| A | B |
|---|
| weather | The condition of the Earth's atmosphere at any given time and place. |
| climate | The average weather of a place over a period of 20-30 years. |
| globe | A 3-D scale model of the Earth. |
| map | A 2-D representation of the Earth's surface which is bound to have some distortion. |
| cartographer | A mapmaker. |
| Prime Meridian | O degrees longitude |
| Equator | 0 degrees latitude. |
| Lines of Latitude | Lines that run East-West, but measure North and South. |
| Lines of Longitude | Lines that run North-South, but measure East and West. |
| Appalachian Mountains | The physical region that runs along the East Coast and includes the Green, Alleghenies, Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. |
| Rocky Mountains | The physical region that includes the highest peaks in North America and extends from Alaska and Canada all the way to Mexico. |
| Upstream | The direction that is against a river's flow. |
| Downstream | The direction of a river's flow; toward the mouth of a river. |
| Isthmus | A narrow strip of land joining two large land areas. |
| Penninsula | Piece of land surrounded by water on three sides. |
| Strait | Narrow channel that connects two larger bodies of water. |
| Gulf | Arm of an ocean or sea that is partly enclosed by land. |
| Cape | Narrow point of land that extends into a body of water. |
| Foothills | Low hills at the base of a mountain range. |
| Desert | Area that has little or no moisture or vegetation. |
| Altitude | The height above sea level. |
| Piedmont | Area of rolling land along the base of a mountain range. |
| Canyon | Deep, narrow valley with high, steep walls. |
| Pacific Coast | The physical region that runs along the West Coast of the United States. |
| Intermountain | The physical region that runs between the Pacific Coast and the Rocky Mountains; Salt Lake and Phoenix are two cities located in this region. |
| Interior Plains | The physical region that includes both the Great and the Central Plains. |
| Coastal Plains | The physical region that includes both the Atlantic and Gulf Plains; this area is very flat since it was once entirely under water. |
| Canadian Shield | The physical region that is mostly in Canada; it's a lowland, low-moisture area. |
| Hawaii | The physical region that consists of eight large islands which were formed from volcanoes erupting through the floor of the Pacific Ocean. |
| physical feature | A specific characteristic found in one of the 8 physical regions in the United States. |
