Physical Geography of Land, 11 -AVA
Earth’s geographic history has been one marked by significant overall change, with ice ages, continental drift, and other major disruptions ultimately shaping Earth's land into the landscape of mountain ranges, deserts, islands, and volcanoes that we see today.
Physical Geography of Land Encyclopedia Articles By Title
11 Caves That Made History
Caves are simply openings in the earth. They can be natural or human-made. They may be of any size and shape. They......
38th parallel
38th parallel, popular name given to latitude 38° N that in East Asia roughly demarcates North Korea and South......
6 Lakes That Are Drying Up
In general, rain, snow, and other types of precipitation fall in different amounts in different environments. Deserts......
8 Amazing Physical Features of Africa
The vast expanse of the African continent spans several different climatic regions and contains everything from......
8 of the World’s Most-Remote Islands
Even in the 21st century, there are places on the planet where few people tread. Lonely mountain tops, desert interiors,......
9 of the World’s Deepest Lakes
Deep lakes hold a special place in the human imagination. The motif of a bottomless lake is widespread in world......
A Tale of Two Submerged Continents
In February 2017 separate studies examining Earth’s geological and geophysical characteristics revealed evidence......
A Trillion Tonnes of Antarctica Fell into the Sea
Antarctica, Earth’s coldest continent, is known for its remoteness, its unique fauna, and its frigid surface of......
Abaco
Abaco, island, The Bahamas, West Indies. It is located about 55 miles (90 km) north of Nassau, the capital, on......
Abaiang Atoll
Abaiang Atoll, coral atoll of the Gilbert Islands, part of Kiribati, in the west-central Pacific Ocean. Comprising......
Abemama Atoll
Abemama Atoll, coral atoll of the northern Gilbert Islands, part of Kiribati, in the west-central Pacific Ocean.......
Abşeron Peninsula
Abşeron Peninsula, peninsula in Azerbaijan that extends 37 miles (60 km) eastward into the Caspian Sea and reaches......
Achill Island
Achill Island, mountainous island off the west coast of Ireland. It is part of County Mayo, joined to the mainland......
Adrar
Adrar, palm grove settlement, the largest of the Touat oasis group, southwestern Algeria, in the Sahara. Adrar’s......
Aegean Islands
Aegean Islands, Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, particularly the Cyclades, Sporades, and Dodecanese groups. The......
Aegina
Aegina, island, one of the largest in the Saronic group of Greece, about 16 miles (26 km) south-southwest of Piraeus.......
Africa
Africa, the second largest continent (after Asia), covering about one-fifth of the total land surface of Earth.......
- Introduction
- Geology, Plate Tectonics, History
- Paleozoic, Fossils, Geology
- Cenozoic, Wildlife, Climate
- Deserts, Savannas, Mountains
- Nile Basin, Wildlife, Cultures
- Orange Basin, Geography, Climate
- Climate, Regions, Variations
- Flora, Fauna, Ecosystems
- Mangrove Ecosystems, Ecology, Biodiversity
- Mediterranean Vegetation
- Wildlife, Fauna, Ecosystems
- Bird Diversity, Migration, Conservation
- Human Impact, Resources, Climate
- Conservation, Wildlife, Biodiversity
- Ethnic Groups, Cultures, Languages
- Sahel, Sahara, Coast
- Diversity, Ethnicity, Languages
- Population, Diversity, Migration
- Trade, Resources, Agriculture
- Metallic deposits
- Groundwater, Aquifers, Oases
- Farming, Crops, Livestock
- Fruits, Vegetables, Crops
- Trade, Resources, Markets
- Transportation, Trade, Infrastructure
Agalega Islands
Agalega Islands, two-island dependency of Mauritius, in the western Indian Ocean. It consists of North Island and......
Aggtelek Caves
Aggtelek Caves, limestone cave system on the Hungarian-Slovakian border, about 30 miles (50 km) northwest of Miskolc,......
