Natural regions of Chile for reference purposes. These natural regions are ordered from north to south and reduced to five natural regions: Each has its own characteristic vegetation, fauna, climate, and, despite the omnipresence of both the Andes and the Pacific, its own distinct topography. Most of the region is covered by the Atacama Desert and has a dry arid climate. The coast range has peaks over 2000 m and ends in cliffs in the coast. There are large salt flats in the Intermediate depression and the Andes. Norte Grande has Chile's highest mountains including Ojos del Salado (6,891 m) but host also the
Ojos del Salado of Ojos del Salado was , but that was "simply [...] based on the altitude of the final camp, and the hours of ascent to the summit." In 1956, the first Chilean expedition led by the retired lieutenant René Gajardo measured the height of Ojos del Salado as with a pocket pressure altimeter. Apart from being an inexact method, the height shown by the altimeter was far too high as air pressure is generally lower in the afternoon, the time at which the team reached the summit. An expedition to the area in the 1990s claimed that nearby Monte Pissis