Flashcards › Basic Geography Vocabulary

Archipelago Islands clustered together Arctic Circle Imaginary line about 66 degrees north of the equator. North of this line the climate is very cold and harsh Atoll Coral reef enclosing a lagoon Basin 1. Area of land that is lower than the surrounding land 2. Area drained by a river system Bay Area of an ocean, sea, lake, etc., that extends into land. Bays are usually smaller than gulfs Canyon Deep, narrow, steep-sided valley, often with a river on its floor Cape Piece of land extending beyond the rest of the shoreline into the ocean Climate All the weather that occurs in an area over a long period of time. It is usually described as a combination of temperature and precipitation Continent Huge land mass. There are seven continents Country Any independent nation with a name and a boundary Delta Triangular-shaped area of small islands of sediment that divide a river into smaller parts at its mouth Desert Dry area which receives such a small amount of precipitation that little or no plant or animal life can survive there permanently. Deserts may be very hot or very cold Equator Imaginary line that circles Earth halfway between the poles Geography Study of the features of the earth and of the places where plants and animals live and how they affect and are affected by their environments Glacier Huge mass of slowly moving ice Gulf Large part of an ocean that extends into the land. A gulf is usually larger than a bay Hemisphere One half of the earth. When divided at the equator, the two halves are the Northern and Southern hemispheres. When divided from pole to pole, the two halves are the Eastern and Western hemisphere Hill Land that rises to a summit no more than 1,000 feet above the surrounding area Island Land completely surrounded by water Isthmus Narrow neck of land connecting two larger areas of land Lake A body of water surrounded by land. Lakes are usually filled with fresh water Mountain Land that rises higher than hills above the surrounding area Mouth The lower end of a river where it flows into another body of water Ocean Huge area of salt water. The four oceans cover almost three-fourths of the earth's surface Peninsula Area of land almost surrounded by water. (Usually three sides are surrounded) Plain Large area of flat or gently rolling, treeless land Plateau Large area of level land that is higher than surrounding land. Plateaus are often cut by canyons, and a mountain system is usually located on one edge Poles Northern and southernmost points on the earth Prairie Flat or rolling land with few trees but covered with grasses Precipitation Rain,hail, sleet, snow, and other types of moisture that fall to the earth River Large amount of flowing fresh water Savanna Dry area of flat or rolling land that supports grasses but few trees. Usually located in tropical or sub-tropical regions Sea Part of an ocean that has been identified by geographers as a dinstinct body of water with its own name Steppe Large area that experiences very hot and very cold temperatures and little precipitation but supports hardy grasses and other plants Strait Narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water Summit Highest point on a hill or mountain Swamp Area of land that is very wet all year round and in which trees and shrubs grow Tributary Stream or river that flows into a larger stream or river. a river and its tributaries form a river system Tundra Treeless plain close to or above the Arctic Circle. Some vegetation grows in the topsoil but the subsoil is frozen Valley Long, low-lying area ususlly located between ranges of hills or mountains Volcano Cone-shaped mountain formed by lava and/or other materials that have erupted from the interior of the earth Basic geographic terms and their definitions