Archipelago Bay Canyon Cape Continent
Delta Desert Geyser Gulf Hill
Iceberg Island Isthmus Lake Mesa
Mountains Oasis Peninsula Plateau Prairie
River Sea Strait Tributary Valley
Volcano Waterfall      

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Archipelago - An archipelago is a group or chain of islands clustered together in a sea or ocean.

    Examples:    Islands around Japan and the Hawaiian Islands

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Bay - A body of water that extends into the land.  A bay has 2 main characteristics (1) part of a body of salt water and (2) it reaches into the land.

    Examples:    San Francisco Bay and the Bay of Biscay

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Canyon - A narrow, deep, steep-sided opening in the earth's surface with steep cliff walls, cut into the earth by running water; a gorge.

    Examples:   Grand Canyon 

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Cape- A point of land that juts out into water.

    Examples:    Cape Cod (MA), Cape Hatteras (NC) and Cape of Good Hope (Africa)

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Continent - A continent is one of the seven largest bodies of land.  The seven continents are: North America, South America, Asia, Europe, Antarctica, Africa, Australia

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Delta - A delta is fan shaped deposit of earth materials at the mouth of a stream or river.  It is formed from the silt, sand and small rocks that flow downstream in the river and are deposited in the delta. A delta is often (but not always) shaped like a triangle (hence its name, delta, a Greek letter that is shaped like a triangle).

    Examples:    The Delta of the Nile River

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Desert - A desert is a region of little rainfall where few plants and animals live.  A desert has 4 main characteristics  (1) Super-dry air   (2) Little rain, less than 10 inches a year  (3) High daytime temperatures  and (4) Lots of wind

    Example:  Sahara Desert, Gobi Desert, Namib Desert, Atacama Desert

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Geyser - A spring that spouts hot water and steam from time to time

    Examples:    Old Faithful

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Gulf - A gulf is a part of the ocean (or sea) that is partly surrounded by land (it is usually larger than a bay).

    Examples:    Gulf of Mexico

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Hill - An isolated elevation in the land, lower than a mountain, usually no more than 30 meters from base to peak.  

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Iceberg - A huge block of ice that has broken off a glacier

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Island - An area of land surrounded by water

    Examples:    Peak's Island (ME), Madagascar, Cuba

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Isthmus - An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger landmasses. An isthmus has water on two sides.

    Examples:    Isthmus of Panama

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Lake - An  area of water surrounded by land

    Examples:    Moosehead Lake, Lake Victoria, Great Bear Lake

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Mesa - landform with steep sides and a flat top, found in dry region

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Mountains - high, steeply sloped areas of the Earth's surface formed by the upward movement of rock. Mountains are found on land and on the ocean floor.

    Examples:    Mt. Katahdin, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. McKinley

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Oasis - fertile spot in a desert

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Peninsula - A peninsula is a body of land that is surrounded by water on three sides

    Examples:    Italy, Florida

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Plateau - A flat area of land that is higher than the land around it

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Prairie - Large rolling plains region with tall grass   

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River - A long body of water that flows over land

    Examples:   Kennebec River, Nile River, Mississippi River 

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Sea - A sea is a large body of salty water that is connected to an ocean. A sea may be partly or completely surrounded by land.

    Examples:    Red Sea, Bering Sea

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Strait - A strait is a narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water.

    Examples:    Strait of Gibraltar

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Tributary - A tributary is a stream or river that flows into a larger river.

    Examples:    White Nile, Blue Nile

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Valley - A low area between hills and mountains 

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Volcano - A volcano is a mountainous vent in the Earth's crust. When a volcano erupts, it spews out lava, ashes, and hot gases from deep inside the Earth.

    Examples:    Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Etna

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Waterfall - Place where running water makes a sheer drop, usually over a cliff 

    Example: Niagara Falls, Angel Falls

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