The Dead Sea is the exceptionally salty lake bordering Jordan and Israel.
Despite its name, the Dead Sea is a lake rather than a sea connected to an ocean. It occupies the lowest exposed land surface on Earth, with its shoreline more than 400 metres below sea level. The Jordan River is its principal inflow, but the lake has no natural outflow; water leaves mainly through evaporation.
This evaporation concentrates minerals and salts, producing salinity roughly nine times that of ordinary seawater. The dense water makes floating unusually easy, although swimming still requires care because getting salt water in the eyes can be painful. Fish and most aquatic plants cannot survive in the main lake, while specialized microorganisms tolerate its extreme conditions.
The Dead Sea has been shrinking for decades because river water is diverted for agriculture and domestic use, and mineral industries remove water. Sinkholes have consequently appeared around parts of the retreating shoreline. The lake's mineral-rich mud and waters have also supported tourism and commercial products for centuries.