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Environmental English
Geographical
features
Essential vocabulary

Geographical features essential vocabulary

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Geographical features
Page
2 The island
3 Vocabulary test
5 Geographical test
Appendix
1 Mountain vocabulary
2 Coastal vocabulary
3 Articles

Produced by Environmental English, 2013
Geographical features essential vocabulary

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The island
Number each of the following features:

bay canal channel
1 dam estuary foothills
harbour peninsula plain
plateau reservoir volcano
wetland




Geographical features essential vocabulary

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Vocabulary test
1 What word matches these definitions? The first letter is given.
E.g. A valley with steep sides gorge
1. A very large sea o
2. Land with sea on all sides i
3. Where a river meets the sea m
or d
or e
4. A river that flows into another river t
5. Where a river starts s
or s
6. Where two rivers (or two glaciers) meet c
7. A river of ice g
8. The top of a mountain s
or p
9. Where land meets sea c
or s
10. Where land meets sea very steeply c
11. A small river s
or b
or c
12. Land with sea on three sides p

Geographical features essential vocabulary

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Vocabulary test
2 What are these geographical features? Which of them need the?
1. The Andes mountain range (or chain)
2. Kilimanjaro
3. United Arab Emirates
4. Hungary
5. Tasmania
6. Gulf Stream
7. Amazon
8. Loch Ness
9. Baltic
10. Atlantic
See Appendix 3 for the rules about the!

3 What are the opposites of the adjectives below?
1. A deep river shallow
2. A rocky beach
3. An extinct volcano
4. A gentle slope
5. A rough sea

Geographical features essential vocabulary

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Geography test


1. The longest river in Europe
2. A country with many lakes
3. A famous forest
4. A country with no coast
5. A country with lots of islands
6. A country with active volcanoes
7. A country with large areas of desert
8. A country with a cold climate
9. A country famous for its beautiful scenery
10. A country which has a border with Slovakia
11. A capital city which is a port
12. A city famous for its canals
13. A city famous for its cathedral
14. A city with many historical monuments

Geographical features essential vocabulary

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Appendix 1: Mountain vocabulary



bare rock cirque / corrie

corrie glacier crevasses

glacial meltwater stream hanging valley

icefall main valley glacier

moraine mountainous

mountain pass peak / summit

plateau ridge/arte

scree snow line

tributary glacier waterfall
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Appendix 2: Coastal vocabulary








arch bay
cave cliff
crest delta
gorge groyne
headland / promontory jetty
lagoon river mouth
sand dune sandy beach
sediment sediment
shingle beach spit
wash
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Appendix 3: Articles


You need to be careful when using the with geographical features!

Feature the? Example

Countries no France, America,
Countries in a plural form yes The Netherlands
Countries with United yes The USA, The USSR, The UK
Individual mountains no Mount Blanc, Ben Nevis
but! yes The Jungfrau, The Zugspitz
Mountain chains yes The Harz, The Andes
Islands no Sicily, Mallorca
Groups of islands yes The British Isles, The Galapagos
Rivers yes The Rhine, The Vltava
Oceans yes The Atlantic, The Indian Ocean
Seas yes The Adriatic, The Black Sea
Bays, gulfs, straits yes The Gulf of Valencia
The Bay of Biscay
The Straits of Gibraltar
Lakes no Lake Geneva, Loch Lomond
Currents yes The Gulf Stream, The Jet Stream