- Climatic features
- Is there life in the desert?
- Desert dwellers
- Atacama landmarks
- Video
Chile has one of the driest places in the world - the Atacama Desert. In this area, precipitation falls no more than 10 mm per year, and then in the form of fog. The desert covers an area of 105 square kilometers - roughly the entire state of New York in the United States.
Climatic features
Compared to other deserts, the Atacama is not characterized by extreme air temperatures throughout the year. On average, the values range from 13 to 25 degrees. There were cases when the air temperature dropped to 0 degrees. So, in 2010, a layer of snow fell in this area, which paralyzed the lives of the few residents of this area.
Humidity in the desert is almost always at 0%. In some places it hasn't rained for over 400 years. Such climatic conditions create difficult living conditions for both humans and animals and plants. This low humidity is due to minimal rainfall and the scorching sun.
The desert is located between the Andes mountain range and the Pacific Ocean. This creates a "rain shadow" that prevents rains in the Atacama. The Andes, due to their height, do not allow warm air currents to bring moisture into the desert. The stream reaches the mountains, and they hold it back. As a result, all precipitation falls in the mountains.
Winds that blow from the Pacific Ocean also do not bring precipitation to the Atacama. Air currents are cooled in the area of the Humboldt current and cannot absorb moisture from the ocean, as a result of which they reach the desert completely dry.
Is there life in the desert?
The aridity of the area makes it impossible for a large number of representatives of fauna and flora to live here. In areas where precipitation does not fall, it is impossible to find anything living at all. Scorpions and cacti cannot even live here. In other areas of the desert you can find representatives of the flora: evergreen thorny shrub; oxychloride; cushion plants; azorella, etc.
Several types of trees and shrubs can be found in the oases. For example, algoborro - its fruits are eaten, and its wood is used as fuel. Despite the drought, about 230 plant species grow in the Atacama.
The fauna is represented by 200 species, most of which are insects and reptiles. But there are also representatives of mammals and birds: alpaca; wild foxes; chinchillas; flamingo.
Desert dwellers
Despite all the difficulties of life, the population of the desert reaches 1 million people. Basically, the population is located closer to the Pacific coast. Here residents have learned to extract water in an unusual way: cylinders are woven from nylon threads, in which condensate from the fog accumulates.
They began to populate the desert 10 thousand years ago. Indian tribes still inhabit some areas. In this area, copper and saltpeter are mined. So the workers' settlements are located on the territory of the desert. In coastal areas, residents even try to engage in agricultural activities. Oases often appear in these areas, which exist for about 3-4 months. This allows you to grow vegetables.
Atacama landmarks
The visiting card of the desert is the sculpture "Hand of the Desert". It is made of iron and concrete. An 11-meter hand sticking out of the ground symbolizes a request for help from a person in the desert. All the difficulties of life here are embodied in this sculpture. It was built in 1992 and the photo next to this sculpture is a must-see for tourists when visiting the Atacama.
- Humberstone is an abandoned city where miners used to live. This place was covered with snow in 2010, and residents of the city left it. Now there are guided tours for tourists. They can see how people survive in the desert and get acquainted with their traditions and way of life.
- Tarapaca is an ancient drawing consisting of circles and hieroglyphs of different sizes. It is approximately 9,000 years old. It is believed that the drawing was made by the ancient inhabitants of the desert to guide caravans in it. Some scholars argue that these drawings are a trace of unearthly civilizations. It was not possible to find out the exact origin of this landmark.
- Moon Valley attracts tourists with its unearthly landscapes. More often, excursions here are held at sunset, and vacationers can only take pictures of the stunning area, which is very similar to the surface of the moon. Fantastic films related to adventures on the moon were filmed here. Photos of these places will surprise all tourists and their friends with their mystery.
Sandboarding is a very popular holiday in Atacama. This is snowboarding in the sandy valleys. Fans of outdoor activities will definitely use the chance to ride on the sands.
Desert excursions cost tourists approximately $ 30-40. You can take a walk in the desert on your own, but it is undesirable to do so, otherwise you can get lost and experience all the difficulties of life in the Atacama for yourself.
