What is the lowest point in Africa?

The lowest point in Africa is Lake Assal in Djibouti.

Lake Assal lies about 155 metres (509 feet) below sea level in a closed depression near the western end of the Gulf of Tadjoura. It occupies part of the Afar Triangle, a geologically active region where the African, Arabian, and Somali tectonic plates are pulling apart.

Lake Assal is not only Africa’s lowest land point but also an exceptionally saline lake. Water enters the basin through underground flows and evaporates intensely in Djibouti’s hot, arid climate, leaving broad salt flats and a dense brine. Salt has traditionally been collected in the area.

The Dead Sea is lower, but it is in Asia rather than Africa. The Qattara Depression is Africa’s second-lowest natural depression, in Egypt, while the Danakil Depression is a larger regional lowland whose best-known extreme points are not lower than Lake Assal. That distinction makes Lake Assal the canonical quiz answer.