Afar Region
Afar Region
ዓፋር ክልል Qafar Rakaakaya | |
|---|---|
Map of Ethiopia showing Afar Region | |
| Country | Ethiopia |
| Capital | Semera (Samara) |
| Government | |
| • Chief Administrator | Awol Arba |
| Area | |
• Total | 72,053 km2 (27,820 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 4th |
| Population (2017) | |
• Total | 1,152,300 |
| • Rank | 8th |
| Demonym | Afars |
| ISO 3166 code | ET-AF |
| HDI (2021) | 0.440 low · 11th of 11 |
The Afar Region (/ˈɑːfɑːr/; Afar: Qafar Rakaakayak; Amharic: ዓፋር ክልል), formerly known as Region 2, is a regional state in northeastern Ethiopia and the homeland of the Afar people. Its capital is the planned city of Semera, which lies on the paved Awash–Assab highway. It is bordered by Eritrea to the north and Djibouti to the northeast; it also shares regional borders with the Tigray, Amhara, Oromo and Somali regions.
The Afar Triangle, the northern part of which is the Danakil Depression, is part of the Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia, and is located in the north of the region. It has the lowest point in Ethiopia and one of the lowest in Africa. The southern part of the region consists of the valley of the Awash River, which empties into a string of lakes along the Djibouti–Ethiopia border. Other notable landmarks include the Awash National Park.