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SSPJ - Grade 6 Geographic Land Forms Test (51 Terms)

Terms in this set (51)

Altitude
the height of land above sea level
Antarctic Circle
an imaginary circle parallel to the equator, 23 1/2 degrees from the South Pole (66 1/2 degrees S)
Arctic Circle
an imaginary circle parallel to the equator, 23 1/2 degrees from the North Pole (66 1/2 degrees N)
Bay
part of an ocean, sea, or lake that extends into the land
Cape
a point of land that extends into an ocean, sea or lake
Cardinal Directions
the basic directions on a map called north, south, east and west
Climate Zone
regions considered with reference to the kind of weather prevailing there
Compass Rose
a symbol printed on a chart or map to show directions
Delta
(of a river) a triangular deposit of sand and soil that collects at the mouth of some rivers
Desert
a dry, barren region that is usually sandy without trees
Equator
(o degrees) an imaginary circle around the earth, equally distant at all points from both the North Pole and South Pole, dividing the earth's surface into the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere
South Pole
(90 degrees S) the southern end of the earth's axis
Strait
a narrow body of water that connect two larger bodies of water
Symbols
(on a map) written or printed marks, letters, figures, etc. used to represent objects or information
Temperate Climate
climate characterized by a lack of extremes in temperature
Torrid Zone
the very warm region between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn; the equator divides the Torrid Zone
Tributary
a stream or a river that flows into another river
Tropical Climate
the climate of the tropics, characterized by intense heat, much rain, and a lack of seasons
Tropic of Cancer
(23 1/2 degrees N) the parallel of latitude that is the northern boundary of the Torrid Zone
Tropic of Capricorn
(23 1/2 degrees S) the parallel of latitude that is the southern boundary of the Torrid Zone
Valley
the land between hills or mountains
North Pole
(90 degree N) the northern end of the earth's axis
Ocean
the great body of salt water that covers almost two-thirds of the earth's surface
Ocean Current
a movement of the surface water in a regular path affecting climate
Parallels
imaginary lines north or south of the equator representing degrees of latitude
Peninsula
land surrounded by water on all sides but one
Physical Map
a map which shows features of the earth's surface
Plain
a broad and flat or gently rolling area usually low in elevation
Plateau
a flat area high above sea level
Polar Climate
the climate of the earth's polar regions, characterized by short summers and long winters
Political Map
a map which shows the boundaries of countries, cities, highways, etc.
Precipitation
moisture in the form of rain, snow, sleet, hail, etc.
Prime Meridian
(0 degrees) the meridian from which longitude is measured both east and west, passing through Greenwich, England
River
a large stream of water that flows into another body of water
Sea
a large body of salt water wholly or partly closed by land
Source
the place where a river or stream begins
Geographic Grid
a pattern of lines that cross each other as latitude and longitude and cross each other to find an exact point on a map
Gulf
a part of an ocean or sea extending into the land: usually larger than a bay
Hemisphere
any halves of the globe: northern, southern, eastern, and western
Intermediate Directions
formed from basic directions: Northwest, Southwest, Southeast, and Northeast
International Date Line
and imaginary line drawn north and south through the Pacific Ocean, largely along the 180 Degree Meridian; by international agreement, each calendar day begins at midnight
Island
body of land smaller than a continent that is completely surrounded by water
Ithsmus
a narrow strip of land bordered by water that connects two larger bodies of land
Lake
a large body of water surrounded by land
Latitude
distance measured in degrees, north or south from the Equator
Longitude
distance measured in degrees, east or west of the Prime Meridian
Map Legend
an explanatory list of symbols on a chart or map
Map Scale
the proportion that a map bears to the thing it represents, for example, one inch equals one mile
Meridian
a line of longitude running north or south on a globe or map
Mountain
a landform with high elevation with a pointed or rounded top, higher than a hill
Mouth
the part of a river where the waters flow into another body of water
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