A | B |
absolute location | exact location of a place using latitude and longitude |
basin | area of land drained by a given river and its branches |
bay | part of a large body of water that extends into a shoreline, generally smaller than a gulf |
canyon | deep and narrow valley with steep walls |
cape | point of land that extends into a river, lake, or ocean |
channel | wide strait or waterway 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 the earth |
cultural feature | characteristic that humans have created in a place, such as language, religion, housing, and settlement pattern |
delta | flat, low-lying land built up from soil carried downstream by a river and deposited at its mouth |
divide | stretch of high land that separates river systems |
downstream | direction in which a river or stream flows from its source to its mouth |
elevation | height of land above sea level |
Equator | imaginary line that runs around the earth halfway between the North and South Poles; used as the starting point to measure degrees of north and south latitude |
glacier | large, thick body of slowly moving ice |
gulf | part of a large body of water that extends into a shoreline, generally larger and more deeply indented than a bay |
harbor | a 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; generally smaller than a mountain |
island | land area, smaller than a continent, completely surrounded by water |
isthmus | narrow stretch of land connecting two larger land areas |
lake | a 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, usually level, at a low elevation |
map | drawing of the earth shown on a flat surface |
meridian | one of many lines on the global grid running from the North Pole to the South Pole; used to measure degrees of longitude |
mesa | broad, flat-topped landform with steep sides; smaller than a plateau |