Mountain: A very high, steep piece of land that rises above the land around it
Hill: A rounded piece of land higher than the land around it, but lower than a mountain
Valley: Low land between hills or mountains
Plain: A large, flat area of land
Plateau: A high, flat area of land
Mesa: A flat-topped hill with steep sides, found in dry places
Butte: A small, steep hill with a flat top, narrower than a mesa
Canyon: A deep valley with steep rock sides, often cut by a river
Gorge: A narrow, steep-sided valley
Cliff: A high, steep rock face
Cave: A hollow place in rock or a hillside
Volcano: A mountain with an opening where hot melted rock can erupt
Crater: A bowl-shaped hole at the top of a volcano or made by an impact
Glacier: A huge, slow-moving river of ice
Iceberg: A large piece of ice floating in the sea
Desert: A very dry place that gets little rain
Dune: A hill of sand built by the wind
Oasis: A place in a desert where water lets plants grow
Prairie: A large grassland with few trees
Tundra: A cold, treeless land where the ground below the top is frozen
Savanna: A grassland with scattered trees in a warm place
Forest: A large area covered with trees
Rainforest: A thick forest in a warm place with lots of rain
Swamp: Wet land covered with water and trees
Marsh: Wet, soft land with grasses and reeds
Wetland: Land that is soaked with water much of the year
Peninsula: Land almost surrounded by water, joined to the mainland on one side
Island: Land completely surrounded by water
Archipelago: A group or chain of islands
Isthmus: A narrow strip of land joining two larger land areas
Cape: A point of land that sticks out into the sea
Coast: Land along the edge of the sea
Beach: A sandy or pebbly shore by the water
Bay: Part of the sea that curves into the land
Gulf: A large bay, partly closed in by land
Strait: A narrow waterway that joins two larger bodies of water
Channel: A wide strait or a deep path for water or ships
Fjord: A long, narrow sea inlet with steep cliffs on both sides
Harbor: A sheltered place where ships can stay safe
Delta: Land formed where a river drops mud and sand as it reaches the sea
Estuary: The wide mouth of a river where fresh water meets the sea
Lake: A large body of water surrounded by land
Pond: A small body of still water
River: A large stream of water that flows to a lake or sea
Stream: A small, narrow river
Waterfall: Water falling from a high place over a cliff
Spring: A place where water flows naturally out of the ground
Source (of a river): The place where a river starts
Mouth (of a river): The place where a river ends and flows into a sea or lake
Tributary: A smaller river or stream that flows into a bigger river
Watershed: Land where all the water drains into one river or lake
Basin: A low area of land, often drained by a river
Reef: A ridge of rock or coral near the surface of the sea
Atoll: A ring-shaped coral island around a lagoon
Lagoon: A shallow body of water cut off from the sea by a reef or sand bar
Geyser: A hot spring that shoots water and steam into the air
Foothills: Low hills at the bottom of a mountain range
Mountain range: A long row of connected mountains
Summit: The very top of a mountain
Slope: A surface that is higher at one end than the other
Badlands: Dry land worn by wind and water into strange shapes
Continental divide: A ridge that sends rivers to opposite sides of a continent
Sea level: The height of the ocean's surface, used as zero for measuring height

Free flashcards from Peabody at peabody.kids/flashcards/geo-landforms-vocabulary