Mapping the saltpeter space: The "descampado de Atacama" and Tarapacá in cartographic representations before and during nitrate cycle (18th-20th century)

Abstract

Between the 18th and 20th centuries, an infinite number of cartographic representations of the open ground or Atacama Desert and Tarapacá developed as a leading region in the production of nitrate. In this sense, and following a conceptualization born from critical geography and historical cartography, the purpose of this work is to analyze in an expository and descriptive way the cartographic production of those territories, highlighting their most important characteristics and the context in which they were produced.