Its surface and shores are 430.5 metres (1,412ft) below sea level,[4][6] Earth's lowest elevation on land. It is 304m (997ft) deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. With a salinity of 342 g/kg, or 34.2% (in 2011), it is one of the world's saltiest bodies of water[7] – 9.6 times as salty as the ocean – and has a density of 1.24kg/litre, which makes swimming similar to floating.[8][9] This salinity makes for a harsh environment in which plants and animals cannot flourish, hence its name. The Dead Sea's main, northern basin is 50 kilometres (31mi) long and 15 kilometres (9mi) wide at its widest point.[1]