Pampa del Tamarugal

a desert plateau in the Longitudinal Valley, in northern Chile (19° to 22° S lat.), between the Cordillera Marítima and the Cordillera Central. The pampa is 30–60 km wide and has elevations of 900–1,200 m. It has an arid low latitude climate, with seasonal water flows. The high water table is conducive to the growth of xerophytic low-growing trees and shrubs—virtually all of which, however, have been cut down. Table salt and saltpeter are mined in the area.