A tactile relief map and small globe on a desk, with a narrow strip of land between blue waters
AI-generated photorealistic illustration created for BrainiLab; an imagined editorial scene.

Start with the shape

Geography terms help name patterns of land and water, then locate them on Earth. Start with one shape you can picture, rather than a page of definitions to memorise.

These short reads explain ten useful terms. Choose whichever pair looks easiest to mix up.

Land and water trade places

  • Strait A narrow stretch of water connects larger waters.
  • Isthmus A narrow strip of land connects larger land areas.
  • Peninsula Land reaches into water while staying attached.
  • Archipelago Islands have company.

Follow the water

  • Fjord Follow a glacial valley into the sea.
  • Estuary Meet a river where fresh and salty water mix.
  • Meander A river bend can slowly change position.
  • Delta Sediment builds land near a river’s mouth.

Give the shape an address

  • Equator Start the north–south coordinate at zero latitude.
  • Prime meridian Meet the agreed starting point for longitude.

Want to put the words into a wider world? Try the World Capitals.

NOAA explains latitude and longitude, the coordinates behind those two zeroes.