Why is the Dead Sea not a lake?

I recently answered a similar question about Baffin Bay (Samuel Lickiss' answer to Why is Baffin Bay called a bay when it's not?). The fact of the matter is that while geographers have reasonably strict definitions for what a particular feature is, history and language doesn't always cooperate. read more

The Dead Sea is a bit of an odd case - it’s salty, for starters. Most lakes contain freshwater, so a large salty body of water like the Dead Sea appears to be part of the ocean, not part a lake. It’s also endorheic, which means it doesn’t have any outflows, which is unusual. The Jordan River flows into it, but no water flows out. read more

Bordered by Jordan to the east and by Israel and Palestine to the west, the Dead Sea is a landlocked lake rather than a true sea, and is recognized as one of the saltiest bodies of water on Earth. Its name is well earned — no fish, birds or plants can survive in its high-saline environment. read more

But Caspian Sea (85' below Sea level) and Dead Sea (1187' below Sea level) are very Salty. water density of the latter sea is marginally more than sea water even, so that one can float in it without drowning. The density rules out any marine life like fishes and hence the name 'Dead Sea'. read more

The Dead Sea is a high-saline lake — one of many on Earth — and its extremely low elevation makes it one of the saltiest, nearly 10 times saltier than normal seawater. The Dead Sea is a high-saline lake — one of many on Earth — and its extremely low elevation makes it one of the saltiest, nearly 10 times saltier than normal seawater. read more