Geography Terms

Learn these terms to understand

the land and people of the Western Hemisphere.
Based on http://nanunet.lhric.org/RubiconAtlas/SocialStudies/Grade5/Glossaries/SS5_Unit1_Glossary.pdf

Bodies of Water
Water in different sizes and shapes
found naturally on the earths surface.
Oceans, seas, bays, lakes, rivers,
straights and ponds are examples
of bodies of water.

Bay
An inlet of a body of water
that is usually smaller than
a gulf.

This is SanFrancisco Bay, in California, USA,

Central America
Southern part of
North America
extending from the
southern border of
Mexico to
Columbia.

Coast
The land
next to
the ocean

This is the coast of Maine, USA

Delta
Low, watery land formed where a
river meets the sea. It is usually
shaped like a triangle, and is
made up of earth materials that
have been moved down the river
and dropped at the end (mouth)
of the river.

This delta is at Puget Sound, in Washington state, USA

Gulf
A large body of water
that cuts deep into the
land.
The Gulf of Mexico
is surrounded by land
in Mexico and the US.

Isthmus
A narrow strip of
land connecting
two larger
landmasses. It
has water on 2 sides.
The Isthmus of Panama connects North and
South America.

Island
An island is a
piece of land
that is surrounded
by water.
The countries of Haiti and the Dominican republic are
located on the island of Hispaniola, in the Caribbean Sea.

Landforms
The different shapes of the
Earths surface.
Examples include plains,
valleys, mountains,peninsulas,
and islands.

Latin America
The part of the
Western
Hemisphere south
of the United
States.

Mountains
A high, steep landform which
is wide at the bottom, rising to
a peak or ridge. It rises at
least 2000 ft. above sea level.
A chain of mountains next to
each other is called a range.
The Andes Mountains are on the west coast of South America.

North America
The continent that
includes Greenland,
the United States,
Mexico, and
Central America

Plains
Large, flat areas
of land

The pampas is a plain

in South America where many cattle graze.

Plateau
High, flat land.

Resources
Things that people
can use, such as
oil, lumber, and
water, that come
from nature

South America
The continent made
up of land from
Panama to
Cape Horn

Strait
A narrow body of
water that connects
two larger bodies
of water
1.

The Straits of Magellan connect

the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans at the tip of

South America.
2.

The Niagara River is actually a strait between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.

Valley
An area of low land
with mountains or hills
on either side.
U shaped valleys are often
carved by glaciers.
Rivers can erode
V shaped valleys.
Death Valley is between two
mountain ranges in Nevada and California, USA

Western Hemisphere
The half of the earth
containing North and
South America and
their surrounding
waters.