A 1879 border dispute over mineral riches ignited the War of the Pacific
What began as a dispute over a ten-cent tax on saltpeter escalated into a massive naval conflict that stripped Bolivia of its coastline and redrew the map of South America.
The War of the Pacific ignited in 1879 when Chilean troops occupied the port of Antofagasta to protect mining interests. The conflict was driven by the immense value of sodium nitrate, a mineral used for both fertilizer and explosives, found in the Atacama Desert.
There's more to this story — open the app to keep reading.
Continue Reading in App
1 more paragraphs · plus a 2-question quiz