Word Definition Translation
accurate correct or true in every detail
aerial from a plane (an aerial photo)
altitude
the height of a place or thing above sea level (=the surface of the
sea).
arrow
a sign that looks like an arrow, used for showing people which
direction to go in, or where to look for something
atlas a book of maps.
background
the part of a picture or pattern that is behind the main people or
things in it
battlefield
a place where a battle takes place or where one took place in the
past
bay an area of the coast where the land curves inwards.
bearing an exact position, usually measured from north.
boreal of or relating to the north.
border the official line that separates two countries or regions.
boundary
something such as a line on a map that marks where one
area of land ends and another begins
bridging point the narrowest place where it is possible to cross a river.
castle
large strong building with thick walls, built in the past to protect
the people inside from being attacked
cliff the steep side of an area of high land
col a pass between high places in mountains
compass
a piece of equipment used for finding your way, with a needle
that always points north
contour
contour or contour line a line on a map joining points that
are the same height above or below sea level. The lines are used
for showing hills, mountains, and valleys
converge to come from different directions to reach the same point.
crop a plant grown for food, usually on a farm.
crossroads a place where one road crosses another
density the amount of something in a place
dip a place in a surface that is lower than the surrounding area
distance the amount of space between two people or things
district an area of a town or country
drainage
1 a system of pipes and passages that take away water or waste
liquid from an area.
2 the process of taking away water or waste liquid from
somewhere.
dwelling a house, flat, or other shelter in which someone lives
estuary
the part of a large river where it becomes wide and flows into the
sea
farm an area of land that is used for growing crops or keeping animals
feature an important part or aspect of something
Maps and Photographs in Geography
field
1 an area where gas, coal, oil, or other useful substances are
found.
2 an area of land used for keeping animals or growing food.
footbridge a narrow bridge for people to walk across
footpath path used only for walking, usually in the countryside
fort
a strong building, often with a high wall around it, used by
soldiers for defending a place
geographical relating to an area or place, or to geography.
globe a round object that has a map of the world on it.
gradient a measure of how steep a road is.
grid reference
a set of numbers and letters that shows a particular position on a
map. The numbers and letters relate to the lines of the map’s grid
(=an arrangement of straight lines that cross each other to form a
series of squares).
headland a narrow piece of land that sticks out into the sea.
horizontal straight and parallel to the ground.
indicate to be a sign or symbol of something.
inlet
a long narrow area of water that continues into the land from a
lake or sea
inner city
an area near the centre of a large city where a lot of poverty and
other social problems exist
international data
line
an internationally agreed imaginary line that runs along the 180º
meridian of longitude. The date is one day earlier to the east of it
than to the west of it.
key a list of the symbols that are used on a map or a drawing.
landform a feature on the Earth’s surface such as a mountain or a valley.
landscape
an area of land that is beautiful to look at or that has a particular
type of appearance.
large scale
a large-scale map or plan is one that is big enough to show a lot of
details
lighthouse
a tower built next to the sea that has a powerful flashing light at
the top to show ships where to go or to warn them of danger
location
the place or position where someone or something is or where
something happens.
landmass a continent or a large area of land that is surrounded by sea.
latitude
the distance of a point on the Earth from the equator, measured
in degrees north or south.
longitude
the position of a place in the world when it is measured in
relation to east or west, not to north or south.
map projection
a method of making a flat map of the Earth, or a map made by
this method.
meadow a field where grass and wild flowers grow
measurement
the exact size, degree, strength etc of something, usually
expressed in numbers of standard units
meridian
one of the lines on a map that goes around the Earth from the
North Pole to the South Pole.
oblique
an oblique photograph is taken with the camera looking down
and across at the area being photographed
ordnance survey
map a very detailed official map of a part of the UK
orienteering
a sport in which people try to find their way on foot across
an area of countryside using a map and a compass.
pasture land covered with grass where sheep, cows etc are kept.
plot to mark on a map the way that a ship or plane travels.
prime meridian
the imaginary line on the Earth's surface that all lines of longitude
are measured from. It passes through Greenwich in England.
protruding further forward than the rest of something.
railway the metal track that trains travel on
region a large area of land.
relief the elevations of a land surface.
roundabout
a circular area where three or more roads meet that you have to
drive around in one direction in order to get onto another road.
rain gauge
a piece of equipment used for measuring the amount of
rain that falls.
satellite
an object that is sent into space to travel round the Earth in order
to receive and send information.
scale
the relationship between the actual distance or size of something
and how it is shown on a map or in a drawing or model.
scattered spread over a large area
settlement
a place where people have come to live permanently,
usually when there were very few people living there before