Earth’s Landforms and Features

Continent: One of the seven large land masses on Earth.

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

Island: Land that is completely surrounded by water.

Archipelago: A chain or cluster of islands.

Mountain: A landform that rises 1,000 or more feet above the land around it.

Hill: A raised part of the earth's surface, smaller than a mountain, usually having an elevation of less than 1000 feet.

Plateau: A large region that is higher than the surrounding area and relatively flat.

Plain: A relatively flat area of land, usually very large.

Valley: A depression on Earth's surface between ranges of hills or mountains. Three Types: Mountain Valleys River Valleys Rift Valleys

Canyon: A deep, narrow valley with very steep sides.

Isthmus: A narrow strip of land (with water on both sides) connecting two larger land areas.

Ocean: The great body of salt water which occupies two-thirds of the surface of the Earth.

Sea: A large body of salt water connected with an ocean and partially enclosed by land

Lake: A body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land

River: A large body of moving water, that flows until it empties into a larger river or other body of water.

Tributary: A river or stream flowing into a larger river or lake .

Delta: The fan-shaped area at the mouth or lower end of a river.

Strait: A narrow channel of water that connects two larger bodies of

Mesa: A flat-topped, steep-sided high-land.

Basin: A natural depression or relatively low area enclosed by higher land.

Cape: A pointed piece of land that sticks out into a sea, ocean, lake, or river.

Gulf: A large part of the ocean that is partly surrounded by land.

Bay: A body of water that is part of an ocean/sea/lake with land on three sides. Smaller than a gulf.