The Atacama Desert is special for many reasons. There is e.g. the Salar de Atacama, which belongs to the municipality of San Pedro de Atacama and is located in a region that is one of the driest and most lonely landscapes in the world. With an area of 2051 square kilometers, it is the largest salar in Chile. It is located in a tectonic, drain-free depression and in the vicinity there are thermal springs, geysers and volcanoes.
Endurance running in this area has an interesting effect. You don't seem to be sweating, but when I returned from a long jog my face and upper body were covered with a fine layer of salt. Due to the dryness, sweat evaporates extremely quickly.
The salt lake also creates jobs in this poor region. In the past, the salt was almost exclusively exported to the USA as road salt, but thanks to the growing electrification of traffic, the lithium, which is used for the construction of batteries, is now also withdrawn from the salt - makes more sense and is more profitable than it is only in the US American cities tipping onto the streets in winter.
