CC Challenge A - Cartography Terms
Archipelago
A body of water interspersed with many isles
Chasm
a cleft of fissure in a rock or the earth's surface caused by a disrupture
Cape
a head land; the head, point or termination of a neck of land, extending some distance into the sea beyond the common shore
Dale
a low place between hills; a vale or valley
Gorge
a narrow hollow with steep rocky sides worn by a stream or torrent of water
Hill
a natural; elevation of land; a mass of earth rising above the common level of the surrounding land
Isthmus
a neck or narrow clip of land by which two continents are connected or by which a peninsula is united to the mainland
Field
a piece of land enclosed for tillage or pasture
Cove
a small inlet or bay; a recess in the sea shore
Crag
a steep, rugged rock; a rough, broken rock or point of a rock
Forest
an extensive wood; a large tract of land covered with trees
Cave
a hollow place in the earth; a subterraneous cavern; a den; may be natural or artificial
Canyon
a long deep hollow with steep, rocky sides worn bya stream or torrent of water
Arm
a long, narrow passage of water; a creek
Fjord
a long, narrow, deep valley formed by glacial erosion and flooded by ocean water
Ford
a place in a river or other water where it may be passed by man or beast on foot or by wading
Harbor
a port or haven for ships; a bay or inlet of the sea where ships can moor.
Gulf
a recess in the ocean from the general line of the shore into the land; a tract of water extending from the ocean or a sea into the land between two points or promontories; a large bay
Divide
a ridge that determines the direction water drains for adjacent water systems; a watershed
Atoll
a ring-shaped coral reef, island, or set of small islands nearly or completely surrounding a lagoon
Breakers
a rock that breaks the waves; a wave that breaks against a rock, a sand bank, or the shore exhibiting a white foam
Knob
a round hill or mount
Creek
a small inlet, a recess in the shore of the sea or of a river; a small stream
Brook
a small natural stream of water; a current flowing from a spring
dell
a small vale with woods
gulch
a small, narrow hollow with steep walls worn by a stream or torrent of water
Branch
a smaller stream running into a largher one or proceeding from it
Bayou
a soggy, swampy, slow-moving body of water obstructed by vegetation
Bank
a steep slope of ground rising from a lake, a river, or the sea
Island
a tract of land surrounded by water
Drainage Basin
area drained by a river and its tributaries, a watershed
Country
any tract of land or \inhabited land; any region, as distinguished from other regions; a kingdom, state or lesser district
Elevation
elevated ground; a rising ground; a hill or mountain
Dune
hill, mound or ridge of sand formed by wind
Cultivated Land
land prepared for crops
Irrigated land
land watered by causing a stream to flow up[on it and spread over it.
Bog
soft, wet ground covered with grass or other plants, too soft to bear a man
Crater
the aperture or mouth of a volcano
Downstream
the direction a river flows; flowing with the current
Continental Shelf
the edge of a continent that is submerged in water
Coast
the edge or margin of the land next to the sea; the seashore
Brink
the edge, margin, or border of a steep place, as of a precipice or the bank of a river
Altitude
the elevation of an object in relationship to a given plane, often above sea level
Horizon
the line that terminates the view when extended on the surface of the earth
Dam
a bank or mound of earth; any wall or frame of wood raised to obstruct a current of water.
Inlet
a bay or recess in the shore of the sea, a lake, or a large river; a narrow body of water between isles
Headland
a cape; a promontory; a point of land projecting from the shore into the sea or other expanse of water
Keys
a chain or range of rocks lying at or near the surface of the water; a cay
Cinder Cone
a cone-shaped hill of volcanic material surrounding an opening in the earth
Cavern
a deep, naturally hollow place in the earth, deeper than a cave
Dike
a ditch; a mound of earth, stones, or other materials, intended to prevent low lands from being inundated by the sea or a river
glacier
a field or an immense mass of ice formed in deep but elevated valleys, remaining frozen throughout the heat of summer
Current
a flowing or passing of water; a stream
Continent
a great extent of land, not disjoined or interrupted by a sea
Bluff
a high bank, almost perpendicular, projecting into the sea
Cliff
a high, steep almost vertical rock, usually on a coast
Foothill
a hill at the base of a mountain
Iceberg
a hill or mountain of ice; a vast body of ice accumulated in valleys in high northern latitudes
Basin
a hollow place for water; an enclosed part of water, forming a broad space within a strait or narrow entrance; a little bay
Glen
a valley; a dale; a depression or space between hills
Desert
a vast sandy plain characterized by minimal precipitation and plant growth
Grove
a wood of small extent
Delta
an area of triangular shaped land located at the mouth of a main river from which distributaries flow
Bay
an arm of the sea, extending into the land, smaller than a ulf and larger than a creek
Channel
an arm of the sea; a swtraight or narrow sea between two continents or between a continent and an isle
Estuary
an arm of the sea; the mouth of a river or lake where the tide meets the current
Canal
an artificial cut or passage for water used for transportation
Junction
the place or point of union
Fall Line
the point where rivers descend rapidly due to a distinct decline in elevation
Beach
the shore of the sea or of a lake, washed by the tide and waves
Earth
the terraqueous globe that we inhabit
Knoll
the top or crown of a hill; a little round hill or mount; a small elevation of earth