Why is the Aral Sea shrinking
China and Middle Asia
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The area of the Aral Sea, located on the border of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, has been reduced in size by one-half since 1960. Though it was once the world’s fourth-largest lake, diversion of its feeder rivers for agricultural purposes has severely shrunken the lake. This shrinkage has exposed soil saturated with salt, which now destroys plants and vegetation across the nearby plains.