The
Dead Sea – bordering Israel, the West Bank and Jordan – is a salt lake whose
banks are more than 400m below sea level, the lowest point on dry land. Its
famously hypersaline water makes floating easy, and its mineral-rich black mud
is used for therapeutic and cosmetic treatments at area resorts. The
surrounding desert offers many oases and historic sites.
Surface elevation: -1,410.8′
Area: 233.6 mi²
Catchment area: 16,081 mi²
Location: Israel; Jordan;
Palestine
Max. depth: 298 m (978 ft)
(elevation of deepest point, 728 m BSL, minus current surface elevation)
Shore length1: 135 km (84 mi)