🌍 where
Where Is the Driest Inhabited Place on Earth?
geographyclimate
Quick Answer
Arica, Chile, receives an average of less than 1 mm of rain per year.
The Full Story
Arica, a city of about 240,000 in northern Chile, averages less than 1 mm of annual rainfall, making it the driest inhabited place on Earth. Located between the Atacama Desert and the Pacific Ocean, it went without measurable rain for over 14 consecutive years (October 1903 to January 1918). Despite the aridity, the city supports itself through fishing, port activities, and water piped from Andean rivers. The nearby Atacama Desert itself has locations where no rain has ever been recorded.
Key Facts
1.Arica recorded zero rainfall in 172 consecutive months from 1903 to 1918.
2.Fog catchers (atrapanieblas) harvest moisture from coastal fog in the region.
3.The Atacama is used as a Mars analogue by NASA because of its extreme dryness.
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"Arica — Living in the World's Driest City"