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Interesting facts about Salar de Uyuni

Amal Ahmed, April 24, 2016
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There are a lot of places on Earth considered to be spectacular in a unique and mysterious fashion. Bolivia’s popular salt flats or Salar de Uyuni definitely qualifies. Here are some interesting facts about one of the most breath-taking locations this planet has to offer.

  • Measuring at 10,582 km, Salar de Uyuni is the biggest salt flat in the world.
  • One of the most popular attractions in Salar de Uyuni is a cemetery for trains! It contains all the trains that were used in mining during the 1940s and currently attracts thousands of tourists every year.
  • At times the salt flat is covered in very clear water, making it the largest natural mirror in the world.
  • Salar de Uyuni is also referred to as Salar de Tunupa or “salt flat enclosure” in Spanish.
  • An estimated 11 billion tons of salt is believed to be within Salar de Uyuni.
  • NASA uses Salar de Uyuni to figure out the positioning of their satellites.
  • There are 80 species of birds (visiting and migrating) at Salar de Uyuni, including three species of flamingos.
  • It was believed that Salar de Uyuni was completely flat, but later some small undulations were discovered on the surface.