Landforms By: Miss Scheftic

Mountains Definition: landforms that rise above the surrounding terrain Generally higher than 600 meters 3 parts: Summit Slope Base They exist on every continent in the world

Plateau Definition: large flat area of land that rises thousands of feet in the air They are sometimes surrounded by mountains The flat part can spread for hundreds or thousands of kilometers They form when mountains are worn down or when a large flat portion of the earth is pushed up They cover 45% of the earth’s land surface

Valley Definition: a low area of land between hills or mountains Usually have a river or stream flowing through it 2 different shapes/kinds of valleys V shaped: caused by erosion and rivers U shaped: formed by glaciers moving Most valleys are usually U-shaped

Savanna (plain) Definition: rolling grassland scattered with shrubs and a few trees Have only 2 seasons: A very long dry winter A very wet summer They can be found in: Africa South America Northern Australia Source: http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/savanna.htm

Delta Located at the mouth of a river It forms when mud, silt, sand and gravel settle to the bottom of a river at its mouth Usually occurs when the river enters a large body of calm water They exist all over the world except at the poles

River Definition: body of fresh water moving over the earth Bigger than streams Can be both natural and man-made Rivers empty into larger bodies of water They flow from a higher elevation to a lower elevation

Lakes Definition: bodies of freshwater surrounded by land Range in size from less than one acre to several thousand acres Usually fed by rivers

Peninsula Definition: elongated shape of land that projects out into a body of water Almost completely surrounded by water Can be found all over the world: Florida Mexico’s Baja peninsula Peloponnesian peninsula Arabian peninsula

Island Definition: a piece of land surrounded by the sea on all sides 2 different kinds of islands Continental: have the same plants and animals as the continent near it Oceanic: have completely different plants and animals Some are volcanoes that have built up under the ocean

Bay Definition: a body of water partially surrounded by land Connects to the sea Smaller than a gulf Some examples include: San Francisco bay Hudson Bay Chesapeake Bay

Wetlands (swamps) Definition: areas where water covers the soil, or is at or near the surface of the soil all year Found on every continent except for Antarctica Contains water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt Several different kinds: Tidal or coastal: found along the Atlantic, Pacific, Alaskan, and Gulf coasts Non-tidal or inland: most common on floodplains along rivers and streams

Highlands Definition: a hilly or mountainous high area of a country The most famous ones are the Scottish Highlands

Basin An area of land where surface water from rain, melting snow, or ice meet at a single point Then the water joins another body like a river, lake, reservoir, wetland, sea, or ocean

Mouth of the River Definition: the opening of a river where the water flows into another body of water Where the delta is formed

River Source Definition: the original point from which the river flows Or the place where the river begins Can be a lake, a marsh, a spring, or a glacier