Geography: English Vocabulary List

an imaginary horizontal circle around the Earth parallel to the equator, used to measure north-south position

"Latitude shows north south."

"The latitude of the city indicated its position in the northern hemisphere, close to the equator."

the distance of a point east or west of the meridian at Greenwich that is measured in degrees

"Longitude shows east west."

"The ship's navigator used lines of longitude to determine its precise position on the globe."

a treeless area in a forest

"They found a clearing."

"We set up our tent in a small, sunlit clearing surrounded by tall, ancient trees."

a small curved area of land that partly encloses a specific part of the sea

"A small boat was anchored in the sheltered cove."

"We discovered a hidden cove with crystal-clear water while hiking along the rocky coastline."

the part of a river that is wide and where it meets the sea

"Fish live in the estuary."

"An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water where freshwater from a river mixes with the incoming saltwater of the ocean tide."

the line where the sky and earth seem to come in contact with each other

"The horizon looks clear."

"The sun sank below the horizon painting the sky in shades of orange and pink."

a very large floating piece of ice

"The ship struck a hidden iceberg and sank."

"The vast majority of an iceberg's mass remains hidden below the water's surface"

a large body of land that is partially surrounded by water but is attached to a larger area of land

"A peninsula has water."

"The ancient civilization thrived on the fertile land of the peninsula, surrounded by the sea."

an area of land that is flat and higher than the land surrounding it

"The plateau is flat."

"The hikers reached a vast plateau offering panoramic views of the surrounding valleys."

an area containing still water that is comparatively smaller than a lake, particularly one that is made artificially

"A pond is very small water."

"A small retention pond was built behind the shopping centre to manage rainwater runoff."

a deep narrow valley with steep sides, usually worn by a stream

"The hiker fell into a deep ravine."

"The hikers had to carefully navigate the treacherous terrain around the deep ravine to reach their destination safely."

an area of land that is covered with water or is always very wet

"A swamp has very wet land."

"The mangrove swamp is home to a wide variety of fish, birds, and other wildlife."

the expansive flat Arctic regions, of North America, Asia, and Europe, in which no trees grow and the soil is always frozen

"Few plants survive in the frozen tundra"

"The Arctic tundra is too cold for trees to grow but supports hardy shrubs and mosses."

(of land or a climate) very dry because of not having enough or any rain

"The desert is arid."

"The arid desert receives less than ten inches of rain per year so only specially adapted plants and animals can survive there."

related to or situated along the coast, the area where land meets the sea

"The town is coastal."

"The coastal town relies on fishing and tourism for its economy because the ocean provides jobs and attracts visitors from all over."

related to the sea and the different life forms that exist there

"Fish are marine."

"Marine biologists study the creatures that live in the ocean such as whales dolphins sharks and colorful coral reefs."

(of a place) close to another

"We visited neighboring towns."

"The neighboring countries signed a trade agreement that allows goods to cross the border without taxes or delays."

the distance between an object or point and sea level

"The plane flew at high altitude."

"Altitude is the vertical height of an object or point in relation to sea level or ground level"

a part of a shoreline that curves inward, larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf

"The small boat was anchored safely in the bay."

"We sailed into the calm bay and anchored our boat near the beautiful sandy beach."

a smaller part of a river that is separated from the main and larger part

"The boat went down a branch."

"The kayaker decided to explore the narrow branch of the river, hoping for a quieter journey."

the round top of a volcano

"The volcano had a crater."

"A crater is a bowl-shaped depression on a planetary surface"

a layer of matter that has been accumulated, particularly by a body of water

"River deposit formed the land."

"Geologists studied the thick deposit of sediment left behind by the ancient river."

a structure built out into the water so that people can get on and off boats or ships

"The ship was tied to the wooden dock."

"The fishermen tied their boat to the wooden dock before unloading the morning catch."

the state of moving constantly and steadily

"The flow is smooth."

"The flow of traffic was slow because of construction work on the main highway."

an area of sea that is partly surrounded by land, with a narrow opening

"The Gulf of Mexico is a large body of water."

"The Persian Gulf is a large body of water connected to the Arabian Sea by the Strait of Hormuz."

the pointed top of a mountain

"We saw the mountain peak."

"Climbers ascended the treacherous northern face to reach the snow-capped peak."

a vast area of flat land

"The plain was very wide."

"We drove across the plain for many hours without seeing a single tree or building."

the most northern or most southern points of the earth that are joined by its axis of rotation

"The north pole is cold."

"Scientists are studying the effects of climate change on the fragile ecosystems at the Earth's geographic pole."

a line of mountains or hills

"The range had many mountains."

"The hikers admired the majestic mountain range stretching across the horizon."

a lake, either natural or artificial, from which water is supplied to houses

"The reservoir provides drinking water."

"A reservoir is an artificial lake built to store water for irrigation"

the top of a mountain

"The summit is high."

"The climbers reached the summit just as the sun rose over the mountains."

(of natural forces such as wind, water, or other environmental factors) to gradually wear away or diminish the surface of a material

"The river eroded the soft banks."

"The constant flow of the river slowly began to erode the soft rock cliffs over millions of years."

(of land or soil) not capable of producing any plants

"The land is barren."

"The barren landscape had no trees or grass and the dry cracked earth stretched as far as the eye could see."

(of land or soil) able to produce crops or plants well

"The land is fertile."

"This fertile valley is known for producing the finest grapes in the region."

located away from the coast

"The farm is inland."

"The inland city is far from the sea and the climate is much hotter in summer and colder in winter than coastal areas."

situated or occurring in the sea, typically away from the shore or coast

"The rig is offshore."

"The offshore drilling platform extracts oil from beneath the ocean floor and the crude oil is transported to refineries by pipeline."

related to the sea and the different life forms that exist there

"The animal is marine."

"The marine ecosystem is threatened by plastic pollution and many sea animals mistake trash for food."

against the current of a river or stream

"The fish swim upstream to lay eggs."

"The fish swim upstream to lay their eggs in the shallow waters where the current is not too strong for the babies."