Land Forms

Gulf Definition: Part of a large body of water that extends into a shoreline, generally larger and more deep than a bay

Gulf of Mexico World’s largest gulf 7 of the 10 busiest ports in the country 13% of US coastline 3,000 miles of coast 590,000 square miles Avg depth = 1 mile

Island Land area Smaller then a continent Completely surrounded by water

Australia Not an island Is a continent

Sri Lanka Is an island Is a country Belongs to Asia

Greenland Is an island Is a territory Belongs to Denmark

Island Chain Group of Islands belonging to the same country.

Examples Hawaii Galapagos

Plain Area of level land Usually at low elevation Often covered with grasses

Great Plains

Tributary Small river or stream that flows into a river

Bay Part of a large body of water that extends into a shoreline Generally smaller than a gulf

Bay Comes from the name of spa Baiae on the Bay of Naples in Italy

Cape Cod Bay Capes protect the water Protects shoreline from big waves Good place to anchor ships and establish settlements

Gulf Vs Bay Gulf –Larger –Part of ocean –Deeper Bay –Smaller (usually) –Flooded parts of a Continent –Not as deep

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Peninsula Body of land jutting into a bay or ocean Surrounded by 3 sides of water

Peninsula From 2 Latin words Mean – almost & island Most are long and shaped like a finger

Arabian Peninsula Largest in world 1.2 million sq. miles ½ as big as continental US Desert land Temps up to 130 degrees 35 million people

Plateau Area of flat or rolling land at a high elevation 300 – 3,000 ft high

Edwards Plateau Elevation range from 100 – 3,000 ft Primarily a grazing region

Formed by the pushing together of plates or deposits of silt. Can erode –

Canyon Deep & narrow valley with steep walls Created by a river that has cut through a plateau

Grand Canyon Largest canyon in the world 277 miles long 1 mile deep at some points Temp range can be 25 dg cooler at floor Rains 20 more inches at top than bottom

Up to 18 miles wide Formed by river Dissected plateau Colorado River Deep & steep

Valley Area of low land between hills or mountains

Great Rift Valley - Africa Divides Kenya down the middle In some places this natural divide is up to 60 miles wide narrowest point just north of Nairobi at 45 km wide. The valley floor is at its lowest near Lake Turkana where there is virtually no distinction between the Great Rift and the surrounding desert. As it heads south, however, the valley walls form sheer cliffs rising to 1,900 km (6,232 ft) at Lake Naivasha. After Naivasha, the valley descends again to 580 meters (1,902 feet) at the Tanzanian border

Mountain Land with steep sides that rises sharply (1,000 ft or more) from surrounding land. Generally more rugged than a hill Formed by collision of Earth’s tectonic plates.

Mount Everest Part of Himalayan Mountain chain 29,028 ft (6 miles)

Isthmus Narrow stretch of land connecting two larger land areas

Isthmus of Panama

Mountain Range A series of connected mountains

Himalayan Mountain Range Of 109 mtns over 24,000 ft 96 Stretches 1,500 miles At northeast point joins Karakoram range (K2)

Mesa Broad flat topped landform with steep sides. Smaller than a plateau

Mesa Spanish = table Lifted by tectonic plates

Volcano Mountain created as liquid rock & ash erupted from the Earth

Strait Narrow stretch of water joining 2 bodies of water Ex: Strait of Magellan, Strait of Gibraltar, Bering Strait

Bodies of Water Sea –Large body of water completely or partially surrounded by land –Part of World Ocean –Rivers can flow into –Smaller division of the ocean Lake –Body of water completely surrounded by land –Cut off from ocean –Usually fresh –Rivers can flow into –Inland body of water

Caspian “Sea” Actually a lake Largest lake – 150,000 sq miles 2 lakes in one – southern half deep (up to 3,000 feet) northern half shallow (17 feet) Lake Volga feeds it No outlet

Coming Attractions Plate tectonics Volcanoes Bodies of Water Weather