World Geography
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22 Important Geographical Terms




archipelago: a chain of islands
arroyo: a deep, dry, water-carved gully
atoll: a coral reef that encircles a lagoon
bay: an inlet of a sea or lake, larger than a cove, smaller than a gulf
butte: a flat-topped, steep hill, smaller than a mesa
caldera: a bowl-shaped hollow in the peak of a volcano
canyon: a narrow, deep valley with steep sides
cape: a pointed piece of land that sticks out to form a bay
cove: a small inlet of a sea or lake
delta: a fan-shaped alluvial deposit at the mouth of a river
desert: an area of scant precipitation and little vegetation
estuary: the salty end of a river where it meets the sea
fjord: a glacier-produced coastal valley filled with seawater
gulf: a large inlet of a sea
hurricane: a high-wind tropical storm in the Atlantic (called typhoon in the Pacific)
isthmus: a narrow strip of land with water on both sides
lagoon: a shallow body of water between a reef and shore or within an atoll
loess: a fine deposit of silt, sand, and clay
marsh: a fresh or salt wetland found near ponds, lakes, rivers, or seacoasts
mesa: a flat-topped, steep hill
moraine: an accumulation of glacial deposits
oasis: a fertile area in a desert
peninsula: a mass of land surrounded by water on three sides
plain: flat, usually grassy land
plateau: a large, elevated, flat area of land
prairie: a wide, flat grassland
range: a chain of mountains
sound: a long inlet usually separating the shoreline from an island
strait: a narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water
swamp: a freshwater wetland
tundra: a cold, treeless region
watershed: an area drained by a river and its tributaries