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Geography: Unit One
Physical Features
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Archipelago | a group of many islands |
basin | an area of land largely enclosed by higher land. |
bay | part of a body of salt water that reaches into the land; usually smaller than a gulf |
branch (tributary) | a river or stream that flows into a larger river or stream |
canal | a man-made waterway connecting two bodies of water and is designed to shorten travel time or irrigate |
canyon | narrow valley with steep sides; usually created by erosion |
cape | a curved or hooked piece of land extending into a body of water |
channel | a narrow deep waterway connecting two larger bodies of water; the deepest part of the waterway. |
cliff | a high, steep slope of rock or soil |
coast | land along the sea or ocean |
continent | one of the seven largest bodies of land on earth |
continental shelf | plateau of land surface into the ocean but underwater |
delta | land built up by deposits of sand and silt at the mouth of some rivers |
desert | dry, barren region usually sandy and without trees, little rainfall or practical use of land unless irrigated |
divide | the highest ridge of land separating river basins |
fault | a fracture in the rocks along which there has been movement |
fjord | a narrow inlet of the sea between high banks or cliffs created by glaciers |
forest | a large tract of land covered with trees and underbrush; extensive wooded area |
gulf | part of a sea or ocean that reaches into land; usually larger than a bay |
hill | a raised part of the earth’s surface with sloping sides; old mountain which because of erosion has become rounder and shorter |
island | an area of land completely surrounded by water |
isthmus | narrow strip of land with water on both sides connecting two larger pieces of land |
lake | a large body of water surrounded by land |
mountain | high, rocky land, usually with steep sides and a pointed or rounded top, higher than a hill |
mountain range | a long chain of mountains; a row of connected mountains |
mouth (of a river) | place where a river empties into a larger body of water; the end of a river |
oasis | a fertile place in the desert where there is water and some vegetation |
ocean | largest body of salt water; these cover 3/4 of the earth’s surface. |
peninsula | piece of land that extends into a body of water and is surrounded on three sides by water |
plain | a broad, flat or gently rolling area; usually low in elevation |
plateau | flat highland area with one steep face; elevated plain |
reef | a ridge of rock or sand at or near the surface of the water |
river | a large stream of water flowing through the land into a lake, ocean, or other body of water |
sea | a large body of water, usually salt water, partly or completely surrounded by land |
strait | a narrow waterway connecting two larger bodies of water |
valley | low land between hills or mountains |
volcano | a cone shaped mountain formed out of rock or ash thrown up from inside the earth, frequently with an opening or depression at the top |
waterfall | place where running water makes a sheer drop, usually over a cliff |