The Danakil Depression is a desert basin which lies in the Danakil Desert

Danakil Desert

The Danakil Desert lies in the Afar Triangle. It extends into the north-east of Ethiopia, the south of Eritrea and into much of Djibouti. It is the homeland of the Afar people who are known for their ability to withstand the extremes and survive as they have done for hundreds of years. It is known...

 in north-eastern Ethiopia

Ethiopia

Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...

 and southern Eritrea

Eritrea

Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...

. It belongs to the homeland of the Afar people

Afar people

The Afar , also known as the Danakil, are an ethnic group in the Horn of Africa. They primarily live in the Afar Region of Ethiopia and in northern Djibouti, although some also inhabit the southern point of Eritrea.-Early history:...

. It lies up to 100 m below sea level

Sea level

Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...

 as a result of tectonic activity caused by plate movements

Plate tectonics

Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that describes the large scale motions of Earth's lithosphere...

. The presence of many volcano

Volcano

2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...

es in the region, including Erta Ale

Erta Ale

Erta Ale is a continuously active basaltic shield volcano in the Afar Region of northeastern Ethiopia, the most active volcano in Ethiopia. It is in the Afar Depression, a badlands desert area spanning the border with Eritrea, and the volcano itself is surrounded completely by an area below sea...

 and the Dabbahu Volcano

Dabbahu Volcano

Dabbahu Volcano is a volcano located in the remote Afar Region of Ethiopia. This stratovolcano is part of the Afar Triangle , a highly active volcanic region which includes Erta Ale...

 in the middle of the depression, also finds its cause in these plate movements.

It was named by National Geographic as the "Cruelest Place on Earth".