Geography Terms

North and South Hemisphere

Parts of the globe that are split by the equator at 0 degrees latitude.

East and West hemisphere

Parts of the globe that are split by the Prime Meridian at 0 degrees longitude.

Isthmus

Narrow strip of land that links two larger land masses

Arctic Circle

The line of latitude that makes the boundary of the northern polar zone.

Island

A landmass surrounded by water.

Archipelago

Multiple landmass es surrounded by water; a group of islands.

Mountains

Natural Elevation of the earth’s surface(+2000 feet).

River system

Amain river with others channeling into it.

Delta

An often-triangular shaped deposit of sand that occurs when a river flows into an ocean.

Peninsula

A narrow land surrounded by water on three sides

Strait

Narrow piece of water that separates two larger land masses.

Plateau

Raised area of land with a flat top.

Oasis

An isolated spot in the desert where green land and water may be found.

Canyon

Deep valley with steep sides often with a river flowing through it.

Source

The beginning or place of origin of a stream or river.

Tributary

A stream that eventually flows into a river.

continent

Any of the world’s main continuous areas of land

Sub-Continent

A part of a larger continent made up of several countries that form a large mass of land.

Prime Meridian

0 degrees longitude

Equator

0 degrees latitude