The Atacama desert is the driest place on the planet

The Atacama Desert, located in the north of Chile, can be safely called the driest place in the world, even the desert in Africa receives more moisture than it is a god-forsaken place. Rains here are extremely rare, there are areas where precipitation falls once in a decade, and there are places where no single case of rain has been recorded in the history of mankind.

In Atacama, it is hot all year round, in the daytime the temperature does not drop below 36 ° C, and at night it can drop to 0 ° C. Humidity is only 0%. It would seem that under such conditions, the Atacama desert must be completely lifeless, because living beings need something to eat, and even water in these parts is almost impossible to get. But still here live about 200 species of different inhabitants and grow cacti (up to 160 species).

Of all living creatures in the desert, most are insects and reptiles. On the water these unfortunates can only count in the form of fogs and a very shallow water suspension. For the whole year in Atacama, no more than 0.1 mm of precipitation falls. From the side of the Amazon river, moist air can not reach these places, because mountains are in the way. With the Andes descend into the desert of the river, but they are all lost in salt marshes. The accumulated water forms small salty lakes, the scorching sun dries them, and only the salt cover of impressive thickness remains.

If you look at a distance, you have a view of the usual lake, but near it it turns out to be just a salt surface, shining in the burning sun. When breaking, lagoons can be formed, where coots and flamingos live.

The Atacama Desert to the east gradually turns into the Antiplano Highlands, which is considered one of the most beautiful regions in Chile. Here in January and February, tropical rains are possible, although they are irregular. The fauna and flora of these places is very rich in comparison with the desert. On the Highlands there is a large number of nature protection zones and national parks.

The most amazing, beautiful, mysterious and alluring place on the planet is all Atakama. The desert keeps many secrets and unusual sights, one of which is a sculpture in the form of a giant hand. In height it reaches about 11 meters. Sculpture makes you think about human vulnerability. Buried in the sands of the giant is absolutely helpless, he asks for help.

The Atacama Desert does not provide an opportunity for the indigenous population to engage in agriculture, so it is practically not developed here. In this region, there are many copper deposits (even rocks due to oxidation of minerals are covered with green bloom), so people are engaged in mining.

The Atacama Desert hides one of the most beautiful places on the planet - the Lunar Valley. The landscape is so beautiful and unusual that it was chosen for the shooting of more than one science fiction film. Under the influence of wind and water, a surface of sand, salt and stone, resembling the surface of the Moon, was formed here. Particularly beautiful in the valley is the sunset, saturated with a rich range of colors.

Once a year, the desert comes to life. No one can foresee the exact date, but this amazing event happens at night, when a cloud with life-giving moisture comes from the sea. As soon as it falls to the ground, immediately from under the stones appear bright red flowers. At dawn the buds blossom, and by noon they completely burn out under the burning sun to appear again the next year.