---
title: "Atacama Desert Definition and Facts | Model Diplomat"
description: "The Atacama Desert is the driest non-polar region on Earth, located in northern Chile. It's crucial for UPSC physical geography studies."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/atacama-desert"
---

[New](https://modeldiplomat.com/)

#

Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The Atacama Desert is a hyper-arid coastal desert in northern Chile, widely regarded as the driest non-polar region on Earth.
- Why is the Atacama Desert so dry despite lying beside the ocean?
- What is the camanchaca?
- Why is the Atacama geopolitically and economically important?
- Which other deserts share the Atacama's formation mechanism?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

The Atacama Desert is a hyper-arid coastal desert in northern Chile, widely regarded as the driest non-polar region on Earth.

Go beyond the definition

## Research Atacama Desert like a delegate

Model Diplomat's AI drafts position papers, speeches, and country research with real sources — built for MUN and politics students.

## Research it like a delegate

Research on modeldiplomat.com

## Ask a follow-up about Atacama Desert

Open a cited briefing in Model Diplomat search — timelines, positions, and sources you can use in committee or exam answers.

[Start research on Atacama Desert](https://modeldiplomat.com/search?q=Explain%20Atacama%20Desert%20%E2%80%94%20key%20dates%2C%20actors%2C%20positions%2C%20and%20sources)

Example

In 2013, the ALMA radio observatory was inaugurated on the Chajnantor plateau in the Atacama Desert, exploiting its hyper-arid, cloud-free skies for millimetre-wave astronomy.

Keep learning

## Go deeper than the definition

Lessons

[World Physical Economic Geography](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/lessons/upsc-geography-world-physical-economic-geography)

Courses

[Upsc Geography](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/courses/upsc-geography)

[Explore all Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams lessons](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services)[Test yourself with a quiz](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/quiz/civil-services)

## Take Atacama Desert beyond the glossary

Ask the AI research engine built for diplomacy — get briefings, position papers, and speeches with sources you can cite in committee.