The Dead Sea is the lowest land surface on Earth, bordered by Jordan and Israel.
The Dead Sea is a salt lake in the Jordan Rift Valley. Its surface elevation has fallen dramatically over the last century and was about 430 meters below sea level in the early twenty-first century, making its shoreline the lowest exposed land surface on Earth. The lake has no outlet; water leaves mainly through evaporation.
Its salinity is far higher than that of ordinary seawater, which makes it difficult for most organisms to survive. The name reflects this absence of visible aquatic life, although microorganisms can live in suitable conditions. The dense water also makes swimmers unusually buoyant.
The lake has been shrinking because the Jordan River is heavily diverted for agriculture and drinking water, while mineral industries remove or evaporate water. Ancient sources mention the lake as the Salt Sea and the Sea of the Arabah. Nearby sites include Masada and the caves of Qumran.