The Dead Sea is the lowest land surface on Earth, with its shore about 430 metres below sea level.
The Dead Sea is a hypersaline lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. It has no outlet; water leaves mainly through evaporation, concentrating dissolved minerals and making the lake far saltier than ordinary seawater.
Its surface elevation changes over time as the basin loses water. Diversion of inflowing water, mineral extraction, and regional climate conditions have contributed to a long-term fall in the lake level. The Jordan River is its principal natural inflow.
The lake’s name reflects the difficulty most plants and animals have surviving in its concentrated water, not an absolute absence of microbial life. Visitors can float easily because the dense water provides strong buoyancy, but swallowing it or getting it in the eyes is dangerous.