Geographic Landforms and Bodies of Water

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards mapping geographic features, landforms, and bodies of water to their exact definitions.

canyon

deep, narrow valley with high steep sides

glacier

extended mass of ice, constrained or controlled by topography

cape

narrow point of land that extends into a body of water

gulf

arm of an ocean or sea partly enclosed by land, usually larger than a bay

wetland

land area saturated with water

continent

major land masses of the earth

highland

generic term for elevated region

shield

a large, exposed area of rock that dates back billions of years

tundra

a treeless plain, noted for extreme cold and frost

steppes

grassland or shrub land with no trees and extreme temperature swings

isthmus

narrow strip of land joining two large land areas or joining a peninsula to a m

source of a river

place where a river begins

range

a group of mountains or hills, usually in a line

coral reef

a marine ridge or reef consisting of coral or other organic material

strait

narrow channel that connects two larger bodies of water

delta

land area formed by soil that is deposited at the mouth of a river

peninsula

piece of land that is surrounded by water on three sides

sea

body of salt water that is smaller than an ocean

canal

artificial waterway for navigation and/or irrigation

plateau

large area of high, flat, or gently rolling land

plain

broad area of fairly level land that is generally close to sea level

mountain

high, steep, rugged land area that rises sharply above land

bay

part of a body of water that is partly enclosed by land

tributary

stream or small river that flows into a larger stream or river

ice cap

type of glacier formation, usually smaller than an ice sheet

basin

a large, bowl-shaped depression in the surface of the land or ocean floor

archipelago

chain of islands

lake

body of water surrounded by land

ocean

a vast body of salt water

desert

dry region, little to no rain