Agnano
Agnano, volcanic crater, Napoli provincia, Campania regione, southern Italy. It is situated in the Campi Flegrei......
Agrihan
Agrihan, one of the Mariana Islands and part of the Northern Mariana Islands, a commonwealth of the United States.......
Agulhas, Cape
Cape Agulhas, cape that is the southernmost point of the African continent, located 109 miles (176 km) southeast......
Ailsa Craig
Ailsa Craig, granite islet, South Ayrshire council area, Scotland, at the mouth of the Firth of Clyde and 10 miles......
Aitutaki Atoll
Aitutaki Atoll, one of the southern Cook Islands, a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand in......
Ajanta Caves
Ajanta Caves, Buddhist rock-cut cave temples and monasteries, located near Ajanta village, north-central Maharashtra......
Alaska Peninsula
Alaska Peninsula, stretch of land extending southwest from mainland Alaska, U.S. It spreads for 500 miles (800......
Alban Hills
Alban Hills, volcanic area in the Lazio (Latium) regione (region) of central Italy, southeast of Rome. The hills......
Alberta Basin
Alberta Basin, large, petroleum-rich sedimentary basin along the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains in western......
Albion
Albion, the earliest-known name for the island of Britain. It was used by ancient Greek geographers from the 4th......
Alborán Island
Alborán Island, islet, belonging to Spain, in the western Mediterranean Sea. About 2 miles (3 km) long, Alborán......
Albula Pass
Albula Pass, mountain pass in the Albula Alps of eastern Switzerland that forms the principal route from northeast......
Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island, rocky island in San Francisco Bay, California, U.S. The island occupies an area of 22 acres (9......
Alderney
Alderney, one of the Channel Islands, in the English Channel, separated from the Normandy coast (Cap de la Hague)......
Aletsch Glacier
Aletsch Glacier, the Alps’ largest and longest glacier, lying in the Bernese Alps of south-central Switzerland.......
Aleutian Basin
Aleutian Basin, submarine depression forming the floor of the southwestern section of the Bering Sea in the Pacific......
Alexander Island
Alexander Island, large island in the Bellingshausen Sea, separated from the Antarctica mainland by the George......
alkali flat
alkali flat, a playa, or dried-out desert lake, especially one containing high concentrations of precipitated dry,......
alluvial deposit
alluvial deposit, Material deposited by rivers. It consists of silt, sand, clay, and gravel, as well as much organic......
alluvial fan
alluvial fan, unconsolidated sedimentary deposit that accumulates at the mouth of a mountain canyon because of......
Als
Als, island in the Little Belt (strait), Denmark. It is separated from the Sundeved peninsula of southern Jutland......
Altamira
Altamira, cave in northern Spain famous for its magnificent prehistoric paintings and engravings. It is situated......
Altiplano
Altiplano, region of southeastern Peru and western Bolivia. The Altiplano originates northwest of Lake Titicaca......
Amami Great Island
Amami Great Island, largest island in the Amami chain of the northern Ryukyu Islands, in Kagoshima ken (prefecture),......
Amazon basin
Amazon basin, the drainage basin of the Amazon River that covers about 34 percent of the land of South America......
Ambon
Ambon, island and municipality of Maluku propinsi (or provinsi; province), Indonesia. It is one of the islands......
Ambrym
Ambrym, volcanic island of Vanuatu, southwestern Pacific Ocean. It has an area of 257 square miles (665 square......
American Samoa
American Samoa, unincorporated territory of the United States consisting of the eastern part of the Samoan archipelago,......
Americas
Americas, the two continents, North and South America, of the Western Hemisphere. The climatic zones of the two......
Amorgós Island
Amorgós Island, island trending northeast-southwest in the Cyclades (Modern Greek: Kykládes) group, South Aegean......
Amund Ringnes
Amund Ringnes, one of the Sverdrup Islands in Nunavut, Canada, in the Arctic Ocean, between Axel Heiberg and Ellef......
Anatom
Anatom, southernmost inhabited island of Vanuatu, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Volcanic in origin, it has......
