Geography Terms

Homework 9/28/26 Geography Vocabulary Write each vocabulary word down Write the definition for each word Draw a picture for each word Number each word

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

Hill A hill is land that rises above the land around it. A hill has a rounded top.

land that has water on all sides. Island land that has water on all sides.

Desert A desert is dry land with few plants. A desert does not get much rain.

Valley A valley is low land between hills or mountains.

Plain A plain is flat land.

Plateaus A plateau is a flat, elevated landform that rises sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side.

Peninsulas is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland.

A forest is a large area of land where many trees grow.

Rainforest  a tropical woodland with an annual rainfall of at least 100 inches and marked by lofty broad-leaved evergreen trees 

Wetlands  A wetland is a land area that is saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally,

Ocean An Ocean is a very large body of salt water that covers a large area.

Sea the expanse of salt water that covers most of the earth's surface and surrounds its landmasses.

Many people use the terms "ocean" and "sea" interchangeably when speaking about the ocean, but there is a difference between the two terms when speaking of geography (the study of the Earth's surface). Seas are smaller than oceans and are usually located where the land and ocean meet. Typically, seas are partially enclosed by land.

Straits A strait is a narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water

Coastlines The coast is the land along a sea. The boundary of acoast, where land meets water, is called the coastline.

Lake A lake is a body of water that has land on all sides.

River A river is a long body of fresh water that flows through the land.

Fresh Water Fresh water is naturally occurring water on Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, icebergs, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater. This is water we drink

Natural Barriers A natural barrier refers to a physical feature that protects or hinders travel through or over. Mountains, swamps, deserts and icefields are among the clearest examples of natural barriers.