue, Llanquihue, Puyehue and Rupanco) framed by snow-covered summits. Since the south is also one of the rainiest areas in the world the vegetation is a lush green, including many ferns in the shady areas, pretty wild flowers and secular forests of larches and araucarias (also known as pehuenes). While the pastures are well suited for raising cattle, the abundant supply of clear running water allows the farming of various species of trout and salmon. In addition, all kinds of berries are grown in the area and the lumber industry is also important.

The AraucanÃ­a is home to the Mapuche , a native people who has courageously resisted the colonizersâ efforts to subjugate, dominate and conquer them, and today continue to the fight against government oppression and corporative greed. To the south lies the homeland of the Huilliches, the southern branch of the Mapuche ethnic group. Zona Sur (Chilean southern zone), in Wikipedia . AraucanÃ­a region, in Wikipedia . AraucanÃ­a (historic region), in Wikipedia . Los RÃ­os region, in Wikipedia . Los Lagos region, in Wikipedia . Itata River, in Wikipedia . BÃ­o BÃ­o River, in Wikipedia . ToltÃ©n River, in Wikipedia . Valdivia River, in Wikipedia . San Pedro River (Chile), in Wikipedia . Cruces River, in Wikipedia . Picture 26 . Llanquihue Lake. In southern Chile the Andes begin to lose altitude.

Volcanoes in this section of the mountain range include ChillÃ¡n (3,212 m), Callaqui (3,164 m), Llaima (3,125, last erupted in 2008.), Antuco (2,979 m), Copahue (2,965 m), Villarrica (2,814 m), Osorno (2,652 m, one of the most active), Puntiagudo (2,498 m), Mocho-Coshuenco (2,422 m), Michinmahuida (2,404 m), Corcovado (2,300 m) and Calbuco (2,.003 m). Off the coast, the last important elevation of the Coast Cordillera is the ChiloÃ© Island. It is separated from the Chilean mainland by the narrow Chacao Strait to the north and by the Gulf of Ancud and the Gulf of Corcovado to the east.

The Pacific Ocean lies to the west, the Sea of ChiloÃ© lies to the east hosting most of the other islands in the archipelago, and the Chonos Archipelago lies to the south. The most important towns in southern Chile are Temuco, Talcahuano, Los Ãngeles, Valdivia, Osorno, Puerto Montt, and Castro, ChiloÃ©âs capital. Since tourism is such a significant part of this regionâs economy, besides the natural wonders mentioned above we may also highlight ChillÃ¡n thermal baths, Saltos del Laja waterfalls, Huife thermal baths, and Laguna del Laja, Nahuelbuta, ConguillÃ­o, Tolhuaca, Huerquehue, and Villarrica National Parks. In addition, southern Chile is famous for its numerous ski resorts. ChiloÃ© Archipielago, in Wikipedia . ChillÃ¡n (volcano), in Wikipedia [es]. Antuco (volcano), in Wikipedia . Picture 30 .

Osorno volcano The Chilean part of the Patagonia embraces the far south regions of AysÃ©n and Magallanes, which extend from between 42Â° south latitude to Cape Horn. The Andes meet the Pacific Ocean under the watchful eyes of thousands of islands and narrow channels off the coastline, which is dotted with tiny inlets and spectacular fjords. The most important summits are the Cerro San ValentÃ­n (3,910 m), San Lorenzo (3,707 m), Fitz Roy or ChaltÃ©n (3,406 m) and famous Torres del Paine (3,050 m). The scenery is stunning with breathtaking views all around. There are several National Parks worth a visit (Queulat, RÃ­o Simpson, Laguna San Rafael, OâHiggins, Torres del Paine, Magallanes), magnificent lakes of glacial origin (General Carrera), gleaming white snowfields and challenging ice fields. In the far south there are vast stretches of pastures used for raising sheep. Besides lumbering and fishing, oil and gas extraction from the areas around the Strait of Magellan is the other main economic activity.

Coyhaique, Puerto AysÃ©n, Puerto EdÃ©n and Punta Arenas are some of the few towns scattered in the area. The western part of the Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego belongs to Chile. Its highest point is Mount Darwin (2,488 m) in the Cordillera Darwin, located entirely within the Chilean territory. Also in the Chilean portion of the island rises Mount Sarmiento (2,404 m), within Alberto de Agostini National Park. Another natural wonder is the Fagnano Lake (also called Khami Lake), which is shared by Chile and Argentina. The vegetation is dominated by the Magellanic subpolar forests containing tree species such as cinnamon, notro (Embothrium coccineum), Ã±ire (Nothofagus antarctica), lenga (Nothofagus pumilio) and coigÃ¼e (Nothofagus dombeyi), and an evergreen shrub known as calafate (Berberis microphylla).

