Salar de Uyuni, Salt flat in Potosí Department, Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni is a vast salt crust between Potosí and Oruro departments, spreading over more than ten thousand square kilometers at an altitude above 3600 meters. The white surface shows hexagonal patterns formed by salt expansion, while lithium-rich brine rests underneath.
Prehistoric lakes evaporated around 40,000 years ago, leaving sodium chloride deposits several meters thick. Modern lithium exploration since the 1980s transformed the economic importance for global battery production.
Aymara communities harvest salt as their economic foundation across this remote plateau, with families passing extraction zones through generations and selling harvested salt at regional markets throughout the Andean highlands.
Visitors need sun protection and warm clothing due to rapid temperature changes between day and night. Multi-day tours from Uyuni town with four-wheel-drive vehicles provide the only practical access to this remote expanse.
From December to April, rainwater transforms the surface into a giant natural mirror used for satellite calibration. The flat reflection enables precise altitude measurements for orbiting instruments.
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