Iquique in the Atacama desert of Chile. One of the driest cities in the world, Iquique used to be the capital of the booming saltpeter industry. The Municipal Theatre and Opera House, erected 1890, is a witness to the heyday of the saltpeter industry. It is built in cane-covered, anhydride-stuccoed wood. All opera and theatre stars coming to Chile had to perform in Iquique. It is now a fishing port exporting fishmeal.