| A | B |
|---|
| absolute location | exact location described by global coordinates |
| basin | lower area of land into which a river drains |
| canyon | deep narrow valley with steep walls |
| cape | point of land that extends into a body of water |
| channel | wide strait between two landmasses that lie close to each other |
| cliff | steep, high wall of rock, earth, or ice |
| continent | one of the seven large landmasses on earth |
| delta | flat, low-lying land built up from soil deposited by a river at its mouth |
| divide | stretch of high land that separates river systems |
| downstream | direction in which a river flows from its source to its mouth |
| elevation | height of land above sea level |
| Equator | imaginary line of latitude used as the starting point to measure degrees north and south |
| glacier | large, thick body of slowly moving ice |
| gulf | part of a large body of water that extends into a shoreline; larger than a bay |
| harbor | sheltered place along a shoreline where ships can anchor safely |
| highland | elevated land such as a hill, mountain, or plateau |
| hill | elevated land with sloping sides and rounded summit; smaller than a mountain |
| island | land completely surrounded by water |
| isthmus | narrow stretch of land connecting two larger land areas |
| lake | sizable inland body of water |
| latitude | distance north or south of the Equator; measured in degrees |
| longitude | distance east or west of the Prime Meridian; measured in degrees |
| lowland | land at a low elevation |
| map | drawing of the earth shown on a flat surface |
| meridian | imaginary lines on the global grid that run north and south; used to measure longitude |
| mesa | broad, flat-topped landform with steep sides (smaller than a plateau) |
| mountain | land with steep sides that rises sharply from surrounding land (1,000 ft. or more) |
| mountain peak | pointed top of a mountain |
| mountain range | series of connected mountains |
| river mouth | place where a river flows into a larger body of water |
| ocean | one of the four major bodies of salt water that surround the continents |
| ocean current | stream of either cold or warm water that moves in a definite direction through an ocean |
| parallel | imaginary lines of latitude that are used to measure degrees north or south of the Equator |
| peninsula | body of land surrounded on three sides by water |
| physical feature | characteristic of a place occurring naturally (e.g., landform, body of water, climate pattern, or resource) |
| plain | area of level land, usually at low elevation and often covered with grasses |
| plateau | area of flat or rolling land at a high elevation (300 to 3,000 ft.) |
| Prime Meridian | line of longitude that measures zero degrees |
| relief | changes in elevation over a given area |
| river | large natural stream of water that runs through land |
| sea | large body of water completely or partly surrounded by land |
| seacoast | land lying along a sea or an ocean |
| source | place where a river or stream begins; often in highlands |
| strait | narrow stretch of water joining two larger bodies of water |
| tributary | small river or stream that flows into a large river or stream; branch of a river |
| upstream | direction opposite the flow of a river (toward the source) |
| valley | area of low land usually between hills or mountains |
| volcano | mountain or hill created as liquid rock and ash erupt from inside the earth |