The southernmost part of Chile was home to the QawÃ¡sqar or Alacalufes (whose mestizo descendants still live there today), the YÃ¡mana or YagÃ¡n and the Selkânam or Onas (both extinct). Groups of Tehuelche people from neighbouring Argentinean Patagonia also inhabited this region, and they were the ones who included the Cerro ChaltÃ©n (or Fitz Roy) in their legends as a sacred mountain. Monte San ValentÃ­n (mountain), in Wikipedia . Monte San Lorenzo (mountain), in Wikipedia . Monte Fitz Roy (mountain), in Wikipedia . Lake General Carrera/Buenos Aires, in Wikipedia . Cordillera del Paine, in Wikipedia . Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, in Wikipedia . Mount Darwin (Andes), in Wikipedia . Cami Lake (also called Fagnano Lake), in Wikipedia . Map of the Chilean northern Patagonia, in GoChile [es]. Map of the Chilean southern Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, in GoChile [es].

THE ATACAMA DESERT OF CHILE EXPLORING THE ATACAMA The Atacama Desert of Chile is a sparsely populated virtually rainless plateau, running from the Pacific Ocean to the Andes Mountains. The average width is less than 100 miles but it extends 600 miles south from the Peruvian border. The mountains nearest the ocean are the Pacific coastal range, with an average elevation of 2500 feet. The Cordillera Domeyko, a range of foothills of the Andes Mountains, lies east. The Atacama is made up of salt basins (salars) sand and lava flows. The landscape is so desolate it is sometimes described as "moon like". In fact the Atacama has been chosen as a good site to test the prototype of a future lunar rover. WHAT DO THE PICTURES SHOW ? Earth images taken from space show information about a vast array of natural and human features. A good interpreter can tell much about the climate, ecology, economy and geology of an area. Below you will see a composite of the GeoCam photographic series. Five areas are marked as examples of five of the many different types of information available.

Go to the area that interests you the most or visit them all in order. Save the mystery for last and you can try your hand as a photo interpreter. Nature photos of Atacama desert landscapes Chile Keywords Atacama, Chile, desert, river, Rio, Loa, Calama, arid, green, contrast, valley, canyon, water, landscape, nobody, nature, grass, plants, vegetation Tres Marias, salt pillars in Valle de la Luna Keywords Chile, atacama, desert, San Pedro, tourist, attraction, Valle de la Luna, Tres Marias, pillars, moon, valley, dry, desolate, landscape, scenery, mountain, arid, hyperarid, hostile, salt, sal, cordillera, erosion, geology, cliff, nobody, sculpture By-line Tres Marias, salt pillars in Valle de la Luna Credit National Geographic Magazine - NGM.com By Priit J. Vesilind Photographs by Joel Sartore Dust flies as shepherds herd goats above an irrigated valley near the Atacama Desert, a 600-mile (1,000-kilometer) stretch of northern Chile squeezed between the Pacific and the Andes.

Irrigation soaks up about 15 percent of available water in the Atacama, known as the driest place on Earth. In some spots, rainfall has never been recorded. The child sits upright, knees bent, wearing woolen garments and a black, four-pointed, finely woven hat topped with a small feather. Alongside lie a basket of small corncobs, a knotted string bag, and a grub hoe carved from a llama jawbone. Brown braided hair peeks out from behind a metal mask that was meant to ward off evil spirits in the afterlife. Before archaeologists discovered this tiny corpse in 1985, the Atacama Desert sun had baked its exposed tomb for more than 500 years. The mummy—one of several hundred that have been discovered along the Chilean coast—is part of a culture squeezed between the Pacific and the Andes that once scratched out life in a land where life simply shouldn't exist.

