| A | B |
|---|
| geography | the study of the earth and how people live on earth and use its resources |
| region | an area that has one or more geographic characteristics in common |
| physical characteristics/features | they describe the natural environment of a region (Landforms, water) |
| physical map | map that shows landforms and bodies of water |
| political map | map that shows boundaries (outline of states and countries) |
| climate | weather over a long period of time |
| landforms | different shapes and surfaces of earth (mountains, plains, valleys, islands) |
| vegetation | plant life |
| tropics | where the climate is usually hot (from 23 1/2 degrees north to 23 1/2 degrees south latitudes) |
| coast | the land next to the ocean |
| plains | large area of flat land |
| plateau | high flat land |
| tundra | cold, dry region covered with snow for at least half of the year |
| grasslands | flat or rolling hills covered with grasses (N. America = prairies, S. America = pampas) |
| gulf | a body of water that cuts deep into the land |
| isthmus | a narrow strip of land surrounded by water on two sides, which connects two large bodies of land (ex. Central America) |
| peninsula | a body of land surrounded by water on three sides (ex. Florida) |
| canyon | a deep valley with steep sides; often has a stream flowing through it |
| strait | a narrow strip of water that connects two larger bodies of water |
| tributary | a river or stream that flows into a larger river |
