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 Ethiopian–Djibouti border. Other notable landmarks include the Awash.

The earliest surviving written mention of the Afar is from the 13th-century Andalusian writer Ibn Sa’id, who reported that they inhabited the area around the port of Suakin, as far south as Mandeb, near Zeila.

The Afar principally reside in the Danakil Desert in the Afar Region of Ethiopia, as well as in Eritrea and Djibouti. The number 2,276,867 people in Ethiopia (or 2.73% of the total population), of whom 105,551 are urban inhabitants, according to the most recent census (2007).

The Afar Triangle is situated in the Horn of Africa, with its area encompassing sections of Eritrea, Djibouti, and Ethiopia. The entire Afar Region in Ethiopia is situated inside the depression.