Danakil Desert

Danakil - Somalia is a desert explorer Théodore Monod chosen by the designation for the three major desert regions in the North East of Africa. Although Monod summarizes the deserts of Somalia and the Danakil desert, but leaves the deserts of northern Kenya before outside. In general, missing a single name for the merging deserts, semi-deserts and savannahs of East Africa. It is also the name "Desert of the Rift Valley ," although the Somali peninsula not to " East African Rift System", the East African grave breach heard.

Danakil

The Danakil Desert lies on the coast of the Red Sea in the Afar Triangle in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Djibouti. It is one of the world's most active geological zones, so here are the Erta Ale volcano, Asavyo and Dabbahu. Also worth mentioning is the thermal area of Dallol. In the west it is limited by the steep highlands of Abyssinia.

Geologically, it is in the Danakil to dried-up seabed. The region lies in the spreading zone of the East African grave breach and decreases due to tectonic processes on and on. The waters of the Red Sea are held back only by a narrow mountain bars. The fact that here before an ocean was, as proven thick salt deposits and fossilized coral that lie around on the desert floor.

The Danakil depression (also: Danakil Depression, 110 meters below sea level), which lies in the lee of the highlands of Abyssinia, hyperarid, so very dry. The Danakil even one of the hottest and driest deserts on earth. Here already soil temperatures were measured up to 70 degrees Celsius. Paved roads are virtually nonexistent, because in this Glutsonne at least soften would melt, or.

The Danakil is often referred to as the " hell hole of creation", since the cradle of humanity is suspected. Here almost two million years old have been found remains of hominids. New theories assume that Homo sapiens developed in this area and spread from here. Of course, the climate at this time was cooler and wetter.

In the desert around 100,000 Afar nomads live. Since the fall of the Mengistu regime in Ethiopia in 1991 some resistance fighters are military remained active, which is why the region even to this day is uncertain. Capital of the Afar region is Asayita ( statements ). By 1888 there was a sultanate statements, its limits correspond approximately to the present-day Afar region along the Awash River, before 1869 was even the port city of Assab to do so.

Northern Kenya

Between the Lake Turkana and Marsabit in northern Kenya is another desert. Nearby Marsabit there is a high volcanic massif with a mountain cloud forest. The northern part is called " Chalbi desert ", the southern part " Kaisut Desert ". Both are typical nomadic states: To live 70,000 Boran between Marsabit and Ethiopia, 30,000 Gabbra west of Samburu and Rendille south, and west of the lake live the Turkana. The nomadic peoples living from cattle and camel breeding, which may often lead to cattle raid.

Somali peninsula

The desert on the Horn of Africa, the Danakil joins is poorly understood, because the political situation was restless for years. From medium altitudes, the country falls back from the Indian Ocean, to the north - to the Gulf of Aden towards - there along the coastline up to 2,000 m high mountains.

Formation

On one hand, the trade winds will cause hot and dry air masses from the Arabian Peninsula come and humid equatorial air is displaced. On the other hand, also affects the East African rift, the amount of rain: there are, in the lee of the trench far less rainfall.

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