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Coast
Types of Coastlines
Coastline
The coast is the part of the land that borders the sea.
It is subject to constant change, as the result of the
waves and deposits carried by water onto the land.
The coastline is where the land and the sea merge.
Because the actual line changes with the tides, some
scientists refer to this area as a “coastal zone”.
Regular Coastline
Irregular Coastline
Regular coastlines have a smooth outline with few to
no natural harbors. If there are mountains inland, the
regular coast usually runs parallel to them.
A coast is irregular when the line of the land is
uneven, containing many natural harbors. The harbors
enable trade, and can help a country thrive.
Please note: These are not 3-part cards and are not meant to be. They are information cards. When you cut them apart, cut only on the black lines. Do not cut
apart the picture, name, and definition. Please see the instructions at the end for how they are to be used.
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Types of Coastlines
High Coastline
Low Coastline
The coast is described as high when the land
descends vertically to the sea. It can be regular
(smooth) or irregular, with many harbors and bays.
The coast is described as low when the land gradually
descends to the sea. It can be regular (smooth), or
irregular, with many harbors or bays.
Emergent Coastline
Submergent Coastline
Emergent coastlines are exposed to the sea due to
falling sea levels, caused by shifting tectonic plates
of the Earth, or a global change in sea level.
When the sea level rises because of shifting tectonic
plates of the Earth or a global change in sea levels,
the resulting coast is a submergent coastline.
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Low Sandy Coastline
Types of Coastlines
Low Rocky Coastline
A coastline whose land descends gradually to
the sea, and is made mostly of sand, is called
a low sandy coastline.
A low rocky coastline is a made mostly of rocks and
rocky matter and descends gradually to the sea.
Promontory
Peninsula
A promontory is an irregular coastline of emergence.
A mountainous point of land that protrudes into the
sea, it is usually high with a sheer drop and rocky cliffs.
A peninsula (or headland) is an irregular coastline of
emergence. It is a large stretch of land surrounded
by water on almost all sides.
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Types of Coastlines
Cape
Point
A cape is an irregular coastline of emergence,
consisting of land surrounded by water. It is larger
than a point but not as large as a peninsula.
A point is an irregular coastline of emergence, consisting of tapering land that projects into the water. It is
often formed by the deposit of silt by ocean currents.
Spit
Isthmus
A low-lying narrow piece of land projecting into the
sea, usually at the entrance to a bay, is called a spit. It
is an irregular coastline of emergence.
A piece of land that connects two other pieces
of land is called an isthmus. It is an irregular coastline
of emergence.
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Gulf
Types of Coastlines
Fiord (Fjord)
A gulf is part of an irregular coastline of submergence. A fiord (fjord) is an irregular coastline of submergence.
It is a very large area of water partially surrounded by
It is a long, deep, narrow inlet of the sea often
land. It is larger than a bay.
bordered by steep cliffs. It is carved by a glacier.
Bay
Cove
A bay is part of an irregular coastline of submergence. A cove is a small bay or inlet, consisting of water that
It is an indentation in a sea or lake where water is
indents into the land. It is part of an irregular coastline
surrounded by land. It is not as big as a gulf.
of submergence, and is often circular or oval.
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Types of Coastlines
Harbor
Ria
A harbor is an irregular coastline of submergence. It is
a small bay or other sheltered part of a larger body of
water, deep enough for ships to anchor.
A ria is a kind of irregular coastline of submergence.
Rias occur when the sea level rises near a valley,
flooding it. A ria is also called a drowned river valley.
Strait
A strait is an irregular coastline of submergence. It is
a narrow stretch of water which connects two larger
bodies of water.
Types of Coastlines
Coast
Coastline
Low Coastline
High Coastline
Low Irregular Coastline* High Irregular Coastline*
Low Regular Coastline*
High Regular Coastline*
Low Sandy Coastline
Low Rocky Coastline
Regular Coastline
Irregular Coastline
Submergent Coastline:
Gulf
Fiord/Fjord
Bay
Cove
Harbor
Ria
Strait
Emergent Coastline:
Peninsula
Promontory
Cape
Point
Spit
Isthmus
*These types are mentioned in the definitions but are not individually pictured.
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www.montessoriforeveryone.com
Types of Coastlines
Control Chart
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Types of Coastlines
Instructions
Instructions for making this item: print on cardstock, laminate, and cut cards apart.
There were two reasons why we did not make these cards in the traditional 3-part card style:
1. The cards have a hierarchy—some of them represent larger categories while others fall under those categories. It’s hard
to arrange them correctly by hierarchy when they are 3-part cards.
2. Many of the coastlines look extremely similar, making it difficult to match the name and definition to the picture.
When students work with this material, have them read the name and definition on each card and place it on a rug, roughly
following the outline on the control chart. This lets them see which coastlines are subtypes of other types.
These cards are for 9-12 year olds who have already completed basic Geography work (Land and Water Forms, Advanced
Land and Water Forms, Parts of a River, Mountain, and Volcano, as well as studies of countries and continents).
The study of Types of Coastlines is part of the horizontal configuration of the Earth, as opposed to the vertical configuration (layers of the Earth, layers of the Earth’s surface, layers of the atmosphere).
There are other features that occur at coastlines that are not types of coastlines but are related. An interested
student might want to study them. Here are a few suggestions:
lagoon
jetty
channel
salt marsh
canal
dunes
beach
sea caves
stack
stump
delta
estuary
shoal
Our Geographic Features Research Guides (found in the Research Guide section of our store/CD) has a research guide for
studying coastlines which would be a nice companion to these cards.