The shore of the Dead Sea is the lowest exposed land on Earth.
The Dead Sea lies in a deep, landlocked depression of the Jordan Rift Valley. Its surface—and therefore its exposed shoreline—is roughly 440 metres below mean sea level, making it the lowest land-based elevation on the planet. The exact figure changes because the lake has been shrinking by about a metre per year in recent decades.
The lake is bordered by Jordan, Israel and the West Bank. It has no natural outlet, and reduced inflow from the Jordan River, along with evaporation, has caused its water level and surface area to fall significantly since the twentieth century.
Its extraordinary salinity is another famous feature. The water is several times saltier than seawater, making it difficult for most organisms to survive and allowing swimmers to float easily. “Lowest exposed land” refers to the shoreline, not the deepest point beneath the water. Lake Assal and parts of the Caspian basin are also far below sea level, but they do not hold the standard record for lowest exposed land.