Stretching 600 miles (966 kilometers) from Peru's southern border into northern Chile, the Atacama Desert rises from a thin coastal shelf to the pampas—virtually lifeless plains that dip down to river gorges layered with mineral sediments from the Andes. The pampas bevel up to the altiplano, the foothills of the Andes, where alluvial salt pans give way to lofty white-capped volcanoes that march along the continental divide, reaching 20,000 feet (6,096 meters). At its center, a place climatologists call absolute desert, the Atacama is known as the driest place on Earth. There are sterile, intimidating stretches where rain has never been recorded, at least as long as humans have measured it. You won't see a blade of grass or cactus stump, not a lizard, not a gnat. But you will see the remains of most everything left behind. The desert may be a heartless killer, but it's a sympathetic conservator. Without moisture, nothing rots. Everything turns into artifacts. Even little children.

It is a shock then to learn that more than a million people live in the Atacama today. They crowd into coastal cities, mining compounds, fishing villages, and oasis towns. International teams of astronomers—perched in observatories on the Atacama's coastal range—probe the cosmos through perfectly clear skies. Determined farmers in the far north grow olives, tomatoes, and cucumbers with drip-irrigation systems, culling scarce water from aquifers. In the altiplano, the descendants of the region's pre-Columbian natives (mostly Aymara and Atacama Indians) herd llamas and alpacas and grow crops with water from snowmelt streams. To the far south, in the Chilean capital of Santiago, urbanites still consider the desert a wasteland, impervious to environmental damage. Rumors persist that in the mid-1980s the government proposed creating a dumpsite for the world's nuclear wastes in the Atacama, but backtracked to avoid a public relations disaster. "There's a prejudice and lack of knowledge about the desert," complains Patricio Fischer, a biology teacher in Iquique, one of the northern cities.

"People see the Atacama as a blank spot on the map." That blank spot on the map—roughly covering the Chilean regions of El Norte Chico and El Norte Grande, or Little North and Big North—has been the unlikely engine of much of the nation's wealth for the past century, luring legions of ambitious workers to the area during a series of economic booms. Newcomers began to arrive in the late 1800s, when nitrates were first exploited in the Atacama Desert. By the 1930s artificial nitrates had been developed, and the Chilean nitrate industry soon collapsed. Today copper, silver, gold, and iron mining drive the economy. More recently the Atacama has become a popular destination for European ecotourists and Santiago's adventuresome elite, triggering yet another economic rush. In the Atacama's three largest coastal cities—Arica, Iquique, and Antofagasta—there are fancy shopping centers with bowling alleys and movie theaters. A glitzy beach scene materializes every summer in Arica, when hordes of vacationers arrive from landlocked Bolivia.

Many come lugging golf clubs, intent on playing at one of three courses in the Atacama. Entrepreneurs have laid out fairways and greens in the sand: There's no grass, and swaths of blue paint on the rocks demark "water hazards." Meanwhile, competing natural gas companies are bringing power to the Atacama's copper mines and sprouting cities. Pipelines draw fresh water from the Andes to the coast. A new highway, the Paso de Jama, now spans the mountains to connect Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay to the desert ports, which ship copper and other minerals to a growing Asian market. With so much unchecked growth—urban expansion, modernization, the influx of new industry, and a burgeoning tourist trade—might there be a lasting, detrimental effect on a place many believe is infinitely resilient? Will the desert shrug off man's incursions, no worse for wear? To find out, I crisscross the Atacama for four weeks with Sergio Ballivian, my guide and translator, a Bolivian-born adventurer who relishes the Atacama's ruggedness.

In a four-wheel-drive SUV we motor north to south from Arica to Vallenar, from the boisterous surf to the silence of the pampas, through the thin winds of the Andes, through a science fiction landscape. I want to learn how life survives, even thrives, where it should not. Chile: Andes Mountains - TripAdvisor Want the lowest hotel prices? You're in the right place. We check 200+ sites for you. Chile: Andes Mountains We'll send you updates with the latest deals, reviews and articles for Chile each week. Chile Traveler Article: Comments (1) Chile: the diversity of Andes in one single country. The Andes mountain range in Latin America is the longest one in the world. It extends from Venezuela all the way down to the southern tip of Chile. This means the Andes encompasses thick rain forests, the driest desert in the world, high defying snowcapped peaks, ancient ruins, gorgeous lakes, luxury spas and termas, threatening volcanos, ski resorts, cozy little villages - all in one long mountain range. It doesn´t mean, though, that one can enjoy all this diversity in one single trip.

