LAND & WATERGeography Vocabulary

Friday, May 11Quiz next week!

LAND VOCABULARY

canyon A deep, narrow valley

with steep walls The Grand Canyon in

North America is an example.

cliff A steep wall of earth,

ice, or rock.

divide A stretch of high land

that separates river systems.

hill Smaller than a mountain Higher than surrounding land with

sloping sides, and rounded summit.

mesa A flat-topped

landform with steep sides.

It is smaller than a plateau.

mountain 1,000 feet or

higher Formed by plate

collisions or volcanoes

Larger & higher than a hill

plain Flat or rolling land, usually low

elevation Often covered by grasses near

continental coasts

plateau

Flat or rolling land at a high elevation

300 to 3,000 feet high

Can be between mountain ranges.

WATER VOCABULARY

bay A body of water that extends into a

shoreline. It is usually smaller than a gulf and

less indented into the shoreline.

delta Flat land around the mouth of a

river, formed by soil and debris carried downstream by the river.

gulf A part of a

large indented body of water that extends into a shoreline.

harbor A location along a shoreline

where ships can safely anchor.

isthmus A narrow strip of land

joining two large areas of land.

peninsula Land that extends into a lake or

ocean, that has water on 3 sides.

sea A large body of

water totally or partially surrounded by land

Lakes are called inland seas.

strait A narrow strip of water joining 2

large bodies of water.