Transcript Chapter 10 Vocabulary - St. Landry Parish School Board

Geography Terms
Study Guide
Exact location of a place on the
earth described by global
coordinates
Absolute location
Area of land drained by a given
river and its branches
basin
Wide strait or waterway
between two land-masses that
lie close to each other; deep art
of a river or other waterway
channel
One of the seven large
landmasses on the earth
continent
Characteristic that humans have
created in a place, such as
language, religion, housing, and
settlement pattern
Cultural feature
Flat, low-lying land built up from
soil carried downstream by a
river and deposited at its mouth
delta
Stretch of high land that
separates river systems
Divide
Imaginary line that runs around
the earth halfway between the
North and South poles; 0
degrees latitude
Equator
Large, thick body of slowly
moving ice
glacier
Part of a large body of water
that extends into a shoreline
gulf
A sheltered place along a
shoreline where ships can
anchor safely
harbor
Narrow stretch of land
connecting two larger land
areas
isthmus
Distance north or south of the
Equator, measured in degrees
latitude
Distance east or west of the
Prime Meridian, measured in
degrees
longitude
Drawing of the earth shown on
a flat surface
map
Measures degrees of longitude
meridian
Broad, flat-topped landform with
steep sides; smaller than a
plateau
Mesa
Place were a stream or river
flows into larger body of water
mouth
Measures degrees of latitude
parallel
Characteristic of a place
occurring naturally, such as a
landform, body of water, climate
patter, or resource
Physical feature
Area of level land, usually a low
elevation and often covered with
grasses
plain
Area of flat or rolling land at a
high elevation, about 300-3000
feet high
plateau
Line of the global grid running
from North to South Pole; 0
degrees longitude
Prime Meridian
Changes in elevation over a
given area of land
relief
Place where a river or stream
begins, often in highlands
Source
Study of places and the
relationships between people
and their environments
Geography
What are the six elements of
Geography?
Element 1
Element 2
Element 3
Element 4
Element 5
Element 6
Location
Places and Regions
Physical Systems
Human Systems
Environment & Society
Uses of Geography