| A | B |
|---|
| geography | the study of the earth's land and water, plants and animals and people |
| region | a large area with common features that set it apart from other areas |
| ocean | large body of water |
| continent | a very large body of land |
| hemisphere | half of a sphere (ball) |
| equator | an imaginary line that lies halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole |
| cardinal directions | the four main directions of a compass rose: north, south, east and west |
| compass rose | a drawing on a map that shows directions |
| symbol | anything that stands for something else |
| map key | explains what the symbols on a map mean |
| scale | the relationship between the distances shown on a map and the real distances on the earth |
| grid map | a map in which a grid is used to locate places |
| transportation map | a map that shows how to travel from one place to another |
| product map | a map that shows the kind of things that are made or grown in an area |
| island | a body of land completely surrounded by water |
| natural feature | a part of the earth made by nature |
| landform | one of the shapes that make up the earth's surface |
| plain | a large area of flat or nearly flat land |
| weather | how hot, cold, wet or dry a place is |
| climate | the pattern of weather in a place over a long period of time |
| natural resource | something found in nature that is useful to people |
| latitude | imaginary lines on a map or globe that measure distance in degrees north or south of the equator |
| parallel | line of latitude |
| degree | a measure of distance between the lines of latitude and longitude |
| longitude | imaginary lines on a map or globe that measure distance in degrees east or west of the prime meridian |
| prime meridian | the meridian from which all other lines of longitude are measured |
| meridian | line of longitude |
| global grid | the lines of latitude and longitude on a world map that make it possible to locate places |
| coast | the land next to an ocean |
| desert | dry land where very little rain falls |
| basin | a low, bowl-shaped area of land surrounded by higher lands |
| Apalachian Mountains | low, rounded mountains that cover much of the eastern United States from Maine to Alabama |
| Coastal Plain | low, flat land found along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. It begins in Massachusetts and stretches south into Florida and west to Texas |
| Mississippi River | one of the longest rivers in North America. It flows from northern Minnesota south into the Gulf of Mexico |
| Interior Plains | dry, flat land that stretches across the middle of the United States and northward into Canada. The eastern part is called the Central Plains, the western part is called the Great Plains |
| Great Lakes | the world's largest fresh water lakes located between the northern United States and southern Canada |
| Rocky Mountains | high, jagged mountains that begin in Alaska and continue south through Canada and much of the western United States |
| Great Basin | a low, bowl-shaped desert area located in the western part of the United States |
| Coast Ranges | mountains that lie along the coast of the Pacific Ocean and stretch from Alaska to California |
| elevation | the height of a place above sea level |
| temperature | how hot or cold a place is |
| precipitation | any form of water that falls to the ground |
| mineral | a natural substance found in the earth |
| fuel | a substance used to make heat or energy |
| fertile | good for growing crops |
| conservation | the protection of natural resources |
