Lake Assal is the lowest point in Africa, lying about 155 metres below sea level.
The lake is in central Djibouti, within the Afar Depression and the Danakil Desert. It occupies a crater-like basin in a region where tectonic plates are pulling apart. Because the lake has no outlet and evaporation is extremely high, dissolved minerals accumulate in the water and surrounding salt flats.
Lake Assal is one of the world's saltiest bodies of water, with salinity far above that of the ocean. Its salt deposits have traditionally been valuable to local communities and have been transported through regional trade routes.
The lake is sometimes confused with Lake Natron in Tanzania, another highly alkaline East African lake known for dramatic mineral conditions. Lake Assal's distinctive superlative is its elevation: it is Africa's lowest land point and one of the lowest places on Earth outside permanently submerged ocean basins.