Geographical Terms Terms and definitions

Archipelago A group or chain of islands clustered together in a sea or ocean

Atoll A ring of coral that forms an island surrounding a lagoon in the ocean or sea

Bay Part of an ocean, sea, or lake, that extends into the land

Butte A small, flat-topped hill.

Canal A waterway built to carry water for navigation or irrigation

Canyon A deep valley with very steep sides, often carved into the Earth by a river.

Cape Part of a coastline that extends into the ocean, sea, gulf, bay, or lake

Cataract A large waterfall with a large volume of water, or a series of waterfalls

Cliff A high steep face of rock or earth

Delta Land formed at the mouth of a river by deposits of silt, sand, and pebbles

Dune A hill or ridge made of sand. Dunes are shaped by the wind, and change all the time

Fjord A long, narrow sea inlet that is bordered by steep cliffs

Foothills A hilly area at the base of a mountain range

Glacier A sheet of ice that moves slowly over some land surface or down a valley

Gulf Part of the ocean (or sea) that is partly surrounded by land. (It is usually larger than a bay)

Harbor A protected place where ships can safely anchor

Iceberg A large massive body of floating ice that has broken away from a glacier

Island A body of land completely surrounded by water

Isthmus A narrow strip of land connecting two larger landmasses. An isthmus has water on both sides

Lagoon A shallow body of water partly or completely enclosed within an atoll

Mesa A land formation with a flat area on top and steep walls, or clliffs- usually occurring in dry areas

Mountain Pass An opening or gap through a mountain range

Peninsula A body of land that is surrounded by water on three sides

Plateau A high, flat landform that rises steeply above the surrounding land. It is larger than a mesa or a butte.

River Basin All the land drained by a river and its tributaries.

Source The place where a river or stream begins.

Strait A narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water

Timber Line An imaginary line (on mountains) above which trees do not grow

Tributary A river or stream that flows into a larger river or stream

Valley An area of low land between hills or mountains