Why the
Dead Sea
is special

Its surface is the lowest in the world. The Dead Sea is also famous for its buoyancy (swimmers float easily) and therapeutic waters.

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Dead Sea
fast facts

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Today, the Dead Sea is roughly 425 meters (1,400 feet) below sea level. Its deepest underwater point lies another 330 meters (1,080 feet) down.

The water level is dropping about a foot per year, mainly due to evaporation as well as commercial usage.

This lowering is shrinking the Dead Sea. A century ago it stretched over 135 kilometers (85 miles). Today, it's under 65 kilometers (40 miles). Some predict a near-dry-up by 2050.

The water has one of the world's highest concentration of salts and other minerals. The deeper the water, the higher that concentration.

No fish or other animal can survive in the water (though bacteria and algae can).

Average annual rainfall is less than 100 mm (4 inches) in the north and 50 mm (2 inches) in the south.

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More Dead Sea
tips & insights

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Mountains

The Jordan side of the Dead Sea has higher mountains, providing spectacular panoramic views of the Dead Sea. Sunsets are particularly grand.

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Day trip

The Dead Sea is approximately 40 minutes by road from Amman, the capital of Jordan.

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Madaba

Relatively nearby are the Madaba Mosaics , another Hillman Wonder. It's celebrated for its Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics.

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For more pointers...

Read my Dead Sea web page in my Wonders of Israel guide.

    Dead Sea - Israel

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Wonders of Jordan - Home page

World's Top 100 Wonders

World's Top 1000 Wonders

Site map

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Jordan Tourism Board

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Photo by Don Lingle - CC BY 2.0

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©2012 HQP - Hillman Quality Publications / hillmanwonders.com