Amazing Geography Facts
The Dead Sea
The Dead Sea, also known as the Salt Sea, is actually a salt lake. It has a single source, the Jordan River, and is not connected to the ocean. Its landlocked nature causes the water to evaporate and leave behind massive amounts of salt, making it so dense that people can float on top of it. The shores that surround the Dead Sea are about 1,400 feet below sea level, making this the lowest point on Earth that people can travel to and still be in the open air. Beneath its surface, the lake itself dips down over 1,000 feet, making it the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. The unusually warm, incredibly buoyant and mineral-rich waters have attracted visitors since ancient times, including King Herod the Great and the beautiful Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra.