What is the world's largest salt flat, located in Bolivia?

Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat, covering approximately 10,582 square kilometers in southwestern Bolivia. It lies on the high Altiplano near the crest of the Andes, at an elevation of roughly 3,656 meters above sea level.

The salt flat formed when several prehistoric lakes gradually dried up during the Late Pleistocene. Their evaporated minerals accumulated into a broad salt crust, which is now generally about 8 meters thick. Beneath parts of the crust lies mineral-rich brine containing substantial lithium deposits, making the salar important not only for tourism but also for mineral resources.

During the dry season, the surface displays geometric patterns created as the salt crust crystallizes. After rain, a thin layer of water can cover the plain and create a giant natural mirror, producing the famous horizonless landscapes associated with Uyuni. The surface is so flat that it is also useful for calibrating satellite instruments.

Salar de Uyuni is sometimes confused with Chile’s Salar de Atacama, but Atacama is a separate salt flat and is smaller. Uyuni’s enormous area is what gives it the global record.