The Dead Sea is not a sea but a 50-mile-long by 11-mile-wide salt lake between Israel and Jordan. We call it a sea because it is salty like a sea or the ocean.
The Lowest Point on Earth
The Dead Sea is the lowest body of water on Earth, nearly one-quarter mile below sea level. Water from the Jordan River flows in, but no water can drain out because the Dead Sea is lower than the land around it. The hot desert sun evaporates the water about as fast as it flows in, leaving behind salt and other minerals from the Jordan River.
Why People Float
People can easily float on the surface of the Dead Sea because it is nearly ten times saltier than the ocean. When swimmers get out of the water, they often have a salty crust left on their skin. Any fish carried in from the Jordan River die instantly when they reach the Dead Sea.
Other Salty Lakes
Other salty lakes exist in dry areas around the world. The Caspian Sea in western Asia is the world’s largest lake. The Romans thought they had reached the ocean when they encountered the Caspian’s salty water. Utah’s Great Salt Lake and the Aral Sea in Central Asia are also salty lakes.
Resources
Download this lesson as a Microsoft Word file or as an Adobe Acrobat file. Listen as Mr. Dowling reads this lesson.
Mr. Donn has an excellent website that includes a section on the Middle East and North Africa.