Getting to know a bit of these magnificent mountains requires at least a dozen different trips. Where to start or which places to visit depends entirely on your tastes - and Andes got something for everyone´s taste! One thing is for sure: Chile is a great country to start visiting the Andes. Spreading vertically at the western coast of South America, Chile is limited by the Andes on almost all of its eastern border, and the famous mountain range pretty much defines Chile in numerous aspects: geographical, ethnical, cultural and, of course, touristic. In northern Chile, you can visit the Atacama desert, which sits high above sea, nestled on a plain between the Andes and the coastal (lower) mountain range. In the Atacama, your Andes experience will be dramatically different from the experience you can have further south. It´s the driest desert in the world, and is home to several jaw-dropping sights, many of them high up in the Andes mountains. For instance, you can visit lakes (frozen in winter) as high up as 4000 m, surrounded by magnificent snowcapped peaks and volcanos, such as Laguna Meñique and Miscante.

You can see native indians´ (mapuches and incas) ruins almost as old and intriguing as Macchu Pichu in Peru. You can visit bubbling sizzling geysers generated from underground volcanos that helped form the Andes. However, don´t expect your stay at San Pedro de Atacama (which people usually use as a base to explore the region) to be luxurious or anything. Except for incredibly expensive Explora hotel, the other joints at this city, as cozy and pretty as they can be, are closer to rustic accomodations than luxury hotels. Strolling around the city can be a problem for those used to high heels and fine dining, because none of the streets are paved - they´re all sandy dusty streets. For those who like this kind of place, it´s heaven. If you choose to head south of Santiago, though, you will find european style cities, some of them very pretty and cozy, such as Pucon, Villarica, Frutillar. These cities are real magnets for practitioners of outdoors sports, such as trekking, rafting, horseback riding, etc.

The views are spectacular, with volcanoes dotting the skyline now and then, as well as beautiful lakes and waterfalls. During winter, too, there are a few options. The sightseeing continues to be as good as in summer, plus the opportunity for some snow activity (snowshoeing, skiing, etc). In fact, there´s plenty to do outdoors, as well as a good network of hotels, from the affordable basic options to the top notch luxury hotels. Both northern and southern Chile will need taking another flight from Santiago, as well as one to two hours transfer to the touristic cities. In case you´re not into tucking yourself away in a small hidden city, you can stay in Santiago and still enjoy the Andes. Not only you can see the range from the very heart of the city, you can also go up the mountains for the day and return. Most people do this during winter, to take advantage of Santiago´s proximity to a major ski area, formed by Farellones, El Colorado, La Parva and world-renown Valle Nevado.

Share your knowledge Andes: World’s Longest Mountain Range Credit: Johnathan Esper Shutterstock The Andes is the longest mountain range in the world and boasts some of the highest peaks. The range is also known for its volcanoes, ruins of long-ago civilizations and the source of a malaria treatment. The origin of the name Andes has not been definitively determined; most agree that it comes from the Quechua word anti, which translates to "high crest." A minority argue that it comes from Anti Suyu, which is one of the four regions of the Incas who once inhabited the range. The Andes Mountains stretch about 4,500 miles along the western coast of South America. Credit: CIA World Factbook Located along the entire western coast of South America, the Andes mountain range is about 4,500 miles (7,242 kilometers) long. The mountain range spans seven countries — Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina — and can be found between 10 degrees north and 57 degrees south latitudes and 70 degrees to 80 degrees west longitude. It is up to 500 miles (804 km) wide.

The only mountains that are taller than the Andes are the Himalaya Mountains and their adjacent ranges, including the Hindu Kush. The average elevation in the Andes is about 13,000 feet (3,962 meters). The highest elevation in the Andes is Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, which is 22,841 feet (6,962 m) above sea level. The Andes are dotted with a number of depressions that separate the length of the range into several segments. [ Image Gallery: Journey into the Tropical Andes ] Climate of the Andes Because the Andes act as a large wall between the Pacific Ocean and the continent, they have a tremendous impact on climate in the region. The northern part of the Andes is typically rainy and warm, and the weather is also wet in the eastern part of central Andes, and the area to the southwest. To the west, the dry climate is dominated by the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. The mountains form a rain cover over the eastern plains of Argentina, which have extremely dry weather.

