The Dead Sea is a salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and Palestine to the west. Its surface and shores are 430.5 meters below sea level, making it Earth's lowest elevation on land. With a salinity of about 34%, it is one of the world's saltiest bodies of water—nearly 10 times saltier than the ocean. This extreme salinity creates a harsh environment where animals and plants cannot flourish, hence its name. However, the high salt concentration allows humans to float with ease. The Dead Sea is famous for its mineral-rich mud used in therapeutic and cosmetic treatments. In recent decades, the sea has been shrinking at an alarming rate due to the diversion of water from the Jordan River and mineral extraction, leading to the appearance of thousands of dangerous sinkholes along its receding coastline.