Calama is a city in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. At an elevation of 7,900 feet, Calama is the gateway to the geological and archaeological wonders of Chile’s high central desert. Some of these places of interest include: the town of Chuquicamata, the village of San Pedro de Atacama, Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon), the Licancabur volcano, Archaeological Museum Padre Le Paige, the Flamingo National Reservation, the Aguas Calientes salt flat, the Tuyajto lagoon, the El Tatio Geysers, the village of Chiu-Chiu. The Atacama desert of Chile is a virtually rainless plateau made up of salt basins (salares), sand, and lava flows, extending from the Andes mountains to the Pacific Ocean. ... Chuquicamata, or, Chuqui, as it is commonly called, is the largest open pit copper mine in the world. ... San Pedro de Atacama is a pre-Inca town in northern Chile, and a popular tourist destination. ... Licancabur is a stratovolcano which lies on the border of Chile and Bolivia near the Laguna Verde. ... Geyser of El-Tatio El Tatio Geyser Field (locally known as Los Géiseres del Tatio) is located within the Andes Mountains of northern Chile at 4,200 meters above mean sea level. ...

In 2003 the town of Chuquicamata, by one of the largest open-pit copper mines in the world, was dismantled, partly because of environmental reasons, and partly due to encroachment from the mine's expansion. Residents of Chuquicamata then moved to Calama, away from company-owned residences, to find housing on their own. 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Chuquicamata, or, Chuqui, as it is commonly called, is the largest open pit copper mine in the world. ...