Wendy Teller, age 11, of Camden, N.J., for her question:

WHERE IS THE LOWEST SPOT IN THE U.S.?

Near a spot called Badwater in California's Death Valley you'll find the place that has the lowest elevation of any land in the Western Hemisphere. Ground here lies 282 feet below sea level.

Death Valley was named by a group of pioneers after they crossed the desolate desert in 1849. In 1933 the area became Death Valley National Monument.

The valley is actually about 130 miles long and from six to 14 miles wide. In sharp contrast to the low spot near Badwater is Telescope Peak in the Panamint Range only a few miles away. This peak rises 11,049 feet above sea level.

The highest temperature ever recorded in the United States, 134 degrees Fahrenheit, was recorded in Death Valley on July 10, 1913.