BASIC GEOGRAPHY VOCABULARY

BAY – an inlet of land on a large body of water CAPE – point of land surrounded by a body of water CONTINENT – one of 7 large land masses on earth DELTA – land built up from soil carried downstream DIVIDE – stretch of land that separates river basins

ELEVATION – height of land above sea level GLACIER – large body of slowly moving ice in polar regions GLOBE – sphere shaped model of the earth GULF – part of a large body of water; larger than a bay ISLAND – land area completely surrounded by water

MONSOON- seasonal wind LAKE – sizeable inland body of water MOUNTAIN – land with steep sides; rises sharply from surrounding land MOUTH OF RIVER – place where a river flows into a larger body of water OCEAN – major body of salt water; surrounds a continent

PENINSULA –body of land almost fully surrounded by water PLAIN – area of level land; usually at a low level PLATEAU – area of flat, rolling land at a high elevation RIVER – large stream of water that runs through land SEA – large body of water completely or partly surrounded by land

SOURCE – place where a river or stream begins STRAIT – narrow stretch of water joining two bodies of water VALLEY – area of low land between mountains or hills VOLCANO – mountain created as liquid rock or ash are thrown up from inside the earth