Danakil Desert

Danakil Desert
Area136,956 km2 (52,879 sq mi)
Geography
CountryEthiopia Ethiopia
Eritrea Eritrea
Djibouti Djibouti
Coordinates14°14′30″N 40°18′00″E / 14.2417°N 40.3°E / 14.2417; 40.3

The Danakil Desert (or Afar Desert) is a desert in northeast Ethiopia, southern Eritrea, and northwestern Djibouti. Situated in the Afar Triangle, it stretches across 136,956 square kilometres (52,879 sq mi)[citation needed] of arid terrain. It is inhabited by a few Afar, who engage in salt mining. The area is known for its volcanoes and extreme heat, with daytime temperatures surpassing 50 °C (122 °F).[1] Less than 25 mm (1 in) of rainfall occurs each year.[2] The Danakil Desert is one of the lowest and hottest places on Earth.

  1. ^ Yee, Amy (30 January 2017). "Gazing Into Danakil Depression's Mirror, and Seeing Mars Stare Back". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Stobin was invoked but never defined (see the help page).