In 1960s, the Aral Sea, situated at the lowest reaches of its two main inflows, had a surface area of 68,000 km2, a maximum water-level of 53.41 m above sea level, a volume of 1,090 km3, and a salinity of 10 g/l. For the last 300 to 400 years before 1960, it was one of the largest lakes in the world. Its influents are Syr Darya, which runs into the Aral Sea from the east, and Amu Darya, which flows from the south. The Sea has been continuously shrinking since 1960s, and in 1991 it had a surface area of only 37,330 km2, a water-level of 39. 80 m above sea level, and a volume of 320 km3, and had undergone a sharp salinity increase to 29.60 g/l
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