Place Name Quiz
pacific ocean
extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south and is bounded by Asia and Australia in the west and the Americas in the east
atlas mountains
extend some 2,500km across northwestern Africa, spanning Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, separating the Atlantic and Mediterranean coastline from the Sahara Desert. Actually a series of ranges with diverse terrain, climates and wildlife
italian peninsula
extends 1,000 km from the Po Valley in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south
alps
the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately 1,200 kilometres across eight Alpine countries: France, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, and Slovenia
sicily
the largest Mediterranean island, just off the "toe" of Italy's "boot."
great basin
the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America. spans nearly all of Nevada, much of Oregon and Utah, and portions of California, Idaho, and Wyoming
patagonian desert
the largest desert in Argentina and is the 8th largest desert in the world by area, occupying 673,000 square kilometers
international date line
the line of longitude that marks where each new day begins, centered on the 180th meridian
Arctic Circle
the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth
Antarctic Circle
the most southerly of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth
arabian peninsula
a peninsula of Western Asia situated northeast of Africa
tropic of cancer
23.5 degrees North
Tropic of Capricorn
23.5 degrees south
australian desert
Desert in central Australia
asia
Earth's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the Eastern and Northern Hemispheres. It shares the continental landmass of Eurasia with the continent of Europe and the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with both Europe and Africa
andes mountains
From Venezuela in the north, the range passes through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile
iceland
Located in the North Atlantic Ocean, directly east of Greenland, Iceland is Europe's western most country, the second largest island in the North-Atlantic Ocean
south equatorial current
Ocean current in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Ocean that flows east-to-west between the equator and about 20 degrees south. In the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, it extends across the equator to about 5 degrees north
bermuda
a British island territory in the North Atlantic Ocean known for its pink-sand beaches such as Elbow Beach and Horseshoe Bay
sonora desert
a North American desert which covers large parts of the Southwestern United States in Arizona and California and of Northwestern Mexico in Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur
california current
a Pacific Ocean current that moves southward along the western coast of North America, beginning off southern British Columbia and ending off southern Baja California Peninsula. It is considered an Eastern boundary current due to the influence of the North American coastline on its course
philippines
a Southeast Asian country in the Western Pacific, comprising more than 7,000 islands
black sea
a body of water and marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean between Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Western Asia
aleutian islands
a chain of 14 large volcanic islands and 55 smaller ones belonging to both the U.S. state of Alaska and the Russian federal subject of Kamchatka Krai
labrador current
a cold current in the North Atlantic Ocean which flows from the Arctic Ocean south along the coast of Labrador and passes around Newfoundland, continuing south along the east coast of Nova Scotia
peru (humboldt) current
a cold, low-salinity ocean current that flows north along the western coast of South America. It is an eastern boundary current flowing in the direction of the equator, and extends 500-1,000 km offshore
north america
a continent entirely within the Northern Hemisphere and almost all within the Western Hemisphere; it is also considered by some to be a northern subcontinent of the Americas
south america
a continent in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It may also be considered a subcontinent of the Americas
europe
a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. It comprises the westernmost part of Eurasia
bahama islands
a coral-based archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, just off the southeast tip of Florida
australia
a country and continent surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans
new zealand
a country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean consisting of 2 main islands, both marked by volcanoes and glaciation
chihuahua desert
a desert and ecoregion designation covering parts of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States
atacama desert
a desert plateau in South America covering a 1000-km strip of land on the Pacific coast, west of the Andes mountains
indochina peninsula
a geographical term originating in the early nineteenth century and referring to the continental portion of the region now known as Southeast Asia
iranian plateau
a geological formation in Western Asia and Central Asia. It is the part of the Eurasian Plate wedged between the Arabian and Indian plates, situated between the Zagros Mountains to the west, the Caspian Sea and the Kopet Dag to the north, the Armenian Highlands and the Caucasus Mountains in the northwest, the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf to the south and the Indus River to the east in Pakistan
bomeo
a giant, rugged island in Southeast Asia's Malay Archipelago, shared by the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, Indonesian Kalimantan and the tiny nation of Brunei
lesser antilles
a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most form a long, partly volcanic island arc between the Greater Antilles to the north-west and the continent of South America. The islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean
greater antilles
a grouping of the larger islands in the Caribbean Sea: Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands. The Greater Antilles constitute nearly 90% of the land mass of the entire West Indies
madagascar
a huge island nation off the southeast coast of Africa
hudson bay
a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada that includes parts of southeastern Nunavut, Saskatchewan, most of Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and indirectly through smaller passages of water to parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Montana
james bay
a large body of water on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. It borders the provinces of Quebec and Ontario.
