Geography Flashcards II
a group of islands
archipelago
a line of latitude that runs through northern North America, northern Asia, and northern Europe (66.5 degrees N latitude)
Arctic Circle
region of continuous cold around the North Pole; includes Arctic Ocean, thousands of islands, and the northern parts of Asia, Europe, and North America
Arctic region
land formed by underground water
artesian basin
land drained by a river
basin
a bay formed by the curve of a coastline
bight
a flat-topped hill with steep sides; a column of rock
butte
a U-shaped region of ancient rock that curves around the Hudson Bay; southern part of shield is thick with forests and northern part is tundra
Canadian Shield
a point of land that extends into a sea or an ocean
cape
mapmaker
cartographer
a region of seven countries between Mexico and South America including Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama
Central America
a substance made up of skeletons of tiny sea creatures
coral
a ridge made up of coral and other materials that have solidified into rock
coral reef
land and waters controlled by a state, nation, or government
dependency
a dry region with little or no rainfall
desert
a mound or ridge of windblown sand
dune
height of the land above sea level
elevation
a landmass made up of the continents of Asia and Europe
Eurasia
an island group of the West Indies including Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti), and Puerto Rico (U.S.)
Greater Antilles
a large area of ocean that is partly surrounded by land
gulf
a narrow strip of land laving water on each side and connecting two larger bodies of land
isthmus
an island group of the West Indies including eight countries and eight dependencies
Lesser Antilles
a rough drawing of a mental map
map sketch
a map that a person pictures in his or her mind
mental map
a flat-topped hill with steep sides; larger than a butte
mesa
any point of land that rises quickly to at least 1,000 feet above its surroundings
mountain
the summit, or highest point, of a mountain
mountain peak
a group or chain of mountains
mountain range
a group of mountain ranges
mountain system
a place in the desert where there is a source of water and where plants grow
oasis
another name for a channel; a body of water joining two bodies of water
passage
a map that shows physical land forms and waterways on Earth’s surface
Physical map
a large flat area of land
plains
a flat-topped hill with steep sides; larger than a mesa
plateau
a vast region covered by sand and dunes
sand sea
a body of alt water that is part of an ocean, yet is partially enclosed by land
sea
a narrow channel connecting two bodies of water
strait
a high, broad, level plateau
tableland
a small stream or river that flows into a larger one
tributary
an island chain that divides the Caribbean Sea from the rest of the Atlantic Ocean
West Indies
