afar

The Afar are a Cushitic-speaking ethnic group native to the Horn of Africa, primarily found in Djibouti, the Afar Region of Ethiopia, and parts of Eritrea. They are also known as the Danakil people in some contexts. Estimates place their population in the low millions, with sizable communities in Djibouti and Ethiopia.

Their language is Afar, a Cushitic language of the Afroasiatic family. It has several regional dialects and is commonly written in the Latin script in the modern territories; historically, it has used Arabic script.

Geographically, many Afar inhabit the arid lowlands around the Danakil Depression and the Horn's coast. The economy combines nomadic pastoralism—camel, cattle, goat herding—with the salt trade, including traditional salt mining along the coast and salt caravans to inland markets. The Danakil Depression, home to Erta Ale volcano, is a notable geographic region.

Most Afar are Sunni Muslims; social organization is clan-based, with customary practices guiding family and community life.

Historically, the Afar have been traders and intermediaries in the Horn of Africa, with ties to the Red Sea coast. In modern times, they have faced pressures from drought, border changes, and development projects affecting pastoral livelihoods, and their communities are spread across Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Eritrea.