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Lake Assal seen from space
- Lake Karum in the Ethiopian portion of the northern Afar Depression is also sometimes called Lake Assal.
Lake Asal is a crater lake in central Djibouti, located at 11.6° N 42.4° E. It lies 155 m below sea level in the Afar Depression and is the lowest point in Africa. It measures 10 by 7 km and has an area of 54 km². The mean depth is 7.4 meters, which makes for a water volume of 400 Million m³. The catchment area measures 900 km². The lake has a salinity of 35%, which makes it the world's saltiest lake. It is surrounded by a salt pan, which is still mined, the salt being transported by caravan to Ethiopia.
