Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Although there's not much to see here, and the wind chill can strip your soul bare as
you pace the wide streets, Uyuni's isolated position and outlook elicit an affectionate re-
spect from both Bolivians and foreign travelers.
Founded in 1889 by Bolivian president Aniceto Arce, Uyuni remains an important mil-
itary base. Tourism and mining are the other major sources of employment in the town.
The world's largest lithium reserve - about 100 million tons - lies beneath the neighbor-
ing salt flat, and could potentially fuel all the iPods and electric cars the world could build
over the next century. While work on building extraction and processing facilities has
been slow going, expect more and more mining activity near Uyuni in coming years.
