American Beginnings Test Flashcards
archipelago
a large group of islands
atoll
a ring of coral that encloses a pool of seawater
badlands
wasteland that has been carved into unusual shapes by wind and water
bay
a body of water that extends into the land
beach
a rocky or sandy edge of land along a body of water
butte
an isolated hill with sloping sides and a small, flat top
canyon
a deep valley with steep sides
cape
a point of land that juts out into water
cave
a hollow area in the earth with an opening to the outside
channe
a body of water
that connects two larger
bodies of water
cliff
a high, steep face of rock or earth
continent
one of the seven great land masses on earth
delta
a fan-shaped deposit of sand and mud at the mouth of a river
desert
a region of little rainfall where few plants and animals live
dune
a hill of sand formed by blowing wind
fjord
a long, narrow inlet of the sea between cliffs or
slopes
forest
a large area of land covered with trees and
other plants
geyser
a spring that spouts hot water and steam from
time to time
glacier
a large mass of ice that moves very slowly down a mountain or through a valley
gulf
a large body of saltwater that is partly enclosed by land
hill
a raised part of the earth’s surface that is lower than a mountain
iceburg
a huge block of floating ice that has broken off a glacier
island
a piece of land that is surrounded by water
isthmus
a narrow strip of land that connects two larger land areas
jungle
an area of thick, tangled plants usually found near a river or a swamp
lagoon
a shallow body of water that is partly cut off from the sea
lake
an inland body of fresh or saltwater
marsh
a low, wet area where grasses, rushes and cattails grow
mesa
a raised area with steep sides and a large, flat top
mountain
a high area of land with steep sides and a sharp peak
oasis
an isolated area of vegetation in a desert often surrounding a water source
ocean
the body of saltwater that covers most of the earth
peninsula
an area of land that is nearly surrounded by water
plain
a large, low area of flat or rolling land with few trees
plateau
a flat area of land that is higher than the land around it