The Salar de Uyuni, located between the provinces of Potosi and Oruro, in Bolivia, near the town of the same name, is the largest salt deposit in the world. Has an area of 10.582 square kilometers and is located 3.650 meters over sea level. It was part of Lake Minchin, 40,000 years ago, but on drying it, two lakes were formed, the poop, and Uru Uru, and two deposits of salt, Salar de Coipasa, and Uyuni.

Photography by Peter Shanks

It is an area of great economic importance for Bolivia. It contains an estimated 10 billion tons of salt, which draws less than 25 thousand a year. Can you believe it? The salts are more common than are those of halite and Gypsum (which has different uses, from fertilizer to clotting in the development of tofu). It also has a large deposit of lithium (half the global reserves of lithium) which has a wide range of use, including battery manufacturing, manufacture of medicines, and fuel for satellites and rockets). (más…)