Located in northern Chile, is is renowned as the driest place on Earth. It stretches over 1,000 kilometers along the coast of the Pacific Ocean.
Some areas of the Atacama Desert have never recorded rainfall, while others receive less than 1 millimeter annually. The desert's extreme aridity is due to the double rain shadow effect from the Andes and Chilean Coast Range mountains.
The Atacama features diverse landscapes, including salt flats, sand dunes, and rocky outcrops. The desert's soil composition is similar to that of Mars, making it a prime location for scientific research.
NASA uses the Atacama Desert to test instruments for Mars missions. The desert's conditions are some of the closest analogs to the Martian environment found on Earth.
Despite its aridity, the Atacama Desert hosts unique flora and fauna adapted to extreme conditions. Lichens, cacti, and small shrubs are some of the resilient plants found here.
The Atacama Desert is rich in cultural history, with ancient geoglyphs, such as the Atacama Giant, and archaeological sites that provide insights into early human settlements.