Vision Academy EducareVision Academy Educare
Question 23 of 72 · World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies
Questionmedium
This question was previously asked in

SSC

The Dead Sea is bordered by:

Answer View answer ▾

Answer: Option C — Israel, the West Bank and Jordan

Detailed Solution

The Dead Sea is bordered by Jordan to the east, and by Israel and the West Bank (Palestinian territory) to the west.

About the Dead Sea:

  • It is a salt lake (not a true sea) located in the Jordan Rift Valley.
  • Its surface is about 430 metres below sea level, making its shore the lowest point on land on Earth.
  • It is one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world, with a salinity of about 34 per cent, almost ten times saltier than the ocean.
  • Because of the high salt content, the water is very dense, and people can float on its surface easily.
  • It is called the "Dead Sea" because its high salinity prevents fish and plants from living in it; only some microorganisms (bacteria and archaea) can survive.

Its main source of water is the Jordan River, which flows into it from the north. It has no outlet; water is lost only through evaporation.

It is also called the "Salt Sea" in the Bible, and in Arabic "Al-Bahr al-Mayyit".

Shrinking of the Dead Sea:

  • Its water level is falling by about one metre every year, because much of the Jordan River's water is diverted for drinking and farming, and because of mineral extraction.
  • Sinkholes have appeared along its shores.
  • A proposed "Red Sea-Dead Sea Water Conveyance" project aimed to bring water from the Red Sea to replenish it.

Its importance:

  • Its mud and salts are rich in minerals and are used for skin treatments and cosmetics.
  • It is a major source of potash, bromine and magnesium.
  • The "Dead Sea Scrolls", ancient Jewish manuscripts, were discovered in the Qumran caves near its northern shore between 1947 and 1956.
  • The ancient fortress of Masada, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, overlooks it.

Other salt lakes:

Great Salt Lake (USA), Lake Assal (Djibouti, also below sea level), Caspian Sea (the largest lake in the world, slightly salty), and Sambhar Lake (Rajasthan, India's largest inland salt lake).

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Egypt and Saudi Arabia border the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba.
  • ✗Syria and Lebanon are on the Mediterranean coast.
  • ✗Iraq and Kuwait are near the Persian Gulf.

Quick tip

Remember: Dead Sea = bordered by Jordan (east) and Israel and the West Bank (west); lowest point on land (about 430 m below sea level); about 10 times saltier than the ocean; fed by the Jordan River; Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran.

💬 Discussions on this question

Ask a doubt ›

Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.

Ask a doubt

More World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies Questions

View all ›
  1. Q1.Which country is known as the 'Country of Winds' (or Land of Wind)?
  2. Q2.What is the capital of Bhutan?
  3. Q3.What is the currency of Bangladesh?
  4. Q4.'Dhivehi' is the official language of which country?
  5. Q5.Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is known as the:

More General Knowledge Questions

  1. Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
  2. Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
  3. Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
  4. Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
  5. Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms

World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers world GK: countries with their capitals, currencies and parliaments, national symbols, famous landmarks, the longest, largest and highest features of the world, and international boundary lines such as the Radcliffe, McMahon and Durand Lines. The most common questions match a country with its capital or currency, or a parliament with its name (such as the Knesset of Israel or the Diet of Japan). Revise countries continent by continent, giving extra attention to India's neighbours. Questions on boundary lines usually ask which two countries a line separates. Practise the world GK questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

‹ All World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies questionsBrowse all topics ›