Dead Sea: The Lowest Point on Earth
The Dead Sea is a salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley, and its main tributary is the Jordan River. The Dead Sea is 304 m (997 ft) deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. With a salinity of 342 g/kg, or 34.2% (in 2011), it is one of the world's saltiest bodies of water.
About Dead Sea
The Dead Sea is an endorheic lake located in the Jordan Rift Valley, a geographic feature formed by the Dead Sea Transform. This left lateral-moving transform fault lies along the tectonic plate boundary between the African Plate and the Arabian Plate. It runs between the East Anatolian Fault zone in Turkey and the northern end of the Red Sea Rift offshore of the southern tip of Sinai. The Dead Sea is 50 kilometers (31 mi) long and 15 kilometers (9 mi) wide at its widest point. It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley and its main tributary is the Jordan River. The Dead Sea has attracted visitors from around the Mediterranean Basin for thousands of years. It was one of the world's first health resorts (for Herod the Great), and it has been the supplier of a wide variety of products, from asphalt for Egyptian mummification to potash for fertilizers.
Interesting Facts
The Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth at 430.5 meters (1,412 ft) below sea level
Its salinity is 34.2%, making it one of the world's saltiest bodies of water
The high salt concentration makes floating effortless
The Dead Sea's mud is used in many cosmetic products
The water level is declining at an alarming rate of about 1 meter per year
Top Activities in Dead Sea
Tours Including Dead Sea
Plan Your Visit
Location
Western Jordan, border with Israel/West Bank
Highlights
Floating experience, Mineral-rich mud, Luxury resorts, Sunset views
Best Time to Visit
Year-round destination, but spring and autumn offer the most pleasant temperatures for swimming.