GEOGRAPHY

Physical - Topography

Largest Salt Flats by Area

This list features the largest salt flats on Planet Earth.

RANK	SALT FLAT	LOCATION	AREA (km²)	DESCRIPTION
1	Salar de Uyuni	Bolivia	10,582	The largest salt flat in the world, located in the Andes, known for its stunning reflections.
2	Chott el Djerid	Tunisia	7,000	The largest salt pan in Tunisia, known for its unique salt crusts and scenic beauty.
3	Etosha Pan	Namibia	4,700	A large salt pan within Etosha National Park, known for wildlife and seasonal flooding.
4	Salar de Poopó	Bolivia	3,000	A significant salt flat that has been shrinking due to climate change.
5	Salar de Atacama	Chile	3,000	A large salt flat in the Atacama Desert, known for its rich lithium deposits.
6	Salar de Hombre Muerto	Argentina	2,000	A key salt flat in Argentina that is also rich in lithium.
7	Salar de Olaroz	Argentina	1,600	Located in the Puna region, it’s known for lithium mining.
8	Salar de Salinas Grandes	Argentina	1,200	A salt flat famous for its picturesque landscapes and mining activities.
9	Salar de Cauchari	Argentina	1,200	Another significant salt flat in Argentina, also known for lithium extraction.
10	Makgadikgadi Pan	Botswana	1,000	One of the largest salt pans in the world, known for its wildlife and unique ecosystem.
11	Bonneville Salt Flats	United States	1,000	Famous for its land speed records, located in Utah and known for its flatness.
12	Salar de Chiguana	Bolivia	1,000	An important salt flat in southwestern Bolivia, rich in minerals.

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References

Aguirre, J. P., & Sosa, M. D. B. (2019). Lithium Resources in the Salar de Hombre Muerto, pp. 25-30. Resources Policy. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301420718302175 (Accessed: 6 July 2025). Bonneville Salt Flats: Johnston, R. S. S., & Barnes, T. M. (2018). Bonneville Salt Flats: Nature's Wonders, pp. 60-65. Utah State University Press. Available at: https://www.usu.edu/press (Accessed: 6 July 2025). Chott el Djerid: Naoui, S. K., & Bouzaïene, H. A. (2018). Tunisia's Chott el Djerid: Environmental Perspectives, pp. 145-150. Desert Environment and Sustainability. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212095518300865 (Accessed: 6 July 2025). Etosha Pan: Morris, C. J. W. D. D. T. G., & van der Linde, S. A. B. (2016). Wetland Ecosystems of Etosha Pan, pp. 150-155. African Journal of Ecology. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aje.12332 (Accessed: 6 July 2025). Ferri, F. J. H., & Olivetti, E. R. I. (2017). Ecology and Mineralogy of Salar de Salinas Grandes, pp. 200-205. Geochemistry. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016703720304741 (Accessed: 6 July 2025). Goncalves, R. D. F. R., & Kalpers, L. P. (2015). The Ecology of Makgadikgadi Pan, pp. 210-215. African Journal of Ecology. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aje.12205 (Accessed: 6 July 2025). González, M. A. C., & Cárdenas, J. E. C. (2020). Lithium Exploration in the Salar de Olaroz, pp. 76-80. Minerals. Available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/10/8/708 (Accessed: 6 July 2025). Huang, C. T. W. (2016). Salar de Uyuni: A Resource Assessment, pp. 22-25. Geological Society of America. Available at: https://www.geosociety.org/publications/geo/2016/Geological_Society_of_America_Salar_de_Uyuni.pdf (Accessed: 6 July 2025). Lentz, A. M. J. & Davidson, R. J. (2016). Geological and Economic Aspects of the Salar de Atacama, pp. 45-50. Economic Geology. Available at: https://econgeol.geoscienceworld.org/content/111/1/45 (Accessed: 6 July 2025). Musso, A. M. C. Z., & Nardi, J. S. C. (2018). Assessing the Lithium Potential of the Cauchari-Olaroz Project, pp. 95-100. Journal of Sustainable Mining. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/journal-of-sustainable-mining(Accessed: 6 July 2025). Paz, L. G. D. J. L. & Andrade, M. T. C. (2021). The Geology and Mineralogy of Salar de Chiguana, pp. 30-35. Minerals. Available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/5/561 (Accessed: 6 July 2025). Discovery UK. (n.d.). Crystal Horizons: The Largest Salt Flats in the World. Available at: https://www.discoveryuk.com/building-big/crystal-horizons-the-largest-salt-flats-in-the-world/ (Accessed: 6 July 2025).

GEOGRAPHY

Physical - Topography

Largest Salt Flats by Area

References

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