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
Nevado San Francisco They are noteworthy for their olivine phenocrysts. One lava flow less than one million years old reaches a length of . The western slopes contain dacitic lava domes. On the summit lie two circle-shaped constructs, of Inca or Formative period ages. Nevado San Francisco Nevado San Francisco, or Cerro San Francisco (), is a stratovolcano on the border between Argentina and Chile, located just southeast of San Francisco Pass. It is considered extinct and is one of the several peaks in the area, of which the chief is the Ojos del Salado. The volcano is part of the Central Volcanic