The lowest point of our planet on the map. Record points of land below ocean level. Largest net elevation difference on Earth
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea is an endorheic lake in the Middle East (Jordan and Israel), in a tectonic depression of the mountains. Size 1050 km2, length 76 km. Located 395 m below sea level. It is here, on its coast, that the lowest place on the Earth's land surface is, up to 421 m below sea level.
The Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea. Water salinity is 260-270 ‰ (in some years up to 310 ‰). This is one of the saltiest seas in the world. There is no organic life (except for some types of bacteria).
The desert hills surrounding it on all sides, as dead as the sea itself, shine with a unique brilliance and shimmer as soon as a ray of sun touches their surface. This is caused by the fact that the surface of the rocks, like snow, is covered with shiny deposits of white salt. This high concentration of salt is what gives the water its healing qualities and density. Since the amount of salt in the Dead Sea is eight times greater than the amount of salt in the world's oceans, you can swim in it even if you don't know how to swim. Swimming in the Dead Sea is an incomparable and unforgettable experience that should not be missed.
The Arabs call this sea the Sea of Lot or sometimes the Fetid Lake, because it contains minerals whose pungent odor cannot be described.
According to History, the Dead Sea has been associated with such famous names as King David, King Herod, John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. There is a story about how, on the orders of Queen Cleopatra, cosmetics and medicines began to be produced here. And an Arab named Nabataeus supplied bitumen from here to Egypt, which was the main substance for the mummification of Egyptian pharaohs.
Using the Gifts of the Dead Sea
In ancient times, water and salt from the Dead Sea were supplied to Italy for the Roman masters.
Asphalt, a bituminous substance that rises to the surface of the lake, was used for many industrial and medical purposes. Factories began to appear around the lake one after another, mainly for the production of expensive cosmetics, perfumes and medicines. Thus, the Dead Sea became an economically important area, the ownership of which was fought over fiercely until Antony the Dark conquered the Dead Sea area for Cleopatra.
Today, the plants and factories concentrated on the Dead Sea coast represent the main industrial complex of the country, where for several decades potash (potassium carbonate), bromide and other chemical compounds were mined for export abroad.
But above all, the Dead Sea region is an ideal base for tourism. The distance from Amman to the Dead Sea is short, only an hour's drive, and from Amman airport even less.
Health promotion at the Dead Sea
In recent years, the Dead Sea has become a center for health promotion, treatment, recreation, rehabilitation, beauty and SPA resorts. Thanks to its unique climate, which practically does not change throughout the year, and numerous beauty and wellness centers, the Dead Sea attracts more and more tourists, vacationers and people in need of treatment from all over the world. Modern hotels and health centers are located along the entire coastline.
From the east the Dead Sea is surrounded by mountains, and from the west by the Jerusalem hills of unique beauty. Although today the area is virtually uninhabited, it was previously home to five Biblical cities: Sodom, Gomorrah, Adman, Zebuin and Zohar.
Based on materials from jordania.ru
Incredible facts
Imagine living in a place so remote that you only get mail once a year, or making it to the top of the highest place on Earth.
There are places that are unique in their kind, difficult to reach, and famous for their extreme temperatures, altitude, depth and other characteristics.
Highest point on Earth
Everest, at an altitude of 8848 m, is known as the highest peak on Earth, and this is true. However, it still depends on how you look at it. Technically, Everest's rocky peak is the highest piece of land above sea level. But since the Earth is not a perfect sphere, some lower points are actually "higher" in space. Mount Everest is less close to the moon and stars than another mountain that is relatively obscure and is - Chimborazo volcano in Ecuador. Its height is 6268 m, and although it is not as tall as Everest, it is actually closer to outer space due to the uneven shape of the Earth.
The highest point that can be reached by transport
In Tibet, road Semo La, whose height is 5,565 m, will take you through incredibly beautiful views and a dangerous pass. It is believed that the road Marsimic La is the highest pass in the world, but it all depends on which road can be considered accessible. Semo La road can be reached by vehicle. Authorities believe that there are other higher and more distant roads, but they have not yet been documented.
The most remote island on Earth
The most remote inhabited archipelago in the world is considered Tristan da Cunha, which is located in the South Atlantic Ocean. Its main island is so small that it has no airstrip. The island is home to about 300 people sharing only 8 surnames, which is why residents of the country suffer from hereditary diseases such as asthma and glaucoma. The island was annexed by Britain in 1800 and has a British postal code. And although residents can order goods online, delivery of goods takes a very long time. The island settlement itself is located 3,200 km from the nearest continent.
Deepest point in the ocean
Mariana Trench, southwest of Guam in the Pacific Ocean, is the deepest point in the world's oceans. Its depth is 10,924 meters. If Mount Everest were placed in a trench, it would be covered by more than 1 mile of water. The pressure at the bottom of the trench is a thousand times stronger than at sea level. In 1960, the US Navy sent two naval officers to the bottom of the trench in the bathyscaphe Trieste. They were able to observe fish, shrimp and other creatures living on the ocean floor.
