BASIC

GEOGRAPHY
TERMS

ARCHIPELAGO

Its a group of

islands.
The Canary

Islands and the

Balearic
Islands are
examples of
archipelagos.

BAY
Its a body of
water that is
partially
enclosed by land.
An example is
the bay of Biscay.

BEACH
Its the part of the shore of an
ocean, sea, large river, lake, etc.,
washed by the tide or waves.

CANYON

Its a deep
gorge, often
created by a
stream or
river.
The Grand
Canyon is
the most
popular.

CAPE
Its a point or
head of land
projecting into
a body of
water.
Cape Finisterre
is in Galicia.

CAVE
Its a hollow in
the earth,
especially
opening more or
less horizontally
into a hill,
mountain, etc.

CHANNEL
Its a length of
water wider than a
strait joining two
large areas of
water, such as
seas.
The English
Channel is in

CLIFF
Its a steep rock-face near to the sea.
The Cliffs of Moher in Ireland are
enormous!

 Its a triangular tract

DELTA

of sediment
deposited at the
mouth of a river,
typically where it
diverges into several
outlets.
TheNileends in a
largedeltathatempti
es into the
MediterraneanSea.

DESERT
Atacama desert
is in Chile.

Its a dry area

of land that
gets very little
rain.

FOREST

Its a large
area of trees.

GEYSER
Its a hot spring
in which water
intermittently
boils, sending a
tall column of hot
water and steam
into the air.

GLACIER
Its a slowly moving mass of ice
formed by the accumulation and
compaction of snow on mountains or
near the poles.

GRASSLAND
Its a large area of grass-covered
land, especially used for pasturage.

GULF

Its a deep inlet of the

sea almost surrounded
by land, with a narrow
mouth.

HILL
Its a
naturally
raised area
of land.
Its not as
high as a
mountain.

ICEBERG

Its a large mass of ice floating into the sea.

ISLAND

Its a piece of land surrounded by water.

ISTHMUS
Its a narrow strip
of land with sea
on either side,
linking two larger
areas of land.

JUNGLE
Its an area of land with dense forest
and tangled vegetation, typically
found in tropical areas.

LAKE

Its a large area of water surrounded by

land.

MARSH

Its an area of low-lying land which is

flooded in wet seasons or at high tide, and
typically remains waterlogged at all times.

MOUNTAIN
Its an elevation of the earth's
surface rising abruptly and to a large
height from the surrounding level.
o Its higher
than a hill.

OCEAN
Its a large
mass of
water.
Its larger
than a sea.

PENINSULA
Its a piece of land surrounded by
water except by one side.

PLAIN

Its a large area of flat land with few trees.

PLATEAU

Its a flat area

of high ground.

RIVER
Its a large

natural flow of
water travelling
along a channel
to the sea, a
lake, or another
river.

Rivers usually form

meanders in their
middle course.

 Its a mass of salt

SEA

water smaller than

an ocean.

STRAIT
Its a
narrow
passage of
water
connecting
two seas or
other large
areas of

STREAM

Its a small, narrow river.

TUNDRA
Its a vast, flat, treeless Arctic region
of Europe, Asia and North America in
which the subsoil is permanently
frozen.

VOLCANO
Its a
mountain or
hill having a
crater or vent
through which
lava, rock
hot vapour, and gas are or have been
fragments,
erupted to the earth's crust.

WATERFALL
Its a cascade

of water falling
from a height,
formed when a
river or stream
flows over a
precipice.

 Its a group of

islands.
The Canary

Islands and the

Balearic
Islands are
examples of
archipelagos.

 Its a body of
water that is
partially
enclosed by land.
An example is
the bay of Biscay.

 Its a deep
gorge, often
created by a
stream or
river.
The Grand
Canyon is
the most
popular.

 Its a point or
head of land
projecting into
a body of
water.
Cape Finisterre
is in Galicia.

 Its a hollow in
the earth,
especially
opening more or
less horizontally
into a hill,
mountain, etc.

 Its a length of
water wider than a
strait joining two
large areas of water,
such as seas.
The English Channel
is in Europe.

Atacama desert
is in Chile.

Its a dry area

of land that
gets very little
rain.

 Its a steep rock-face near to the sea.

The Cliffs of Moher in Ireland are
enormous!

 Its a slowly moving mass of ice

formed by the accumulation and
compaction of snow on mountains or
near the poles.

 Its a triangular tract

of sediment
deposited at the
mouth of a river,
typically where it
diverges into several
outlets.
TheNileends in a
largedeltathatempti
es into the
MediterraneanSea.

 Its a large
area of trees.

 Its a hot spring

in which water
intermittently
boils, sending a
tall column of hot
water and steam
into the air.

 Its the part of the shore of an

ocean, sea, large river, lake, etc.,
washed by the tide or waves.

 Its a large area of grass-covered

land, especially used for pasturage.

 Its a deep inlet of the

sea almost surrounded
by land, with a narrow
mouth.

 Its a
naturally
raised area
of land.
Its not as
high as a
mountain.

 Its a large mass of ice floating into the sea.

 Its a piece of land surrounded by water.

 Its a narrow strip

of land with sea
on either side,
linking two larger
areas of land.

 Its an area of land with dense forest

and tangled vegetation, typically
found in tropical areas.

 Its a large area of water surrounded by

land.

 Its an area of low-lying land which is

flooded in wet seasons or at high tide, and
typically remains waterlogged at all times.

 Its a large

natural flow of
water travelling
along a channel
to the sea, a
lake, or another
river.

Rivers usually form

meanders in their
middle course.

 Its an elevation of the earth's

surface rising abruptly and to a large
height from the surrounding level.
o Its higher
than a hill.

 Its a large
mass of
water.
Its larger
than a sea.

 Its a piece of land surrounded by

water except by one side.

 Its a large area of flat land with few trees.

 Its a cascade

of water falling
from a height,
formed when a
river or stream
flows over a
precipice.

 Its a flat area

of high ground.

 Its a mass of salt

water smaller than
an ocean.

 Its a
narrow
passage of
water
connecting
two seas or
other large
areas of

 Its a vast, flat, treeless Arctic region

of Europe, Asia and North America in
which the subsoil is permanently
frozen.

 Its a
mountain or
hill having a
crater or vent
through which
lava, rock
hot vapour, and gas are or have been
fragments,
erupted to the earth's crust.

 Its a small, narrow river.

WATERFALL

GRACIER

MARSH

VOCANO

GEYSER

LAKE

TUNDRA

FOREST

JUNGLE

STREAM

DESERT

ISTHMUS

TRAIT

DELTA

ISLAND

SEE

CLIFF

ICEBERG

RIVER

CHANNEL

HILL

PLATEAU

CAVE

GULF

PLAIN

CAPE

GRASSLAND

PENINSULA

CANYON

ARCHIPELAGO

OCEAN

BEACH

MOUNTAIN

BAY