Atacama, << `at` uh KAM uh or `ah` tah KAH mah, >> Desert is a barren, mineral-rich region in northern Chile and the southern tip of Peru. The desert begins near Tacna, Chile, and extends southward about 600 miles (970 kilometers). It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the east by the Andes Mountains. The Atacama Desert averages less than 0.5 inch (1.3 centimeters) of rain yearly. Its surface contains much sand and gravel. Beds of salt are scattered throughout.
The Atacama Desert is the world’s only source of natural sodium nitrate, a mineral that is used in making fertilizers and gunpowder. Until the 1920’s, when the production of synthetic sodium nitrate began, the Atacama Desert was the world’s only producer of the mineral. The desert also yields such minerals as copper, iron ore, lithium, and silver.
Chile defeated Bolivia and Peru during the War of the Pacific (1879-1883). As a result of its victory, Chile took possession of all parts of the Atacama Desert that had been controlled by Bolivia and Peru. In 1929, Chile returned the northern end of the desert to Peru.
