Unit 1: Physical Geography Vocabulary

Appalachian Mountains-Eastern mountain range in United States and Canada. Classified by rolling hills, dense vegetation, and temperate climate.  Canadian Shield-A giant mountain slab that resembles a shield in north Canada. Rugged terrain is not good for agriculture but has resources. Mississippi River-One of the longest and most significant rivers in the United States. Starts in Minnesota and flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Rocky Mountains-Longest mountain range in United States and Canada. Classified by rocky, uneven mountains with a dry climate. Day 1: U.S. & Canada

Amazon Basin-Located in central Brazil along the Amazon River system Amazon Basin-Located in central Brazil along the Amazon River system. Home of the world’s largest rainforest. Andes Mountains-Longest mountain range in the world that spans the entire western coast of South America. Broken into four sections. Atacama Desert-Small desert in north Chile between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes. Receives less than an inch of rain per year with no vegetation. Pampas-Flat plains region located in Argentina. Major economic area for agriculture and herding. Day 2: Latin America

Congo River Basin-A tropical wet zone in central Africa along the Congo River. Contains 20% of the world’s rainforest.   Kalahari Desert-A desert in Southern Africa, located between the Orange and Zambezi Rivers. The region is covered by reddish sand and does not have extreme temperatures like the Sahara Desert. Nile River-Longest river in the world that flows North towards the Mediterranean Sea. Its origin is from two different rivers: Blue Nile & White Nile. Sahara Desert-The largest desert on Earth that covers almost a third of the continent. Located primarily in North Africa.  Sahel-Southern edge of the Sahara Desert. It’s a semiarid transition zone between the arid north and tropical south. Day 3: Africa

Day 4: Central & Southwest Asia Caspian Sea-Largest inland body of water on Earth, sometimes referred to as a lake. Located in Central Asia between Russia and Iran. Euphrates River-Longest river in the Middle East. Flows south from Turkey through Iraq and empties into the Persian Gulf. Persian Gulf-Body of water that is an extension of the Indian Ocean. Located between Saudi Arabia and Iran in the Middle East. Tigris River-One of two great rivers in the region. Flows south from Turkey through Iraq and empties into the Persian Gulf. Zagros Mountains-Mountain range in the Middle East that spans Iran, Iraq, and southeast Turkey. Day 4: Central & Southwest Asia

Alps-Large mountain range that spans several countries in South Europe Alps-Large mountain range that spans several countries in South Europe. Renown for skiing, hiking, and other winter sports. Danube River-Longest river in Europe that connects East & West Europe. Starts in Germany and flows towards the Black Sea.  Pyrenees Mountains-Mountain range that creates the physical boundary between Spain and France on the Iberian Peninsula. Rhine River-River that flows from the Alps towards the North Sea. Seine River-Major river of France that flows through Paris and empties into the English Channel. Ural Mountains-Mountain range that spans through Russia. Creates the physical boundary between Asia and Europe. Day 5: Europe

Ganges River-India’s largest river that provides freshwater to millions of people. Has importance to Hinduism and is heavily polluted due to a high population density. Gobi Desert-A cold desert located in Mongolia and North China. Sparse amounts of vegetation and low population density. Himalayan Mountains-Highest mountain range in the world. Creates the boundary between South Asia (India) and East Asia (China). Huang He River-Also known as the Yellow River due to yellow silt on the river bank. Often floods rapidly and unpredictably, earning the nickname ‘China’s Sorrow’. Indus River-Major river in Pakistan that is home to ancient civilizations. Often a source of conflict due to the surrounding desert. Tibetan Plateau-Large Plateau that makes up most of China’s southwest region. Contains large amounts of glaciers and the origin of a majority of Asia’s rivers. Yangtze River-Longest river in China. One-third of the country’s population uses the freshwater from this river. Day 6: Asia

Day 7: Australia, Oceania, Antarctica Great Dividing Range-Eastern mountain range in Australia. It’s the source of most rivers on the continent. Great Victoria Desert-Large desert of Australia that spans most of the continent. Often referred to as ‘The Outback’. Day 7: Australia, Oceania, Antarctica

Natural Resources-Materials or substances such as minerals, forests, water, and fertile land that occur in nature and can be used for economic gain. Day 8: Resources