1. Geographic Terms

2. Continent- Very large land mass, 7 on the planet

3. Island - Land surrounded by water on all sides

4. Archipelago Large group or chain of islands

5. Rainforest- Forest that receives 98-177 in of rainfall per year. Arranged in canopies

6. Mountain - High rounded or pointed landform with steep sides, higher than a hill

7. Glacier- Large ice mass that moves slowly down a mountain or over land Alaskan glaciers, photos by Holly Sobon 2011

8. Canyon - A deep narrow valley with steep sides

9. Valley- Low land area between mountains or hills

10. Cape- Pointed piece of land extending into an ocean or large body of water

11. Peninsula- Body of land surrounded by water on three sides

12. Plateau/Mesa- Broad, flat area of land higher than surrounding land, mesa is smaller than a plateau

13. Plain- Large area of flat or nearly flat land

14. Erosion- The process of wearing away land by wind or water

15. Desert- A very dry area where few plants grow, does not have to be hot-- Antarctica

16. Ocean- Largest bodies of water on the planet, saltwater, interconnected

17. Lake- Body of water surrounded by land

18. Source of a River- Place where a river begins, often in mountains or from an underground spring

19. Mouth of a River- Place where a river empties into a larger body of water

20. Tributary- River or stream that flows into a larger river or stream

21. Delta- Triangular area at the mouth of a river formed from sand, dirt, and rocks

22. Strait- Narrow strip of water connecting two large bodies of water

23. Canal- Man-made narrow waterway connecting two larger bodies of water

24. Isthmus- Narrow strip of land connecting two large landmasses

25. Port/Harbor- Place on a coastline where ships can dock and unload goods, deep water

26. Gulf/Bay- Part of an ocean or lake extending into the land, gulf is larger than a bay

27. Currents- Steady flow of ocean water in one direction, linked to winds and lunar gravity