Lowest point on Earth
Dead Sea is the lowest piece of land that is below sea level, being 423 m. On the border of Jordan and Israel, the road around the Dead Sea is also the lowest road on Earth. Due to its extreme salinity, the Dead Sea is considered literally dead, as no creature can live there.
The coldest, driest and wettest place on Earth
Antarctica- This is a place of continuous extremes. It is not inhabited by people all year round because it is too cold here. In 1983, scientists recorded the lowest air temperature on Earth and it was 89.2 degrees below zero. Antarctica is also considered the wettest place and at the same time the driest place on Earth. It is considered the wettest not because of rain, but simply because it is 98 percent covered in ice, and is technically very wet. However, since it is the coldest place on Earth, it experiences the least amount of precipitation - less than 5 cm per year, which makes Antarctica practically a desert.
Largest net elevation difference on Earth
Mount Thor V Auyuittuq National Park on Baffin Island in the province of Nunavut in Canada represents 1.2 km of net vertical elevation change. Mount Thor is the most famous peak in Canada and it is made of pure granite. It is one of the favorite peaks for thrill-seekers and climbers.
The deepest ice on Earth
Bentley's Hollow in Antarctica, this is a phenomenally thick layer of ice, whose depth is 2,555 m. This is the lowest point on Earth not covered by an ocean. The Bentley Deep is the size of Mexico and is technically covered with water (ice), which is why the Dead Sea is still considered the lowest point on Earth.
The hottest place on Earth
Death Valley known for its heat, but the hottest place that was officially recorded was the city El Azizia. In 1922, the air temperature here reached 57.7 °C. The record high temperature in Death Valley is 56.7°C.
We invite you to look at the world from the lowest points of the Earth - and there are such places on every continent, they are located much below sea level. In this collection I will tell you about seven such places. 
There are many places on the planet where you are standing on dry land, while the level of the world's oceans suggests that you are actually submerged under water. Let's start with the Dead Sea in Asia. It is also called the Salt Sea and is located between Palestine, Israel and Jordan. Its shores and surface are located at 422 meters below sea level. This is the lowest landmass on Earth 
Next comes Lake Assal in Africa, it is located in Djibouti, Ethiopia. The lake lies 155 meters below sea level in the Afar Lowland. This is the lowest landmass in Africa and the second on Earth after the Dead Sea. The water here is one of the saltiest in the world - 34.8% salt concentration, which is higher than the concentration in the Dead Sea and ten times the salinity level in the ocean
There is a place in Antarctica called the Vestfold Hills, which is located 50 meters below sea level. For your information, the deepest place on Earth not covered by liquid water is the Bentley Deep in Antarctica with a depth of 2555 meters below sea level. The depression is covered with a huge layer of ice. The deepest place on Earth covered with liquid water is the Mariana Trench. 
There are similar places in North America. Death Valley is a desert located in the southwestern United States. Located within the Mojave Desert, the intermontane trench is the lowest, driest, and hottest place in the Americas. The site called Badwater in Death Valley is the lowest place in the United States, 86 meters below sea level. Surprisingly, this point is only 76 miles east of Mount Whitney, the highest point at 4,422 meters. Death Valley is also considered to be home to some of the hottest temperatures on Earth, with Furnace Creek reaching 56.7°C on July 13, 1913. Only higher is the world record of 58°, recorded in Libya on September 13, 1922 
In South America there is Laguna Del Carbon with a depth of 105 meters below sea level. Laguna del Carbon (Coal Lagoon) is a salt lake located in Argentina. It is the lowest point in the Western and Southern Hemispheres and the seventh lowest point on Earth. Pay attention to the quality of the road surface in the Argentine desert... 
The lowest point in Europe is the Caspian Sea. Its basin area is 371,000 km2, which is about 10 percent of the world's closed water basin area. The ancient inhabitants considered the Caspian Sea an ocean, probably due to its salinity and apparent immensity. The sea is a closed lake, and the water in it is salty, with an average salinity of 1.2%. This is the lowest place in Europe with a depth of 28 meters below the level 
We visited each of the continents, only Australia remained. There is such a place here too - Lake Eyre is the lowest point in Australia at a depth of 15 meters below sea level in the very center of the huge Eyre Basin, Australia's largest lake 
It is difficult to determine from photographs, but almost everywhere the ocean was at least 20 meters higher than the point where the photographer stood... Isn’t it amazing that such places exist on Earth?
You probably know about the deepest trench, the Mariana Trench, and TravelAsk has already talked about it. But did you know that there is a place on the planet that is almost half a kilometer below the level? Yes, Mother Earth constantly surprises us.
The deepest place on the planet
The Dead Sea is the lowest landmass on Earth. That is, in essence, a person here is on land, and the sea level “says” that he is under water.
The Dead Sea coast is 417.5 meters below sea level. It is also called the Asphalt Sea, the Sea of Sodom and the Sea of Salt. The reservoir is located on the border of Jordan and Israel. It is quite clear that the road around the Dead Sea is also the lowest road on Earth.