Andros Island
Andros Island, largest island of The Bahamas, West Indies. It lies 25 miles (40 km) west of New Providence Island......
Anegada
Anegada, one of the British Virgin Islands and the northernmost of the Lesser Antilles, a chain separating the......
Anglesey, Isle of
Isle of Anglesey, county, northwestern Wales, separated from the North Wales mainland by the Menai Strait. The......
Anguilla
Anguilla, island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, a British overseas territory. It is the most northerly of the Leeward......
Ann, Cape
Cape Ann, cape on the Atlantic Ocean comprising the eastern extremity of Essex county, northeastern Massachusetts,......
Annobón
Annobón, volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean near the Equator; it is part of Equatorial Guinea. Located......
Antarctic Peninsula
Antarctic Peninsula, peninsula claimed by the United Kingdom, Chile, and Argentina. It forms an 800-mile (1,300-km)......
Antarctica
Antarctica, the world’s southernmost and fifth largest continent. Its landmass is almost wholly covered by a vast......
- Introduction
- Ice, Wildlife, Continent
- Polar, Ice, Climate
- Glaciers, Seas, Ice
- Flora, Fauna, Ecosystems
- Penguins, Seals, Whales
- Resources, Wildlife, Climate
- Wildlife, Marine Life, Ecosystems
- Exploration, Wildlife, Ice
- Exploration, Ice, Wildlife
- National Rivalries, Claims
- IGY, Treaty, Exploration
- Treaty, Continent, Wildlife
Anticosti Island
Anticosti Island, island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, part of the Côte-Nord......
Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda, islands that form an independent state in the Lesser Antilles in the eastern Caribbean Sea,......
Aoba
Aoba, volcanic island of Vanuatu, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, 30 miles (50 km) east of Espiritu Santo. With......
Aouelloul Crater
Aouelloul Crater, large crater located 28 mi (45 km) southwest of Chinguetti, Mauritania, and thought to stem from......
Arabia
Arabia, peninsular region, together with offshore islands, located in the extreme southwestern corner of Asia.......
Arabia, history of
history of Arabia, history of the region from prehistoric times to the present. Sometime after the rise of Islam......
Arabian Basin
Arabian Basin, submarine basin of the southern Arabian Sea, rising to meet the submerged Carlsberg Ridge to the......
Aran Islands
Aran Islands, three limestone islands—Inishmore, Inishmaan, and Inisheer—comprising 18 square miles (47 square......
Aravalli Range
Aravalli Range, hill system of northern India, running northeasterly for more than 650 km (400 miles) through the......
Arches National Park
Arches National Park, desert area of sandstone formations in eastern Utah, U.S., on the Colorado River just north......
archipelagic apron
archipelagic apron, layers of volcanic rock that form a fanlike slope around groups of ancient or recent islands,......
Argentine Basin
Argentine Basin, submarine basin in the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, lying directly east of Argentina. Its deepest......
Argonne
Argonne, wooded, hilly region in eastern France that forms a natural barrier between Champagne and Lorraine. The......
Arguin Island
Arguin Island, island off the coast of Mauritania; it lies about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Cape Blanc, in a......
Arlberg
Arlberg, mountain pass and tunnel, at the northern end of the Rhaetian Alps, in western Austria. The pass (at 5,882......
Aroostook War
Aroostook War, (1838–39), bloodless conflict over the disputed boundary between the U.S. state of Maine and the......
Arran
Arran, largest island in the North Ayrshire council area and the historic county of Buteshire, western Scotland,......
arroyo
arroyo, a dry channel lying in a semiarid or desert area and subject to flash flooding during seasonal or irregular......
Arthur Pass
Arthur Pass, road through the Southern Alps, west-central South Island, New Zealand. At an elevation of 3,018 feet......
artificial reef
artificial reef, structure built by human beings that serves as a substitute for a natural coral reef or rocky......
Aruba
Aruba, island lying southwest of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea, some 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Curaçao......
