World History-Landforms

Volcano

an opening in the earth, usually raised, through which gases and lava escape from the earth's interior

Strait

a narrow channel connecting two larger bodies of water

Cape

a point of land extending into an ocean or lake

Sea Level

level of the ocean's surface, used as a reference point when measuring the height or depth of the earth's surface

Bay

part of an ocean or lake partially enclosed by land

Harbor

a sheltered area of water deep enough for docking ships

River Mouth

the place where a river flows into a lake or an ocean

Marsh

soft, wet, low

Delta

a triangular area of land formed from deposits at river mouth

Flood Plain

flat land near the edges of rivers formed by mud and silt deposited by floods

Swamp

a lowland region that is saturated by water

Island

a body of land surrounded by water

Butte

a raised, flat area of land with steep cliffs, smaller than a mesa

Oasis

a spot of fertile land in a desert, fed by water from wells or underground springs

Prarie

a large, level area of grassland with few or no trees

Steppe

a wide, treeless, grassy plain

Mountain

natural elevation of the earth's surface with steep sides and greater height than a hill

Valley

low land between hills or mountains

Glacier

a large ice mass that moves slowly down a mountain or over land

Mesa

a wide, flat area of land higher than the surrounding land

Plateau

a broad, flat area of land higher than the surrounding land

Cataract

a step

Canyon

a narrow, deep valley with steep sides

Cliff

the steep, almost vertical edge of a hill, mountain, or plain