Landforms and Definitions

1. altitude (elevation): the height above sea level

2. archipelago: a group of many islands
3. basin: an area of land largely enclosed by higher land.
4. bay: part of a body of salt water that reaches into the land; usually smaller than a gulf
5. branch (tributary): a river or stream that flows into a larger river or stream
6. canal: a man-made waterway connecting two bodies of water and is designed to shorten travel
time or irrigate
. canyon: narrow valley with steep sides; usually created by erosion
!. cape: a curved or hoo"ed piece of land e#tending into a body of water
$. channel: a narrow deep waterway connecting two larger bodies of water; the deepest part of the
waterway.
1%. climate: the pattern of weather conditions &temperature' precipitation( over a long period of time
11. cliff: a high' steep slope of roc" or soil
12. coast: land along the sea or ocean
13. continent: one of the seven largest bodies of land on earth
14. continental shelf: plateau of land surface into the ocean but underwater
15. current: the flow of a stream of water
16. dam: a wall built across a stream or river to hold bac" water
1. delta: land built up by deposits of sand and silt at the mouth of some rivers
1!. desert: dry' barren region usually sandy and without trees' little rainfall or practical use of land
unless irrigated
1$. divide: the highest ridge of land separating river basins
2%. downstream: the direction of a river)s flow; toward the mouth of the river
21. fault: a fracture in the roc"s along which there has been movement
22. fjord: a narrow inlet of the sea between high ban"s or cliffs created by glaciers
23. forest: a large tract of land covered with trees and underbrush; e#tensive wooded area
24. fork: the place where a stream or tributary *oins a river
25. glacier: a large body of slow moving ice which alters the land around it through displacement
26. gulf: part of a sea or ocean that reaches into land; usually larger than a bay
2. harbor: a sheltered area of water where ships may anchor safely
2!. hemisphere: half of the earth usually referred to as eastern or western; northern or southern
2$. highland: an area of hills' plateaus' and mountains
3%. hill: a raised part of the earth)s surface with sloping sides; old mountain which because of
erosion has become rounder and shorter
31. iceberg: a large mass of floating ice that has bro"en off from a glacier' most of this is underwater
32. inlet: a small part of a body of water that reaches into a coast
33. island: an area of land completely surrounded by water
34. isthmus: narrow strip of land with water on both sides connecting two larger pieces of land
35. lake: a large body of water surrounded by land
36. latitude: imaginary lines on a globe or map used to measure distance from the e+uator; parallel
lines running east and west
3. longitude: imaginary lines on a globe or map used to measure distance from the ,rime -eridian;
lines running from pole to pole
3!. lowland: an area of low and usually level land
3$. mesa: a land formation having a relatively flat top and steep roc" walls
4%. mountain: high' roc"y land' usually with steep sides and a pointed or rounded top' higher than a
hill
41. mountain range: a long chain of mountains; a row of connected mountains
42. mouth (of a river): place where a river empties into a larger body of water; the end of a river
43. oasis: a fertile place in the desert where there is water and some vegetation
44. ocean: largest body of salt water; these cover 3.4 of the earth)s surface
45. peninsula: piece of land that e#tends into a body of water and is surrounded on three sides by
water
46. plain: a broad' flat or gently rolling area; usually low in elevation
4. plateau: flat highland area with one steep face; elevated plain
4!. port: man-made place along the coastline where ships can load and unload cargo; not a natural
harbor
4$. prairie: a large plains region with tall grass
5%. rapids: a part of a river' generally shallow' where the currents move swiftly over roc"s
51. reef: a ridge of roc" or sand at or near the surface of the water
52. reservoir: a la"e where water is collected and stored for future use
53. river: a large stream of water flowing through the land into a la"e' ocean' or other body of water
54. sea: a large body of water' usually salt water' partly or completely surrounded by land
55. sound: a wide channel connecting two bodies of water or an inlet between the mainland and
islands
56. source (of a river): the place where a river or stream begins
5. strait: a narrow waterway connecting two larger bodies of water
5!. swamp: an area of land that is always soa"ed with water; low' wet land that supports grass and
trees
5$. tide: the regular rising and falling of the water of the oceans and waters connected to the ocean
6%. upstream: the direction toward a river)s source; opposite to the rivers) flow
61. valley: low land between hills or mountains
62. volcano: a cone shaped mountain formed out of roc" or ash thrown up from inside the earth'
fre+uently with an opening or depression at the top
63. waterfall: place where running water ma"es a sheer drop' usually over a cliff