The Andes Mountains of South America are home to 99 percent of tropical glaciers ­— permanent rivers of ice at high enough elevations not to be affected by the types of balmy temperatures usually associated with the tropics. The Andes are also home to the world’s highest volcano when measured above sea level, Ojos del Salado on the Chile-Argentina border, which reaches 22,615 feet (6,893 m), and more than 50 volcanoes that reach 19,685 feet (6,000 m). [ Related: Satellite Image of Chile-Bolivian Border ] Machu Picchu was an Incan retreat for its emperor. Credit: UNESCO Who and What Lives There A number of cities have sprung up along the Andes, including Huaraz and Cuzco in Peru; Quito and Baños in Ecuador; La Paz, one of the two capitals of Bolivia; Bogata and Medellin in Columbia; and Pucon and Puerto Natales in Chile. A male Andean condor flies above the highlands of Ecuador.

Credit: Ammit Jack Shutterstock There is not a lot of evidence of early human life in the Andes, with the oldest human remains being an average of 10,000 to 12,000 years old; although scientists believe there was human habitation prior to that time. The lack of oxygen at high altitudes and rough terrain made it hard for people survive. The mountain shepherds have survived at higher altitudes of 17,000 feet on a permanent basis because their bodies have been able to adapt, including changes to the makeup of their cells. The Incas managed to establish themselves in the Peruvian Andes in the 15th century, only to be wiped out by civil wars and disease from European invaders to which they had not developed immunities. Their existence was largely undiscovered, save for some local residents, until July 24, 1911, when the locals led Yale University professor Hiram Bingham to Machu Picchu , at an elevation of 7,710 feet (2,350 m) in the Peru portion of the mountain range.

Because it was relatively undisturbed, Machu Picchu provided a glimpse into the life of the Incas and scientists believe it served as the palace compound of Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, who reigned from about 1438 to 1471. It now serves as a major tourist destination. Vicuñas, which live in the high alpine areas of the Andes, are related to camels. Credit: Ammit Jack Shutterstock While Bingham thought he had stumbled upon the Vilcabamba, or lost city of the Incas, when he came upon Machu Picchu, he would later find the so-called lost city when he discovered another ruin, Espíritu Pampa. To survive in the Andes, animals have to be rugged, agile and be able to keep warm. One of the most well-known animal inhabitants of the Andes is the chinchilla. Their fur gets thicker in the colder, higher altitudes and their ability to jump and climb serves as a protection from predators. Other animals include llamas and alpacas; the Andean condor, the largest vulture in South America; and the vicuña, a member of the camel family.

The Andes has a rich plant population and is home to about 30,000 various species of plants. The Andes are dotted with Cinchona pubescens trees, which produce quinine, coveted as a treatment for malaria. In the high altitudes of the Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile segments of the range, there are also forests of Polylepis, a group of tree species that have distinctive gnarled shapes. They are members of the rose family. — Kim Ann Zimmermann, LiveScience Contributor Related: Chile: Land Chile Land A long narrow strip of land (no more than c.265 mi/430 km wide) between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean, Chile stretches c.2,880 mi (4,630 km) from near lat. 18°S to Cape Horn (lat. 56°S), including at its southern end the Strait of Magellan and Tierra del Fuego , an island shared with Argentina. In the Pacific Ocean are Chile's several island possessions, including Easter Island , the Juan Fernández islands, and the Diego Ramírez islands. Chile also claims a sector of Antarctica.

The country is composed of three distinct and parallel natural regions—from east to west, the Andes, the central lowlands, and the Coast Ranges. The Chilean Andes contain many high peaks and volcanoes; Ojos del Salado (22,539 ft/6,870 m high) is the second highest point in South America. Chile is located along an active zone in the earth's crust and experiences numerous earthquakes, some of great magnitude. The rivers of Chile are generally short and swift-flowing, rising in the well-watered Andean highlands and flowing generally west to the Pacific Ocean; the Loa and Baker rivers are the longest, but those in the central portion of the country are much more important because of their use for irrigation and power production. The climate, which varies from hot desert in the north through Mediterranean-type in the central portion to the cool and humid marine west coast type in the south, is influenced by the cold Peruvian (or Humboldt) Current along the coast of N Chile and by the Andes. Precipitation increases southward; the desert in the north is practically rainless, while S Chile receives abundant precipitation throughout the year.

