Uyuni, Bolivia

Uyuni, Bolivia

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Uyuni Bolivia

The Salar de Uyuni (or Salar de Tunupa) is the largest salt flat in the world, spanning 10,582 square kilometers (4,086 square miles). It's located in the Daniel Campos Province in Potosí, in the southwestern part of Bolivia, near the peak of the Andes Mountains, and sits at an elevation of 3,656 meters (11,995 feet) above sea level. The Salar was created due to changes between several prehistoric lakes. It's covered by a few meters of salt crust, which is remarkably flat, with average elevation changes of less than one meter across the entire Salar. This crust not only serves as a source of salt, but also covers a pool of brine that is extremely rich in lithium. In fact, it holds between 50% and 70% of the world's known lithium reserves, which are currently being extracted. The vast size, clear skies, and exceptional flatness of the Salar make it an ideal location for calibrating the altimeters of satellites observing Earth. The Salar is also a major transportation route across the Bolivian Altiplano and serves as a significant breeding ground for several species of flamingos. Additionally, the Salar de Uyuni acts as a climatological transition zone. The towering tropical cumulus congestus and cumulonimbus incus clouds that form in the eastern part of the salt flat during the summer are unable to penetrate its drier western edges, near the Chilean border and the Atacama Desert.
Recommended airport
Uyuni Airport (UYU)
Nearby destinations
  • Colchani a 21.11 km
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