Landscape, World, and Cultural Survival

The highlighted area is the region of Afar within the country Ethiopia.

The majority of the Afar region is located in the Danakil Desert. So for the most part the region is dry and airy. The temperatures have been recorded as high as 148 degrees Fahrenheit, but the temperatures are regularly around 77 degrees in the rainy season of September to March and temperatures around 118 degrees in the dry season, March to September. The people are known for being able to withstand the harsh environment of the desert. The deepest point in the desert is 500 feet below sea level in the Danakil Depression. there are many different salt mines within the desert that allows for many job opportunities. The salt is still cut by hand by the Afari people and then loaded onto camels for transport. This process has lasted so long due to the remote and harsh conditions of the desert. 

Salt mining process

View above Erta Ale looking into the Danakil Desert

Along with the Danakil Depression and the salt flats there are several volcanoes within the region as well. Two of them are Erta Ale and Dabbahu. National Geographic named the region the "Cruelest Place on Earth." Erta Ale is a continuously active basaltic shield volcano. It is the most active volcano within all of Ethiopia. The volcano stands 2,011 feet above sea level with the low lying Danakil Depression surrounding it making it a visible object in the horizon for several miles. Erta Ale has erupted as recently as 2008 with several serious eruptions as recently as 2005. Each eruption killed several hundreds of live stock, mostly cattle. The eruptions also dispersed several hundred of nearby villages. The people who live within the region always have the risk of the volcano erupting. 

 Water is a precious life source for the people in the region due to living in a desert. There is only one river that flows through the region, the Awash River. This river feeds several lakes, Lake Shala and Lake Zway are the largest two. The water, however, evaporates rapidly due to the dry conditions. The water occasionally evaporates as quickly as it is supplied. This process of evaporation helps build up the salt mines. 

For work the Afari people work by mining the salt flats. As stated before they cut them by hand and then transport them by camel. Along with salt mining the people are herders. They use their cattle as a currency. The more cattle a man has the more they are seen as rich. Due to the small amount of water sources available the men will sometimes leave the women for days while they take their herds to water. The women are in charge of the house hold duties. Their houses are mostly made of leather and sticks making it easily movable to suit their semi-nomadic life style.

An Afari man in front of a traditional hut

With the majority of people living in the Danakil Desert the culture of the people has not been impeded on. Their neighbors do not look to invade the lands. The only trouble the people see is the changing boundaries due to water. There is an increasing need for water and the boundaries may change yearly so the Afari people do not know where to get water always.