9 Facts about The Dead Sea

'The Dead Sea' is one of Jordan's tourist icons that are well known to foreign countries. No wonder why this sea is so popular and makes people want to come.

Its close history to the story of the prophets makes the Dead Sea interesting to visit. Plus, the uniqueness in which everyone can float freely on it without fear of drowning due to salt levels there are very high.

Unlike its name, the Dead Sea is not that scary. This place actually presents a lot of interesting things. Want to know what is interesting about the Dead Sea? Here are 9 facts about the Dead Sea.

1. Name of the Dead Sea

The name Dead Sea comes from the Hebrew translation, Yam ha Maved which means' Sea of ​​Killer. Whereas in Arabic the name is called Bahrul Mayyit which means 'Dead Sea'.

2. Turns out to be a lake

The Dead Sea turned out to be a lake because it was located on land. This lake is located at the lowest point of the earth's surface. The Dead Sea is very phenomenal because the water can make all things float and will not sink, including humans. So for those who can't swim, don't worry because you're guaranteed to float on your own.

3. Why is it not called the Dead Lake?

It is not called Dead Lake because this lake has a large size that is like the ocean. Its length reaches 67 km, its width is 17 km and its surface area reaches 810 square km. Although extensive, there is no life in or around the lake, both flora and fauna. Salt levels that are too high make living things difficult to survive there.

4. The lowest place in the world

The Dead Sea is the lowest place in the world with an altitude of 417.5 meters above sea level or 1300 feet below sea level. It is located on a valley between the borders of Israel, Palestine and Jordan.

5. Salt levels are so large (33%) that we can float on its surface. 

The contributing factor is that this lake has a very high salt content, even the salt content ranks second in the world's salted lakes after Lake Assal, located in Djibouti. The salt content is 33.7% or 8 times saltier than a normal lake. With that much salt content there is no right life for living things that can survive in the water of this dead sea lake. This is why it is called a dead sea lake. Because of their salinity, it is almost impossible for living things to survive in the Dead Sea.

6. Salt in the Dead Sea

Keep in mind, the water in this dead sea lake does not drain the water into the surrounding areas, but only settles in this lake alone and has one main water source namely from the Jordan river . However, the water in this lake is increasingly becoming deficit and receding. This is because, dead sea lakes are in hot climates, so that almost seven tons of lake water evaporates every day. Significant reduction in lake water is also due to the Jordan river as the main source of water in the dead sea lake utilized by the local community for irrigation purposes.

7. Living things that inhabit the Dead Sea in the form of certain bacteria. 

The Dead Sea is about 8.6 times saltier than the sea. This salinity makes for harsh environments where animals cannot breed (as the name implies). High salinity prevents macroscopic aquatic organisms such as fish and aquatic plants from living in them, even though very small amounts of bacteria and fungal microbes are present in the Dead Sea.

8. From a scientific point of view this can be proven because of the high salt content in the lake water. 

Salt water is much denser than plain water, and the density of salt water makes it much lighter than plain water. With a high salinity level, an object can float on it. This is the uniqueness of this dead sea lake.

9. Due to the large mineral content, Dead Sea Lake mud is efficacious for treating various skin diseases. 

Not only high salt content, dead sea lakes also have a lot of mineral content, precisely in the lake mud. This is what tourists use to treat various skin diseases. Mud in a dead sea lake contains several important mineral substances such as magnesium, calcium, potassium, zinc, iodine, chlorine, chloride, sulfur, sodium, bitumen, bromide and pottasium. The mineral content is very good, several benefits are believed: can improve dead skin cells, remove clogs on the skin, improve blood circulation, help maintain health, and especially for women to beautify and smooth the skin.