geography dictionary 

- Archipelago: Group of islands clustered together
- Altitude: Height above sea level
- Atoll: Ring-shaped coral reef or island

- Continent: Large landmass on Earth
- Cape: Point of land extending into a sea or ocean
- Canyon: Deep valley with steep sides, often carved by rivers

- Delta: Landform at a river mouth, shaped like a triangle
- Drought: Extended period of little or no rainfall
- Desert: Dry region with sparse vegetation

- Estuary: Where freshwater meets the sea
- Elevation: The height of land above sea level
- Equator: Imaginary line around Earth’s center

- Floodplain: Flat area around a river prone to flooding
- Fault Line: Crack in Earth’s crust from tectonic movement
- Fjord: Narrow sea inlet surrounded by cliffs

- Glacier: A large, slow-moving ice mass
- Gulf: Large sea inlet, bigger than a bay
- Geothermal: Heat energy from beneath Earth’s surface

- Harbor: Safe coastal area for docking ships
- Hill: Raised area of land, lower than mountains
- Humidity: Amount of water vapor in the air

- Island: Land completely surrounded by water
- Iceberg: Floating mass of ice broken off from glaciers
- Isthmus: Narrow land connecting two larger areas

- Jet Stream: Fast air current high in the atmosphere
- Jurisdiction: Area under legal or political control
- Jungle: Dense tropical forest

- Kilimanjaro: Tallest mountain in Africa (fun fact!)
- Knoll: Small rounded hill
- Köppen Climate System: System for classifying global climates

- Lagoon: Shallow body of water separated from a larger sea
- Latitude: Lines measuring distance north/south of equator
- Loess: Fertile, wind-blown dust or soil

- Mountain: Elevated landmass, often with steep sides
- Monsoon: Seasonal wind and rain pattern
- Map Scale: Ratio of map distance to real distance

- Natural Resource: Materials from nature used by humans
- Nation: A defined country with its own government
- Northern Hemisphere: Half of the Earth above the equator

- Ocean: Vast body of salt water
- Oasis: Fertile spot in a desert
- Overpopulation: When a place has more people than resources allow

- Peninsula: Land surrounded by water on three sides
- Plain: Large flat land with few hills
- Permafrost: Permanently frozen ground

- Quarry: Place where rock or minerals are extracted
- Quake: Sudden shaking of the ground
- Quicksand: Loose wet sand that can trap objects

- Rainforest: Dense forest with heavy rainfall
- River: Flowing water body moving toward an ocean or lake
- Rift Valley: Valley formed by tectonic plates pulling apart

- Savanna: Tropical grassland with scattered trees
- Strait: Narrow waterway between two land masses
- Seismic: Related to earthquakes or ground vibrations

- Tundra: Cold region with little vegetation
- Tsunami: Giant wave caused by underwater disturbance
- Topography: Arrangement of physical features on land

- Urbanization: Growth of cities and towns
- Underground Water: Water stored beneath Earth’s surface
- Upstream: Direction opposite the flow of a river

- Valley: Low land between hills or mountains
- Volcano: Mountain with lava eruptions
- Vegetation: Plant life in a region

- Watershed: Land area draining into a particular water body
- Weather: Daily atmospheric conditions
- Wetland: Water-saturated land like swamps or marshes

- Xerophyte: Plant adapted to dry climates
- Xenolith: Rock fragment inside another rock type
- X-axis (on maps): Horizontal line for measuring coordinates

- Yurt: Portable round tent used in Central Asia
- Yamuna River: Major tributary of the Ganges in India
- Yosemite Valley: Famous U.S. landscape carved by glaciers

Zone (Climate Zone): A region defined by consistent weather patterns, like tropical or polar zones.
Zenith: The point in the sky directly overhead.
Zambezi River: A major African river flowing through six countries — famous for Victoria Falls.