However, along the coast of N Chile high humidity and dense fogs modify the desert climate. The Andes are an orographic barrier, and the western slopes and the peaks receive much precipitation; permanently snowcapped mountains are found along Chile's length. In N Chile is the southern portion of the extensive desert zone of W South America. It is occupied mainly by the sun-baked Desert of Atacama , which, toward the south, gradually becomes a semiarid steppe with limited vegetation. The barren landscape of the north extends from the coast to the Andes, where snowcapped peaks tower above the desert. The Loa River is N Chile's only perennial stream. The region's scanty population is concentrated along the coast and in oases; the ports of Arica , Iquique , and Antofagasta (the chief link between Bolivia and the Pacific), the mining towns of Calama and Coplapó, and the industrial town of La Serena are the chief population centers. The people of the region are almost totally dependent on supplies from the outside.

N Chile, the economic mainstay of the nation, is rich in a variety of minerals, including copper, nitrates, iron, manganese, molybdenum, gold, and silver. Chuquicamata , one of the world's largest copper-mining centers, long produced much of Chile's annual output, but the mine at Escondida now surpasses it. The middle portion of the country, roughly between lat. 30°S and 38°S, has a Mediterranean-type climate and fertile soils, and is the nation's most populous and productive region as well as the political and cultural center. It contains Chile's largest cities—Santiago, Valparaiso (the seat of the Chilean congress), and Concepción . Mineral deposits (in particular copper, coal, and silver) are found in central Chile, and the rivers, especially the Bío-Bío, have been harnessed to generate electricity; hydroelectricity is responsible for 70% of Chile's power. The region, the most highly industrialized section of Chile, produces a large variety of manufactured products, especially in and around Santiago, Concepción, and Valparaiso (which is also Chile's chief port).

Between the Andes and the Coast Ranges is the Vale of Chile, a long valley divided into basins by Andean spurs. The valley is the heart of the republic, having the highest population density and the highest agricultural and industrial output. S Chile, extending from the Bío-Bío River to Cape Horn, is cold and humid, with dense forests, heavy rainfall, snow-covered peaks, glaciers, and islands. Sections of this region, which is in the direct path of moist westerly winds, receive more than 100 in. (254 cm) of precipitation annually. Because of subsidence of the earth's crust, the Coast Ranges and the central lowlands have been partially submerged, forming the extensive archipelago of S Chile, an area of craggy islands (notably Chiloé ), numerous channels, and deep fjords. The Chilean lake district is a noted resort area. Although all of S Chile is forested, only the drier northern part has exploitable timber resources; Puerto Montt and Temuco are major timber-handling centers. The rest of the region is a wilderness of midlatitude rain forest, which has been extensively logged. Pollution and erosion have added to the environmental threat.

Because of the climate, agriculture is limited; oats and potatoes are the chief crops. Livestock raising (cattle and pigs) is an important activity. A portion of extreme S Chile lies in the rain shadow of the Andes and is covered by natural grasslands; extensive sheep grazing is carried on, with wool, mutton, and skins the chief products. Cattle are also raised. This area also yields petroleum. Valdivia , a port on the Pacific Ocean, is the fourth largest industrial center of Chile; Punta Arenas on the Strait of Magellan is the world's southernmost city. Sections in this article: 33. Coast and Andes Mountains, Chile Back to introduction 33. Coast and Andes Mountains, Chile The Andes mountains form one of the longest continuous mountain ranges on Earth, extending from the shores of the Caribbean as far south as the Magellan Straits. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this range is how narrow it is over much of its length — the high part of the range is typically less than 150 kilometers (90 miles) broad.

Illustrated is the section of the Andes near Coquimbo, Chile, where the highest peaks are 6300 meters (20,600 feet) high, and the lowest passes across the range are about 4000 meters (13,100 feet). Low lighting and the oblique perspective emphasize the narrowness of the range, which forms a formidable natural obstacle, and explains how the improbably long and thin country of Chile acquired its identity. In this part of the range, active volcanism is absent. The Benioff zone in this region has a very shallow dip (10ï¿½). To both north and south, the Benioff zone dips more steeply (30ï¿½) and volcanism is well developed. Clouds illuminated by the low Sun hang over the Argentine pampas beyond the Andes and illustrate the marked climatic differences between different sides of the Andes. In the south, the Chilean side of the Andes tends to be well watered and fertile, while the pampas are in rain shadow, and tend to be very dry.

Further north, the Chilean coast is exceptionally dry (and forms the Atacama Desert), while the eastern slopes are much wetter. STS-51A, November 1984. Picture #19-36-033.

Question: What is the Chilean desert between the coast and the Andes?
Answer: Atacama