Ethiopia contains the Danakil Depression, one of Earth’s hottest and lowest regions.
The Danakil Depression lies in northeastern Ethiopia, within the Afar Triangle. It is a tectonically active area where several plates are pulling apart. Much of the depression lies below sea level, and its landscape includes salt flats, lava lakes, sulfur springs and intensely colored hydrothermal fields.
The region is extremely hot and arid, with some of the world’s highest recorded average temperatures. Afar communities have traditionally harvested salt from the depression and transported it by camel caravans.
The Danakil is sometimes associated with neighbouring Djibouti or Eritrea because the Afar Triangle extends across national borders. However, the famous depression and its Dallol geothermal area are chiefly identified with northeastern Ethiopia.