Geography Landforms and Water Bodies

Vocabulary flashcards covering key landform and water-body terms from the lecture notes.

Mountain

The highest type of land.

Valley

The low place between hills or mountains.

Canyon

A deep valley with very steep sides, often carved by a river.

Basin

Land drained by a river or a hollow area in the land's surface.

Plain

Flat land.

Island

Land completely surrounded by water.

Isthmus

A narrow strip of land connecting two larger land masses with water on two sides.

Peninsula

A piece of land almost completely surrounded by water.

Butte

The smallest landform with steep sides and a flat top.

Mesa

A medium-sized landform with steep sides and a flat top.

Plateau

The largest landform with steep sides and a flat top.

Ocean

A large body of salt water.

Delta

Low, watery land at a river’s mouth formed from sediments carried downstream.

Strait

A natural narrow body of water connecting two larger bodies of water.

Canal

A man-made waterway that boats can use.

Bay

A body of water partly enclosed by land.

Stream

A small, narrow body of water flowing over land.

River

A large, narrow body of water flowing over land.

Sea

A large body of salt water connected to an ocean, partly or completely surrounded by land.

Gulf

A part of an ocean or sea partly surrounded by land and larger than a bay.