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, 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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