Geo Basics Vocab Flashcards

1
Q

absolute location

A

exact location of a place on the earth described by global coordinates

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2
Q

basin

A

area of land drained by a given river and its branches; area of land surrounded by lands of higher elevations

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3
Q

bay

A

part of a large body of water that extends into a shoreline, generally smaller than a gulf

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4
Q

canyon

A

deep and narrow valley with steep walls

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5
Q

cape

A

point of land that extends into a river, lake, or ocean

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6
Q

channel

A

wide strait or waterway between two landmasses that lie close to each other; deep part of a river or other waterway

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7
Q

cliff

A

steep, high wall of rock, earth, or ice

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8
Q

continent

A

one of the seven large landmasses on the earth

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9
Q

delta

A

flat, low-lying land built up from soil carried downstream by a river and deposited at its mouth

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10
Q

divide

A

stretch of high land that separates river systems

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11
Q

downstream

A

direction in which a river or stream flows from its source to its mouth

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12
Q

elevation

A

height of land above sea level

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13
Q

Equator

A

imaginary line that runs around the earth halfway between the North and South poles; used as the starting point to measure degrees of north and south latitude

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14
Q

glacier

A

large, thick body of slowly moving ice

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15
Q

gulf

A

part of a large body of water that extends into a shoreline, generally larger and more deeply indented than a bay

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16
Q

harbor

A

a sheltered place along a shoreline where ships can anchor safely

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17
Q

highland

A

elevated land area such as a hill, mountain, or plateau

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18
Q

hill

A

elevated land with sloping sides and rounded summit; generally smaller than a mountain

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19
Q

island

A

land area, smaller than a continent, completely surrounded by water

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20
Q

isthmus

A

narrow stretch of land connecting two larger land areas

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21
Q

lake

A

a sizable inland body of water

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22
Q

latitude

A

distance north or south of the Equator, measured in degrees

23
Q

longitude

A

distance east or west of the Prime Meridian, measured in degrees

24
Q

lowland

A

land, usually level, at a low elevation

25
map
drawing of the earth shown on a flat surface
26
meridian
one of many lines on the global grid running from the North Pole to the South Pole; used to measure degrees of longitude
27
mesa
broad, flat-topped landform with steep sides; smaller than a plateau
28
mountain
land with steep sides that rises sharply (1,000 ft/more) from surrounding land; generally larger and more rugged than a hill
29
mountain peak
pointed top of a mountain
30
mountain range
a series of connected mountains
31
mouth
(of a river) place where a stream or river flows into a larger body of water
32
ocean
one of the four major bodies of salt water that surround the continents
33
ocean current
stream of either cold or warm water that moves in a definite direction through an ocean
34
parallel
one of many lines on the global grid that circles the earth north or south of the Equator; used to measure degrees of latitude
35
peninsula
body of land jutting into a lake or ocean, surrounded on three sides by water
36
physical feature
characteristic of a place occurring naturally, such as a landform, body of water, climate pattern, or resource
37
plain
area of level land, usually at low elevation and often covered with grasses
38
plateau
area of flat or rolling land at a high elevation, about 300 to 3,000 ft (90 to 900m) high
39
Prime Meridian
line of the global grid running from the North Pole to the South Pole at Greenwich, England; starting point for measuring degrees of east and west longitude
40
relief
changes in elevation over a given area of land
41
river
large natural stream of water that runs through the land
42
sea
large body of water completely or partly surrounded by land
43
source
(of a river) place where a river or stream begins, often in highlands
44
strait
narrow stretch of water joining two larger bodies of water
45
tributary
small river or stream that flows into a large river or stream; a branch of the river
46
upstream
direction opposite the flow of a river; toward the source of a river or stream
47
valley
area of low land usually between hills or mountains
48
volcano
mountain or hill created as liquid rock and ash erupt from inside the earth
49
planar/azimuthal projection
most accurate at center often used for maps of the Poles
50
cylindrical projection
most accurate near Equator shapes and distances distorted near Poles
51
conic projection
best suited for showing limited east-west areas that are not too far from the Equator
52
seacoast
land lying next to a sea or an ocean
53
sound
broad inland body of water, often between a coastline and one or more islands off the coast