THE DANAKIL

The Horn of Africa

WHO ARE THE DANAKIL?

• Cushite ethnic group residing in the Danakil Desert • they prefer to be known as the Afar which means "The Best" or "First” •Population: about 1,5 million • two sub-groups: the Asayahamara ("red ones"), and the Adoyahmara ("white ones")

WHAT LANGUAGE DO THEY SPEAK?

• the language is called Afar • it has four distinct dialects: Northern, Central, Aussa, and Baadu • Literacy rate: 1%

WHERE DO THEY COME FROM?

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The earliest written mention: 13th century by the Arab writer ibn Sa'id

WHERE DO THEY LIVE?

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They are nomadic pastoralists (raising goats, sheep and cattle) in the Danakil Desert which extends in 4 countries: - Djibouti - Somalia - Ethiopia - Eritrea

HOW DO THEY LIVE?

• • • •

They live in camps surrounded by thorn barricades The society is ruled by sultanates The asaimara ('reds') are the politically dominant class the adoimara ('whites') are the working class

HOW IS THEIR HOME?

• they build semi-permanent locations • they live in tent houses known as an 'ari' • women run the home and settlement and set up the houses

WHAT DO THEY WEAR?

• women traditionally wear a headscarf called a 'shash' • most women don`t wear breast coverings • Their clothes are very colorful

HOW IS THEIR FAMILY?

• The tribes lay great stress on a man's toughness, strength and bravery • Descent is traced through the male line • marriages are usually monogamous • Divorce rates are high • Girls marry as early as 10 • Marriages between first cousins are preferred • Circumcision is practiced for both boys and girls

WHAT DO THEY EAT?

• Meat and milk are the major components of the Danakil diet • Other foods: fish, sour milk, porridge, wheat pancakes, red pepper,butter

WHAT DO THEY BELIEVE?

• 99.9% - Sunni Muslim • less than 1% - Christians • The brand of Islam they practice is heavily syncretic and includes many elements of their indigenous religion

WHAT ARE THEIR PROBLEMS?

• One of the most serious problems in Djibouti is drough and high temperatures • The second equally serious problem is the political pressure and local wars

ARE THEY HOSPITABLE?

• • •

They are know for their hostility to strangers When crossing their territory one must ask for permission They are very hospitable once they know you

POETIC LIFE

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The Afar are oral people - they pass along their history in recitations

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Women are the musicians of the village

WHAT IS THE CLIMATE LIKE?

• one of the hottest places on Earth (Africa`s hottest region) • temperatures: 77 ° F (rainy season) to 118 ° F (dry season • no rain for 3/4 of the year

GEOGRAPHIC FACTS

• salt and mangrove forests • salt deposits of up to 3 miles thick • Erta Ale - a shield volcano which makes a lava lake

GEOGRAPHIC FACTS

The region is famos for the impressive lava structures

GEOGRAPHIC FACTS

Danakil region used to be part of the Red Sea

RECENT HISTORY

• 1991 - victory of the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front • 1997 - Ethiopian troops occupied Eritrea • 2000 - Ethiopia launched an invasion on Eritrea • 2002 - the Eritrea Ethiopia Boundary Commission of Hague awarded the

Danakil Depression

to Ethiopia.

POLITICAL LEADERSHIP

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The country is led by sultanes who are appointed by the people

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There are four sultanates: - Aussa (Ethiopia) - Biru (Ethiopia) - Tajoura (Djibouti) - Raheito (Djibouti )

Ethiopia on a 100 birr note

VISITING THE DANAKIL

• Djibouti is a place where few people have set foot • It has wide open spaces and a breath-taking scenery • Apocalyptic landscape • it is sometimes referred to as the ‘Cradle of Humanity’