geografia: Atacama Desert

Evidence: 45 • authority: 72

The Atacama Desert (Spanish: Desierto de Atacama [ataˈkama]) is a desert plateau on the Pacific coast of South America, stretching along a 1,600-kilometre-long (1,000-mile) strip of land in northern Chile, west of the Andes. It covers an area of 105,000 km2 (41,000 mi2), rising to 128,000 km2 (49,000 mi2) if the barren lower slopes of the Andes are included. The Atacama is the driest non-polar desert in the world and the largest fog desert on Earth. Extreme aridity results from its position between two mountain chains—the Andes and the Chilean Coast Range—of sufficient height to block moisture from both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, creating a two-sided rain shadow. The cool, north-flowi…

Evidence: 43 • authority: 72

Copiapó (Spanish pronunciation: [kopjaˈpo]) is a city and commune in northern Chile, located about 65 kilometers east of the coastal town of Caldera. Founded on 8 December 1744, it is the capital of Copiapó Province and Atacama Region. Copiapó lies about 800 kilometres (500 mi) north of Santiago by the Copiapó River, in the valley of the same name. In the early 21st century, the river has dried up in response to climate change and more severe droughts. The town is surrounded by the Atacama Desert and receives 12 mm (½ in) of rain per year. It has 168,831 inhabitants. Copiapó is in a rich silver and copper mining district, and while it attends large-scale mining operations further afar it is…

Evidence: 29 • authority: 72

The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification BWh and BWk) is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert climates are dry and hold little moisture, quickly evaporating the already little rainfall they receive. The BWh (hot desert) climate is the most extensive Köppen climate type, covering approximately 14.2% of Earth's land area. There are two variations of a desert climate according to the Köppen climate classification: a hot desert climate (BWh), and a cold desert climate (BWk). To delineate "hot desert climates" from "cold desert climates", a mean annual tem…

Evidence: 22 • authority: 72

The Nubian Desert (Arabic: صحراء النوبة Şaḩrā’ an Nūbah) is in the eastern region of the Sahara Desert, spanning approximately 400,000 km2 of northeastern Sudan and northern Eritrea, between the Nile and the Red Sea. The arid region is rugged and rocky and contains some dunes, and many wadis that die out before reaching the Nile. The average annual rainfall in the Nubian Desert is less than 5 inches (130 mm). The native inhabitants of the area are the Nubians. The River Nile goes through most of its cataracts while traveling through the Nubian Desert, before the Great Bend of the Nile. The Nubian Desert affected the civilization of ancient Egypt in many ways. Merchants and traders from anci…