The Dead Sea is really a lake, not a sea, because it is surrounded by land.
It is six times as salty as ocean water, and only a few forms of plant and animal life, mainly brine shrimp, can survive in the lake.
It is salty because water never leaves the lake except by evaporation, a process that leaves behind deposits of salt and other minerals.
The Dead Sea, which forms part of the border between Israel and Jordan, is 50 miles (80 km) long and 11 miles (18 km) wide at its widest point.
Its elevation is about 1,300 feet (400 m) below sea level, making it the lowest point on the planet.
