Geographic Terms
Geographic terms help us describe
landforms and bodies of water.
Here is a list of the geographic terms that we
will learn! How many do you know?
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ocean
sea
gulf
lake
river
source
mouth
tributary
•mountain range
•plains
•cape
•peninsula
•island
•valley
•delta
Sea-A sea is a body of salt water
smaller than an ocean.
• The Dead Sea is a sea that is located in Asia in
a region called the Middle East.
• It is a sea because it is smaller than an ocean,
but is salt water. In fact, it is the saltiest body
of water in the world. 8 times saltier than the
ocean.
Gulf-A gulf is when a sea or an ocean
cuts into land.
• We have a gulf in North America, do you know
where it is?
• A bay is like a gulf, but usually is smaller. Has
anyone heard of a bay in America?
Lake-A lake is a body of fresh water
surrounded by land.
This is a picture of a lake in
Seattle, Washington called
Lake Union.
Rivers
• Every river has a source and a mouth.
• The river source is where the
river starts.
• Rivers often start at the tops
of mountains. Do you have
an idea why?
River Mouth and Delta
• The river mouth is where the river empties
out into a larger body of water, usually at a
lower elevation.
• A delta is the land
surrounding a river
mouth.
Tributary-A tributary is a smaller
stream that feeds into a river.
Mountain Range-A row of connected
mountains.
• The Rocky Mountain range spans many states
in the Western U.S.
Plains-plains are land that is mostly flat
• Here is a picture of plains in the state of
Nebraska.
Peninsula-A peninsula is land that is
surrounded by water on 3 sides
• Does anyone recognize this peninsula?
Cape-A cape is similar to a peninsula,
but usually thinner.
Island-An island is completely
surrounded by water.
• In movies, pirates often bury their treasure
here.
Valley-a valley is an area between hills
or mountains.
The End
• Now team up with a partner for another
Geography Challenge on p. 4 of your ISN.
• The map can be confusing, so use p. 16 in your
textbook if you get stuck.