new guinea
a large island off the continent of Australia. It is the world's second-largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 785,753 km², and the largest wholly or partly within the Southern Hemisphere and Oceania
tampa bay
a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida
kalahari desert
a large semi-arid sandy savanna in Southern Africa extending for 900,000 square kilometres, covering much of Botswana
north sea
a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean located between the United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Sea in the north
bering sea
a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves. The Bering Sea is separated from the Gulf of Alaska by the Alaska Peninsula
south china sea
a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Karimata and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around 3,500,000 square kilometres
greenland
a massive island and autonomous Danish territory between the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans
persian/arabian gulf
a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Indian Ocean through the Strait of Hormuz and lies between Iran to the northeast and the Arabian Peninsula to the southwest. The Shatt al-Arab river delta forms the northwest shoreline
himalayas
a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau
sierra nevada mountains
a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily in Nevada
ural mountains
a mountain range that runs approximately from north to south through western Russia, from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to northwest Kazakhstan
iberian peninsula
a mountainous region that's most associated with the countries of Spain and Portugal
strait of gibraltar
a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Gibraltar and Peninsular Spain in Europe from Morocco and Ceuta in Africa
dardanelles
a narrow, natural strait and internationally significant waterway in northwestern Turkey that forms part of the continental boundary between Europe and Asia, and separates Asian Turkey from European Turkey
strait of magellan
a navigable sea route in southern Chile separating mainland South America to the north and Tierra del Fuego to the south. The strait is the most important natural passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
japan (kuroshio) current
a north-flowing ocean current on the west side of the North Pacific Ocean. It is similar to the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic and is part of the North Pacific ocean gyre. Like the Gulf stream, it is a strong western boundary current
baja california
a peninsula in Northwestern Mexico. It separates the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California
arabian plateau
a peninsula of Western Asia situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian plate. From a geographical perspective, it is considered a subcontinent of Asia
gulf stream
a powerful current in the Atlantic Ocean. It starts in the Gulf of Mexico and flows into the Atlantic at the tip of Florida, accelerating along the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland
arabian sea
a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel and the Arabian Peninsula, and on the east by India
cape horn
a rocky headland on Hornos Island, in southern Chile's Tierra del Fuego archipelago. It's surrounded by wild seas off the southern tip of South America where the Pacific and Atlantic oceans meet
cape of good hope
a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa
mediterranean sea
a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa and on the east by the Levant
caribbean sea
a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and south west, to the north by the Greater Antilles starting with Cuba, to the east by the Lesser Antilles, and to the south by the north coast of South America
red sea
a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. To the north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez
north equatorial current
a significant Pacific and Atlantic Ocean current that flows east-to-west between about 10° north and 20° north. It is the southern side of a clockwise subtropical gyre. Despite its name, the North Equatorial Current is not connected to the equator
prince william sound
a sound of the Gulf of Alaska on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located on the east side of the Kenai Peninsula
indian peninsula
a southern region and peninsula of Asia, mostly situated on the Indian Plate and projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas
alaska current
a southwestern warm-water current along the coast of British Columbia and the Alaska Panhandle. The current results from the northward diversion of a portion of the North Pacific Current when that current meets the west coast of the North American continent
yucatan channel
a strait between Mexico and Cuba. It connects the Yucatán Basin of the Caribbean Sea with the Gulf of Mexico
strait of hormuz
a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world's most strategically important choke points
windward passage
a strait in the Caribbean Sea, between the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola. The strait specifically lies between the easternmost region of Cuba and the northwest of Haiti
strait of florida
a strait located south-southeast of the North American mainland, generally accepted to be between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, and between the Florida Keys and Cuba
appalachian mountains
a system of mountains in eastern North America
long island sound
a tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, lying between the eastern shores of Bronx County, New York City, southern Westchester County, and Connecticut to the north
gobi desert
a vast, arid region in northern China and southern Mongolia
east brazil current
a warm water ocean current that is part of the southwestern North Atlantic Gyre. It begins when the westward moving Atlantic South Equatorial Current splits in half and flows northwestward, following the coastline of northeast Brazil
canary current
a wind-driven surface current that is part of the North Atlantic Gyre. This eastern boundary current branches south from the North Atlantic Current and flows southwest about as far as Senegal where it turns west and later joins the Atlantic North Equatorial Current
hindu kush mountains
