The ‘Salar de Uyuni’, located in southwest Bolivia is the biggest salt flat in the world with 10,582 sq km. During the dry season, the desert is a completely flat territory of dry salt, but during the rainy season, is cover whit a thin layer of water that is still drivable.
The salt flats were part of a prehistoric salt lake, Lago Minchín. It's estimated that the level of the lake was 100 meters higher than the actual level of the flats.
The flats contain 10,000 millions tons of salt. According to the U.S. Geological Service, the flats hold 6.5 million of lithium making it a vast reservoir of this mineral, so you know where your batteries come from now.
The economic importance of the flats doesn't end with the extraction of minerals. The amazing views make it one of the most visited places in South America, known because people play with perspective an make funny pictures to show to their aunts on Facebook.
The Aimara legend has it that the mountains surrounding the area, named Kusina, Kusku, and Thunupa, were once three giants stuck in a messy love triangle. Thunupa was beautiful and wise, pretended by many. Kusku, a mountain in the border of the desert, flirted with her and conquer her heart with lots of gifts and details until they got married.
Kusku as the alpha mountain that he was, got into a love affair with a neighbouring mountain named Kusina, which made Thunupa very sad and disappointed, crying inconsolably salty tears that created what we now know as the 'Salar de Uyuni'
