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Death Valley - 2009

Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater (image 33), a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet (86.0 m) below sea level.
The valley received its English name in 1849 during the California Gold Rush. It was called Death Valley by prospectors on their way to the gold fields, although only one death in the area was recorded during the Rush. During the 1850s, gold and silver were extracted in the valley. In the 1880s, borax was discovered.
Death Valley National Monument was proclaimed on February 11, 1933 by President Hoover and redesignated as Death Valley National Park in 1994 (this includes Saline and Eureka Valleys).