why is there a desert on the west coast of south america
Atacama Desert Geographically, the aridity of the Atacama is explained by it being situated between two mountain chains (the Andes and the Chilean Coast Range) of sufficient height to prevent moisture advection from either the Pacific or the Atlantic Oceans, a two-sided rain shadow.[8]
West Coast of the United States The West Coast or Pacific Coast is the coastline along which the contiguous Western United States meets the North Pacific Ocean. As a region, this term most often refers to the coastal states of California, Oregon and Washington. More specifically, it refers to an area defined on the east by the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada and Mojave Desert, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. The U.S. Census groups the five states of California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii together as the Pacific States division.[1]