The length of the sea is 67 kilometers, and the width in its largest section is only 18 kilometers. The reservoir can boast of depth: the maximum is 306 meters, and on average 200 meters to the bottom from the surface of the water.
That is, imagine, the lowest point of the seabed of the Dead Sea is 723 meters from the level of the world's oceans!
And of course, the main feature of the Dead Sea is its salinity. This is one of the saltiest bodies of water on the planet, the salt level is 300-310%, and in some years reaches 350%.
Fact #1. No one lives in the Dead Sea because of its salinity. Or almost no one. About 70 species of oomycetes and higher fungi have been discovered here. They are not afraid of the salt level.
Fact #2. The water level in the Dead Sea drops by a meter every year. This is very scary for the reservoir and threatens an environmental disaster. Thus, the volume of water here has decreased from 325 cubic kilometers to 147. Moreover, the sea is practically divided into 2 parts due to such drainage.
The main reason is the activity of factories extracting minerals here, as well as climate change.
Fact #3. It was next to the Dead Sea or even in its place (according to some versions) that the famous Sodom and Gomorrah were located. However, the search for ancient cities was never successful. But at the bottom of the sea, anomalies similar to the ruins of a city were recorded by satellite. And the rock salt mountains in the southwest of the reservoir are called Sodom Mountains, although the origin of the name has not been fully established.
Fact #4. The level of minerals in Dead Sea water is approximately 30%.
Fact #5. There is a project to transfer water from the Red and Mediterranean Seas to the Dead Sea. The cost of constructing the canal is estimated at $4 billion.
Fact #6. It was on the shores of the Dead Sea that the biblical Lot and his daughters found refuge after the destruction of Sodom. Here you can even see the pillar of salt into which Lot’s wife turned.
Fact No. 7. In the vicinity of the Dead Sea, Qumran manuscripts were found belonging to the ancient Jewish sect of the Essenes. They date back to around the 2nd century BC. Their principles were very similar to the gospel commandments. They were found by chance by a Bedouin boy in 1947. Scientists believe that it was the teachings of the Essenes that paved the way for the perception of Christianity.
Who's in second and third place?
The second place is occupied by the coast of Lake Assal in Djibouti, it lies 155 meters below sea level. In third place is the Death Valley desert in California - this is the lowest point in both Americas, 86 meters below sea level.
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There are many unique natural sites in the world. Of course, like every person, I would dream of seeing them all, and therefore I could not ignore the place that I want to talk about in this essay. Moreover, it is unique in several of its parameters. Firstly, this lake has no analogues in terms of water composition, and secondly, the shores of this lake are the lowest point of land on the planet.
As you might have guessed, we are talking about the Dead Sea. In fact, it is not a sea, but a lake belonging to the class of hypersaline lakes. There are not so many bodies of water with such a concentration of salts on the planet, and the composition of the salts is, moreover, unique. The shores of the Dead Sea belong to two countries: Israel and Jordan. I was lucky enough to visit the Israeli side.
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Despite the fact that the coastal area is densely built up, the landscape is rather dull. The lack of fresh water is taking its toll.
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We stayed at the Le Meridien hotel and really enjoyed it. No, I was not paid for advertising. :)
The uniqueness of the water composition is due to the fact that the lake was formed on the site of the Syrian-African fault, as a result of which outputs of various minerals enter the water. Unlike other hypersaline lakes, the salt composition of the Dead Sea is more diverse and has a higher content of bromides and iodides. It is believed that its water has a number of medicinal properties, and therefore hotels are located on the banks where people come from all over the world stay to improve their health.
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Almost all hotels have pools with Dead Sea water.
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Since many disabled people come for treatment, most hotels offer services for people with disabilities.
Since the lake itself is located on a fault site, its shores are located significantly below sea level, and are the lowest point on land, in some places dropping to 420 meters below sea level. Considering that the fault continues to deepen, this value changes by -1 m year.
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The lowest McDonald's on Earth.
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You cannot swim in the Dead Sea for a long time, so many hotels have fresh water pools.
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General view of the area.
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It’s not entirely clear why the rescuers are there.
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Due to the high salinity, it is almost impossible to drown; this is not shallow water; people actually lie on the water.
The feeling when you enter the water is quite unusual - it’s as if you are walking not on water, but on oil, or on a thick viscous substance that elastically resists when exposed. The water in the Dead Sea is more than 8 times more salty than ocean water, and tastes acrid and bitter (yes, I tried a couple of drops). You cannot stay in it for a long time, as the beneficial effect develops into a harmful one. Recommended time is 5-10 minutes. Tourists who come to the lake for one day will not be cured of anything, of course. To get a significant effect, you need to live on the shore for at least a couple of weeks, taking the procedures daily. However, if you are not sick, then it is better not to relax in these places, because the entertainment infrastructure is not developed, and there is nothing but desert around. As for indications, Dead Sea water is especially often prescribed to people with skin diseases, psoriasis or eczema.
