The Danakil Desert is one of the most unfavorable places for humans, who ventured to visit it are met by dust, heat, hot lava, sulfuric fumes, salt fields, boiling oil lakes and acid geysers. But despite the danger, it remains a sought-after tourist attraction in Africa. Because of the enchanting beauty, her photos are associated with alien landscapes.
Description and features of the Danakil desert
Danakil is a generalized toponym, they call the desert, the depression on which it is located, the surrounding mountain range and the indigenous population living there. The desert was discovered and explored by Europeans only in 1928. Tullio Pastori's team was able to go deeper than 1300 km from the western point to the salt lakes.
Studies have shown that a depression with a total area of 100,000 km2 used to be the bottom of the ocean - this is evidenced by deep deposits of salt (up to 2 km) and petrified reefs. The climate is dry and hot: precipitation does not exceed 200 mm per year, the average air temperature reaches 63 ° C. The landscape is distinguished by a variety and riot of colors, there are practically no passable roads.
Desert attractions
The desert almost exactly coincides in shape with the hollow of the same name (caldera), on its territory there are:
Interesting Facts:
- It is difficult to imagine these lands fertile, but it was here (in central Ethiopia) that the remains of Australopithecus Lucy, the direct ancestor of modern man, were found.
- There is a local legend that earlier on the site of Danakil there was a green flowering valley, which was destroyed in a battle by the demons of the four elements, summoned from the underworld.
- The Danakil Desert is considered the hottest place on Earth; in the dry season, the soil warms up to 70 ° C.
How to visit the desert?
Danakil is located in the northeast of the African continent on the territory of two countries: Ethiopia and Eritrea. Tours are organized from September to March when the ambient temperature becomes acceptable for the white tourist.
We advise you to read about the Namib Desert.
It is important to remember: the desert is dangerous in every sense: from the lava opening underfoot and poisonous sulfur fumes to the human factor - shooting aborigines. You will need not only an entry permit and good health, but also the services of professional guides, jeep drivers and security.
