Dead Sea
The Dead Sea is an endorheic lake located 416.5 meters below sea level. It borders Israel, the West Bank and Jordan. The lake has a surface area of approximately 810 km². It is called the Dead Sea because its salinity (340 grams per liter of water) prevents any organisms from living in it apart from small amounts of bacteria and microbial fungi.
The lake is rich in potash, bromide, gypsum, salt and other chemicals that are economically extracted in large quantities. Israeli and Jordanian companies harvest these minerals on the southern edge of the lake, on both sides of the border. They are an important aspect of the region’s economy. Large areas of agricultural land are irrigated with the Jordan River, the Dead Sea’s main (and de facto only) tributary.