7The Atacama Desert, Chile – The Driest Place on Earth
Stretching across northern Chile, the Atacama Desert is the driest non-polar desert on Earth. Some weather stations in the region have never recorded any rainfall, and parts of the desert can go years or even decades without precipitation. The extreme dryness creates a barren landscape where only the hardiest plants and animals can survive. The Atacama’s otherworldly scenery, with its salt flats, volcanoes, and stark desert plains, attracts scientists and adventurers alike. NASA has used the Atacama as a testing ground for Mars missions due to its similarity to the Red Planet’s surface.
