Topic
Geography Vocabulary
Basin
An area of land surrounded by higher
elevation land.
Bay
Extends into a shoreline, smaller than a
gulf and less deep (more shallow).
Canyon
Deep valley, steep side, cut by river
Cape
Point of land that extends into a river
lake or ocean. Smaller then a peninsula.
Channel
Wide strait or waterway between two
land masses.
Cliff
Steep high wall of rock, earth, or ice.
Continent
One of 7 large land masses
Delta
Flat, low lying land created by river
deposits at the mouth of the river.
Divide
High land that separates rivers.
Downstream
Elevation
River flows from source (mtn.) to mouth.
Height of land above sea level.
Equator
Imaginary line through the center of the
Earth, half way between the N. and S.
Poles
Glacier
Large, thick body of slow moving ice.
Gulf
Extends into a shoreline and is usually
larger and deeper than a bay.
Harbor
Sheltered place along the shoreline
where ships can anchor. It’s deep.
Highland
Elevated land such as hills, mountains,
and plateaus.
Hill
Elevated land with sloping sides, smaller
than a mountain.
Island
Land completely surrounded by water,
smaller than a continent.
*Isthmus*
Narrow stretch of land connecting two
larger lands. (Panama)
Lake
Sizeable inland water.
Latitude
Distance north and south measured in
degrees (horizontal------)
Longitude
Distance east and west measured in
degrees (vertical^)
Lowland
Land usually level and at low elevations.
Drawing of Earth’s surface
Map
Longitude lines. N. and S. Poles
Meridian
Mesa
Smaller than a plateau, but has a flat top
and steep sides. (cowboy movies)
Mountain
Land with steep sides 1,000 feet or more
above surrounding areas.
Pointed top of a mountain.
Mountain Peak
A series of connected mountains.
Mountain Range
Mouth
Where a stream or river meets a larger
water source.
Ocean
One of four major bodies of salt water,
surrounding continents.
Ocean Current
Parallel
Rivers of cold or warm water that moves
fast within the oceans (Finding Nemo).
Latitude lines, they never touch
Peninsula
Body of land jutting out into a lake or
ocean, surrounded by water on three
sides.
Physical Features
Characteristics of land (What is here
naturally)
Plain
Area of lowland, usually at low
elevations, and usually covered by grass.
Plateau
Area of flat or rolling land at a high
elevation, usually 300 to 3000 feet high
Prime Meridian
0 Degrees Longitude cuts through
Greenwich, England.
Relief
Change in elevation.
River
Large natural occurring streams that runs
through land.
Sea
Large body of water completely or
partially surrounded by land.
Seacoast
Land lying next to a sea or ocean
Sound
Broad inland body of water, often
between the coastline and one or more
islands.
Source
A place where river or streams begin
usually highlands.
Strait
Narrow stretch of water joining two
larger bodies of water.
Tributary
Small rivers or streams that flow into a
larger river or stream (Branches of a
river)
Upstream
The source of the river down to the lower
areas.
Valley
Area of low land usually between hills or
mountains.
Volcano
Mountains or hills created a liquid rock
and ash that erupts inside the earth.
Various Maps
Types of maps
Winkel Tripel Projection
Robinson Projection
Goode’s Interrupted Equal-Area
Projection
Mercator Projection
Parts of Maps
1. Title
2. Compass Rose
Cardinal Directions: N,S,E,W
Intermediate Directions: NE, NW, SE,
SW
3. Key/Legend: Explains information on
map.
4. Scale
5. Grid system
Types of Maps
Physical Maps: Physical features of land
Political Maps: Shows boundaries
between countries & human made
features.
Special-Purpose Maps:
1. Population Density
2. Economic Activity: How countries
make money. Inds. & Agriculture
3. Climate
4. Vegetation
5. Elevation: Land (Ht) and water
(Depth)
Graphs Charts, and
Diagrams
Line Graph: Two variables changing
Bar Graph: Comparisons
Circle Graph: Parts of the whole
Chart & Table: Organized row and
columns.
Diagrams: What it is or how it’s done.