Landforms and Biomes

Volcano An opening in the earth's crust through which molten lava, ash, and gases are ejected

Floodplain An area of low-lying ground next to a river, formed mainly of river sediments and subject to flooding.

Plateau An elevated, comparatively level expanse of land; a tableland

Canyon A deep gorge, typically one with a river flowing through it, as found in North America.

Mountain A large natural elevation of the earth's surface rising abruptly from the surrounding level; a large steep hill.

Island A piece of land surrounded by water.

Strait A narrow passage of water connecting two seas or two large areas of water

Peninsula A piece of land almost surrounded by water or projecting out into a body of water.

Plain A large area of flat land with few trees

Valley A low area of land between hills or mountains, typically with a river or stream flowing through it

River A large natural stream of water flowing in a channel to the sea, a lake, or another stream

Lake A large body of water surrounded by land

Isthmus A narrow strip of land with sea on either side, forming a link between two larger areas of land.

Archipelago A group of islands

Ocean A very large expanse of sea, in particular, each of the main areas into which the sea is divided geographically

Forest Areas that are dominated by trees and other woody vegetation

Savanna A savanna is a rolling grassland scattered with shrubs and isolated trees

Tundra It is noted for its frost-molded landscapes, extremely low temperatures, little precipitation, poor nutrients, and short growing seasons

Grassland Grassland biomes are large, rolling terrains of grasses, flowers and herbs

Desert Deserts cover about one fifth of the Earth's surface and occur where rainfall is less than 50 cm/year

Barren This land is cold year-round, it has thin, poor soil and few animals.