The Atacama is a plateau and has mountains bordering it. It also has salares or salt lakes which are usually dry, some volcanic activity in the form of hot springs, geisers, a few volcanoes and sand dunes.

In some areas of the Atacama that receive dense fog from the Pacific Ocean, they have conducted experiments with equipment that can condense liquid water from fog with some success.

It is primarily rural but there are several large urban areas found in the desert, such as Antofogasta and Arica.

The Atacama has mineral deposits that are important to the economy of Chile, especially of the metal copper, which provides export income to the country.

To the east are the Andes Mountains and to the west is the Coastal Range The Atacama lies in between.

The Atacama Desert is currently the driest desert worldwide. Some regions in this desert have never seen the rain or other forms of precipitations like snow since more than 400 years. The Atacama Desert is extremely dry because it has an unusually high number of factors which contribuces to his extreme aridity.

The Atacama Desert is known as one of the two driest deserts in the world.

The Incas moved into parts of Chile, including the Atacama Desert. The Atacameno tribe was already living in the desert prior to the arrival of the Incas. There are also a number of cities along the Chilean coast as well as some smaller towns in mining areas.

Yes, the desert is surrounded by mountains.

Yes, there are occasional dust storms in the Atacama Desert.

Fresh water is available in a few oases found in the desert and also from very sparse rainfall and, in some areas near the coast, dense fog. There are rivers and streams in the Atacama but they rarely have any water. In some parts of the desert there are salares, salt lakes, but the water has such a high salt content that it cannot be used for drinking or irrigation.

Average rainfall in the Atacama desert is only a few millimeters per year. However, there are parts of the desert that have measured no rainfall in over 400 years. The desert is a huge place and each area reports differing amounts.

It is the driest desert on earth.

Few plants and animals live there.

It is hemmed in by the Andes Mountains in the east and the coastal range in the west.

It receives very little rain. Parts of the Atacama have not received even a sprinkle in over 400 years.

It borders the Pacific Ocean.

It has rich mineral deposits such as nitrates and copper.

The Atacama is a barren landscape not unlike the surface of Mars. It is made up of hills and flat lands whose surface is covered by sand, pebbles and rocks. Some areas have old volcanic lava flows and some areas have dry salt lake beds. There is some volcanic activity in parts which have geysers and hot mineral springs. There is almost no vegetation present except in some isolated areas. For some photos of the Atacama, click here.

The principle employer of the Atacama Desert region is the mining industry.

It is hard to believe that anyone lives in the Atacama Desert, but they do, however, it is very hard for people to survive. The people there have adapted to the desert and are used to finding water that is very hard to find. Thousands of years ago, the desert was mostly inhabited by the "Atacameno" tribe. They were Native Americans and are said to have spoken the Kunza language. Only about 200 Atacameño people are still around today however, none of them know how to speak the Kunza language. The tribe is famous for their buildings.

Also, there are several cities along the coast where many people live as well as some smaller towns near active mines.

The Atacama is located within a dry region of the world, specifically near 35degrees N/S latitude..if you notice the earth every major desert of the world falls near the 35degree mark N and South including the Mojave, SOuth West, Sahara, Arabian, Atacama, Kalahari and Great Australian (Sandy) Desert.

Furthermore to make matters for the Atacama wose then these other locations, rain being carried west by the tropical low-pressure Amazon Basin begins to ascend the Andes to the Northeast of the Atacama. AS the wet weather moves west towards the atacama it is dropping the little water it has in the form of snow and rain on the eastern side of the mountains forming what is called a RAIN SHADOW, the west side of the Andes is now dry. This is also seen in the Gobi Desert as rain tries to scale the Hymalias and head north

The cold Humboldt Current gives the Atacama Desert its cool, mild climate. Fog formed because of the cold waters provides moisture that some plants and animals need to survive. It is also partially responsible for the extreme lack of rainfall in the desert.

rain shadow effect. its on the other side of the mountain. and on the other side (where the atacama desert is) there is a sea, the rain cant get over to the atacama desert, creating the desert.

If the Pacific Ocean were warmer in the area of the Atacama there would be higher evaporation rates and higher rainfall in the Atacama which would mean the desert would probably no longer be a desert. Another factor is that with warmer waters there would be less fish available for local fishermen to harvest.

The general flow of the atmosphere is from east to west in South America. As the moisture is forced up the high Andes Mountains it drops most of its rain and snow on the eastern slopes that feed the Amazon River and its tributaries. Since the moisture has difficulty crossing the mountains, the western side lies in a rain shadow and little to no precipitation occurs, forming the Atacama Desert.

The Atacama Desert is located in Chile and Peru with smaller parts extending into Bolivia and Argentina.

Copper mining in northern Chile is the major industry of the Atacama Desert.