mytravels

humberstone and santa laura saltpeter works


states: [chile]

category: cultural

year: 2005

location: Province of Iquique

region: Latin America and the Caribbean

latitude/longitude: -20.2058200000, -69.7940600000

Humberstone And Santa Laura Saltpeter Works

Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Chile, are abandoned 19th- and early 20th-century mining towns in the Atacama Desert. Once thriving hubs of saltpeter extraction, their preserved machinery, worker housing, and public buildings reflect the nitrate boom’s social and industrial impact. Recognized for their historical significance, they stand as haunting relics of Chile’s economic past.

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