Challenge A geography terms – Flashcards
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altitude
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elevation or height above sea level
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archipelago
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a group or chain of many islands in a sea (usually shaped like an arch)
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arm
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an inlet from the sea or other body of water
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atoll
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a small island the shape of a ring or horseshoe formed by deposits of coral sea animals
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bank
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the steep or sloping border of any stream
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basin
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a low place in the surface of the land, usually with a body of water occupying the lowest part
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bay
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any inlet of the ocean or part of the ocean bordering on land and partly surrounded by land
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bayou
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a slow, sluggish stream; usually used to describe inlets from the Gulf of Mexico or from the Mississippi River
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beach
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the pebbly or sandy shore of the sea or of a lake that is washed by the waves
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bluff
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a steep, high bank beside a body of water
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bog
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very wet, spongy ground not able to support much weight, usually made up of decayed plants
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branch
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a small stream or creek emptying into a larger stream
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breakers
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waves breaking into foam as they approach or dash against the shore
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brink
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the very edge at the top of a bluff, cliff, or precipice
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brook
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a natural stream of running water smaller than a river or a creek
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canal
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a constructed channel filled with water used for navigation, irrigation, or drainage
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canyon
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a deep,narrow valley having high, steep slopes
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cape
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a narrow piece of land projecting into the sea
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cave
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a deep, hollowed-out area under the earth's surface
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cavern
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a large cave or room size or larger
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channel
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a narrow strip of water
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chasm
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an empty, deep gap in the surface of the earth
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cinder cone
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a cone-shaped mass of material made by volcanic eruption
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cliff
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the steep, rocky face of a bluff
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coast
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land along the sea
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continent
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any one of the seven largest areas of land on the earth's surface
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continental shelf
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the shallow sea area bordering the continents
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country
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a nation or area of land that is politically controlled by one government
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cove
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a small, sheltered inlet from any body of water
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crag
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a projecting point of rock, usually perpendicular or nearly so
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crater
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the bowl-shaped opening at the top of a volcano
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creek
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a natural stream of running water larger than a brook but smaller than a river
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cultivated land
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land that is plowed or spaded and used for growing crops
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current
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the swiftly moving part of a stream
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dale
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a small valley
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dam
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a bank or wall built across a stream to hold back water
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dell
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a small, sheltered valley or ravine
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delta
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a deposit, usually triangular in shape, of sand and soil that forms at the mouth of a river
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desert
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a large area of land with little or no moisture or vegetation
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dike
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earth or other material built up along a river or ocean to keep the water from overflowing onto land
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divide
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a water parting or watershed that separates two drainage areas
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downstream
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the direction in which a stream is flowing
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drainage basin
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the area from which a single stream or river and its tributaries drains all of the water
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dune
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a hill or ridge of sand piled up by the wind
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earth
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the planet on which people live
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elevation
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height or distance above sea level
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estuary
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a narrow arm of the sea at the mouth of a river where the ocean tide meets the river current
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fall line
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the line connecting the places where streams emerge from the uplands onto lowlands usually marked by waterfalls or rapids
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field
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an area of clear land, often bounded by fences
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fjord
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a deep, narrow inlet of the sea between high, steep banks
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foothill
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a hill at the base of a mountain
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ford
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a shallow place where a stream or body of water may be crossed by wading or driving through the water
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forest
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a large area of land covered with trees
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glacier
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a large sheet or stream of ice formed in an area, usually at high elevations, where the temperature remains below or near freezing and more snow accumulates in winter than melts in summer
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glen
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a small valley usually long, narrow, and with steep sides
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gorge
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a narrow passage between step mountains or hills
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grove
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a group of trees smaller than a forest, generally without undergrowth
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gulch
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a narrow, rocky valley or gorge; a ravine
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gulf
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an area of water bordering on, and lying within, a curved coastline
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harbor
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a sheltered body of water where ships anchor and are protected from storms
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headland
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a high area of land with a steep slope, projecting into a body of water
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hill
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a small area of land that is higher than the land around it
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horizon
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the line where the earth's surface and the sky seem to meet
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iceberg
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a huge block of floating ice broken from a glacier, found in the most northerly and southerly areas of the world's oceans
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inlet
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a small opening between a small and a larger body of water
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irrigated Land
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land watered by artificial means through the use of small canals or ditches
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Island
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an area of land surrounded by water
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Isthmus
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a narrow piece of land joining two larger bodies of land, or joining a peninsula with a mainland
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Junction
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the meeting point of two streams, roads, or railroads
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Keys
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an island or reef that does not stick up very far above the water
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Knob
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a smooth, rounded hill
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Knoll
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a small, rounded hill or mound
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lagoon
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a pool of shallow water connected to the sea by an inlet
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Lake
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an inland body of water usually of considerable size
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Land
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the portion of the earth's surface above the level of the sea or ocean
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Latitude
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latitude is a north-south measurement of position on the earth
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Ledge
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a projection of rock having the appearance of a shelf
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Left bank
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the bank of a stream which lies on the left side as one goes with the current
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Levee
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an embankment beside a stream which prevents overflow
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Locks
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an enclosure with gates built in a canal or river so that ships can raised or lowered by changing the water level
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Longitude
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longitude is a west-east measurement of position on the earth
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Marsh
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an area of low, wet, poorly drained land
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Meadow
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an area of level land where grass is grown and usually cut for hay
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Mesa
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a flat-topped, rocky hill with steep sloping sides
