World Geography Identifying Landforms & Their Effect on World History

What is Geography? Geography= the study of the physical features of the earth and of human activity as it is affected by these physical features Landform= a physical/natural feature of the earth’s surface – rivers, mountains, islands, oceans, peninsulas, etc.

River River= a large natural stream of water emptying into an ocean, lake, or other body of water – the first civilizations developed along rivers (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus, & Yellow River) – rivers provide irrigation, drinking water & transportation

River Valley Civilizations

Indus River in Pakistan

Yangtze and Huang He (Yellow) River in China

Island Island= a piece of land surrounded by water – limited space/resources  need to colonize or conquer other lands – limited trade (forces trade with other nations) – easy to defend from intruders – difficult to unit under one ruler/government

Great Britain

Archipelago Archipelago= a group or chain of islands – promote trade and cultural diffusion

Japan

Indonesia

Gulf Gulf= a large area of a sea or ocean partially enclosed by land

Bay Bay= a body of water forming an indent (or pocket) in the shoreline – smaller than a gulf

Bay

Cape Cape= a piece of land jutting (poking out) into the sea or some other large body of water

Cape of Good Hope

Delta Delta= form as rivers empty their water and sediment (sand/rocks) into another body of water such as an ocean – often triangular in shape – deposits of rich silt provide very fertile farmland

Delta

Sea Sea= a large body of salt water completely or partially enclosed by land – highways of trade – barrier to both cultural diffusion and invasion – rich source of food and other resources (minerals and oil)

Ocean Ocean= the huge body of salt water that covers almost 75% of the earth’s surface – Atlantic Ocean – Pacific Ocean – Indian Ocean – Arctic Ocean

Mountain Mountain= a natural elevation (rise) of the earth's surface having considerable mass, usually steep sides, and a height greater than that of a hill – act as barriers to invasion and cultural diffusion – little farm land  terrace farming

Greek City-States

Himalayan Mountains

Terrace Farming

Valley Valley= an elongated lowland between ranges of mountains, hills,, often having a river running along the bottom

Plain Plain= a wide, flat, usually treeless area of land – fertile soil, easy to reach, good for road building and farmland – hard to defend and provides no natural protection from the elements Steppes= a large area of flat grassland Savanna= a grassy plain in tropical and subtropical regions, with few trees

Plateau Plateau= an elevated, level area of land – “tableland”

Desert Desert= a dry, often sandy region of little rainfall, extreme temperatures, and little vegetation – lack of water and resources – barrier to invasion and cultural diffusion

Sahara Desert in Africa

Gobi Desert in China

Strait Strait= a narrow waterway joining two larger bodies of water

Bosporus Strait Strait of Gibraltar

Constantinople on the Bosporus Strait

Isthmus Isthmus= a narrow strip of land connecting two larger masses of land – Canals (man-made waterways) are often built through isthmuses

Isthmus of Suez Isthmus of Panama

Peninsula Peninsula= a piece of land that projects into a body of water – water on three sides – connected to the mainland by an isthmus

Lake Lake= a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land

Loch Ness

Lake Victoria