World History- Geographic Dictionary

source

(of a river) place where a river or stream begins, often in highlands

mouth

(of a river) place where a stream or river flows into a larger body of water

swamp

A wetland ecosystem in which shrubs and trees grow

savanna

An area of grassland with scattered trees and bushes

desert

An extremely dry area with little water and few plants

climate

The average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time

reef

a chain of rocks, coral or sand at or near the surface of the water

steppe

a dry grassy plain

archipelago

a group of islands

hemisphere

a line that splits the world in half

country

a nation or area of land that is politically controlled by one government

atoll

a ring-shaped coral reef, island, or set of small islands nearly or completely surrounding a lagoon

mountian range

a series of connected mountains

lake

a sizable inland body of water

tundra

a treeless region in the arctic, where climate is cold and windy.

valley

an area of low land between hills or mountains

praire

an enormous stretch of grassland

equator

an imaginary line around the earth

plateau

area of flat or rolling land at a high elevation, about 300-3,000 feet high

basin

area of land drained by a given river and its branches; area of land surrounded by lands of higher elevations

plain

area of level land, usually at low elevation and often covered with grasses

peninsula

body of land jutting into a lake or ocean, surrounded on three sides by water

sound

broad inland body of water, often between a coastline and one or more islands off the coast

mesa

broad, flat-topped landform with steep sides, smaller than a plateau

physical feature

characteristic of a place occurring naturally, such as a landform, body of water, climate pattern, or resource

canyon

deep and narrow valley with steep walls

downstream

direction in which a river or stream flows from its source to its mouth

upstream

direction opposite the flow of a river; toward the source of a river or stream

highland

elevated land area such as a hill, mountain, or plateau

hill

elevated land with sloping sides and rounded summit; generally smaller than a mountain

delta

flat, low-lying land built up from soil carried downstream by a river and deposited at its mouth

island

land area, smaller than a continent, completely surrounded by water

mountian

land with steep side that rises sharply (1,000 feet or more) from surrounding land; generally larger and more rugged than a hill.

lowland

land, usually level, at a low elevation

sea

large body of water completely or partly surrounded by land

river

large natural stream of water that runs through the land

glacier

large, thick body of slowly moving ice

volcano

mountian or hill created as liquid rock and ash erupt from inside the Earth

isthmus

narrow stretch of land connecting two larger land areas

strait

narrow stretch of water joining two larger bodies of water

ocean

one of the four major bodies of salt water that surround the continents

continent

one of the seven large landmasses on the earth

Artic Circle

one of the two polar circles

gulf

part of a large body of water that extends into a shoreline, generally larger and more deeply indented than a bay

bay

part of a large body of water that extends into a shoreline, generally smaller than a gulf

cape

point of land that extends into a river, lake, or ocean

mountian peak

pointed top of a mountain

oasis

small area in a desert where water and vegetation are found

tributary

small river or stream that flows into a large river or stream; a branch of the river

cliff

steep, high wall of rock, earth, or ice

ocean current

stream of either cold or warm water that moves in a definite direction through an ocean

divide

stretch of high land that separates river systems

summit

the highest point of a hill or mountain

geography

the study of physical features of the earth

poles

the two points of the earth where it rotates on its axis

precipitation

water released from clouds in the sky

channel

wide strait or waterway between two landmasses that lie close to each other; deep part of a river or other waterway