The Danakil Desert in Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti contains the Danakil Depression, one of Earth’s hottest regions.
The desert lies near the Afar Triple Junction, where three tectonic plates are pulling apart. This active geology creates volcanoes, lava fields, salt flats, sulfur springs, and extremely low-lying terrain. Parts of the depression are more than 100 metres below sea level.
The Danakil is often confused with the Afar Depression, but they are not exactly the same feature. The Afar Depression is the broader geological basin, while the Danakil Desert is the arid desert region within it. The area’s harsh heat, scarce water, and corrosive gases make travel difficult.
Salt extraction has been important to local Afar communities for centuries. Workers traditionally cut salt slabs from the flats and transport them by camel caravans toward markets in the Ethiopian highlands.