an 800-kilometre-long mountain range that stretches near the Afghan-Pakistan border, from central Afghanistan to northern Pakistan. It forms the western section of the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region
canary islands
an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, the nearest island being 67 miles (108 km) off the northwest African mainland
british isles
an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe that consist of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man and over six thousand smaller isles
azores
an archipelago in the mid-Atlantic
seychelles
an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, off East Africa
mojave desert
an arid rain-shadow desert and the driest desert in North America. It is in the southwestern United States, primarily within southeastern California and southern Nevada, and it occupies 47,877 sq mi
gulf of alaska
an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the east, where Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage are found
panama canal
an artificial 82 km waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit for maritime trade
suez canal
an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez
equatorial counter current
an eastward flowing, wind-driven current which extends to depths of 100-150m in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans
brazilian highlands
an extensive geographical region, covering most of the eastern, southern and central portions of Brazil
Equator
an imaginary line drawn around the earth equally distant from both poles, dividing the earth into northern and southern hemispheres and constituting the parallel of latitude 0°
cyprus
an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean and the third largest and third most populous island in the Mediterranean, located south of Turkey, west of Syria and Lebanon, northwest of Israel, north of Egypt, and southeast of Greece
japan
an island nation in the Pacific Ocean
taiwan
an island state in East Asia. Its neighbors include the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the west, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south
trinidad
an island that lies 11 km (6.8 mi) off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America
hawaiian islands
an isolated volcanic archipelago in the Central Pacific
gulf of mexico
an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba
balkan peninsula
bordered by the Adriatic Sea on the northwest, the Ionian Sea on the southwest, the Aegean Sea in the south and southeast, and the Black Sea on the east and northeast
atlantic ocean
borders the east coast of the U.S.
indian ocean
bounded by Asia on the north, on the west by Africa, on the east by Australia, and on the south by the Southern Ocean or, depending on definition, by Antarctica
labrador peninsula
bounded by the Hudson Bay to the west, the Hudson Strait to the north, and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the southeast
korean peninsula
extends southwards for about 1,100 km from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the east and the Yellow Sea to the west
baffin island
in the Canadian territory of Nunavut. the largest island in Canada and the fifth-largest island in the world
Scandinavian Peninsula
located in Northern Europe, which generally comprises the mainland of Sweden, the mainland of Norway, the northwestern area of Finland, as well as a narrow area in the west of the Pechengsky District of Russia
crimean peninsula
on the northern coast of the Black Sea in Eastern Europe that is almost completely surrounded by both the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov to the northeast
south pole
one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface
florida peninsula
piece of land that sticks out off the southeast corner of the US
newfoundland
separated from the Labrador Peninsula by the Strait of Belle Isle and from Cape Breton Island by the Cabot Strait. It blocks the mouth of the Saint Lawrence River, creating the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
yucatan peninsula
separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea, encompassing 3 Mexican states, plus portions of Belize and Guatemala
rocky mountains
stretch some 3,000 miles from British Columbia and Alberta in Canada through Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and down to New Mexico in the U.S
sahara desert
stretches from the Red Sea in the east and the Mediterranean in the north to the Atlantic Ocean in the west, where the landscape gradually changes from desert to coastal plains. To the south, it is bounded by the Sahel, a belt of semi-arid tropical savanna around the Niger River valley and the Sudan Region
drake passage
the body of water between South America's Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It connects the southwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean with the southeastern part of the Pacific Ocean and extends into the Southern Ocean.
prime meridian
the earth's zero of longitude, which by convention passes through Greenwich, England
bay of bengal
the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean, bounded on the west and northwest by India on the north by Bangladesh, and on the east by Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of. Its southern limit is a line between Sri Lanka and the northwesternmost point of Sumatra
palmer peninsula
the northernmost part of the mainland of Antarctica, located at the base of the Southern Hemisphere
arctic ocean
the ocean around the North Pole
amazon basin
the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries
north pole
the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface
congo basin
the sedimentary basin of the Congo River. The Congo Basin is located in Central Africa, in a region known as west equatorial Africa
windward island
the southern, generally larger islands of the Lesser Antilles, within the West Indies
antarctica
the southernmost continent and site of the South Pole
east australian current
the southward western boundary current that is formed from the South Equatorial Current crossing the Coral Sea and reaching the eastern coast of Australia. At around 15° S near the Australian coast the SEC divides forming the southward flow of the EAC
lake superior
the world's largest fresh water lake by surface area, the largest of the Great Lakes of North America
africa
the world's second largest and second most-populous continent