Arwād, Jazīrat
Jazīrat Arwād, island in the eastern Mediterranean off the Syrian coastal town of Ṭarṭūs. Originally settled by......
arête
arête, (French: “ridge”), in geology, a sharp-crested serrate ridge separating the heads of opposing valleys (cirques)......
Ascension
Ascension, island in the South Atlantic Ocean, part of the British overseas territory of St. Helena, Ascension......
aseismic ridge
aseismic ridge, a long, linear and mountainous structure that crosses the basin floor of some oceans. Earthquakes......
Asia
Asia, the world’s largest and most diverse continent. It occupies the eastern four-fifths of the giant Eurasian......
- Introduction
- Geologic History
- Stratigraphy, Structure, Geology
- Mesozoic, Plate Tectonics, Climate
- Cenozoic, Plate Tectonics, Climate
- Plains, Lowlands, Geography
- Regions, Geography, Culture
- South Asia, Subcontinent, Culture
- Lakes, Rivers, Geography
- Arctic, Landforms, Wildlife
- Mediterranean, Landforms, Cultures
- Climate, Monsoons, Rainfall
- Monsoons, Typhoons, Climate
- Climate, Regions, Geography
- Flora, Fauna, Ecosystems
- West Asia, Middle East, Arabian Peninsula
- Wildlife, Fauna, Ecosystems
- Landforms, Cultures, Religions
- Ethnic Groups, Diversity, Cultures
- Languages, Dialects, Scripts
- Religion, Beliefs, Customs
- Settlement Patterns, Geography, Cultures
- Population, Migration, Urbanization
- Trade, Manufacturing, Agriculture
- Mineral Resources, Oil, Gas
- Wildlife, Flora, Fauna
- Resource Development
- Farming, Crops, Irrigation
- Manufacturing, Industries, Economies
- Trade, Routes, Commodities
- Transportation, Infrastructure, Trade
Asinara Island
Asinara Island, island lying in the Mediterranean Sea off the northwest coast of Sardinia. It has an area of 20......
Askja
Askja, largest caldera (volcanic crater) in the Dyngjufjöll volcanic massif, in east-central Iceland. It lies 20......
Assateague Island
Assateague Island, barrier island off the Atlantic Ocean coast of southeastern Maryland and eastern Virginia, U.S.......
Astipálaia
Astipálaia, island, westernmost of the Greek Dodecanese islands, Aegean Sea, between Amorgós and Cos (Modern Greek:......
Atafu
Atafu, coral atoll of Tokelau, a territory of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean. It comprises 19 islets that......
Atar
Atar, town, west-central Mauritania. It is an oasis and a caravan stopping point and lies on a road leading southwest......
Athelney
Athelney, small eminence, formerly an island, rising above the drained marshes around the confluence of the Rivers......
Atiu
Atiu, one of the southern Cook Islands, a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand in the South......
Atlantis
Atlantis, a legendary island in the Atlantic Ocean, lying west of the Strait of Gibraltar. The principal sources......
Atlantis II Deep
Atlantis II Deep, submarine basin, the largest in the Red Sea, located at latitude 21°23′ N and longitude 38°04′......
atoll
atoll, coral reef enclosing a lagoon. Atolls consist of ribbons of reef that may not always be circular but whose......
Aunuu Island
Aunuu Island, volcanic island off the east coast of Tutuila, American Samoa, in the south-central Pacific Ocean.......
Australia
Australia, the smallest continent and one of the largest countries on Earth, lying between the Pacific and Indian......
- Introduction
- Geologic History
- Stratigraphy, Structure, Geology
- Mesozoic, Cenozoic, Ecosystems
- Land, Climate, People
- Plateau, Outback, Deserts
- Interior, Lowlands, Outback
- Soils, Climate, Erosion
- Flora, Fauna, Ecosystems
- Flora, Eucalyptus, Acacias
- Wildlife, Ecosystems, Diversity
- Indigenous, Multicultural, Immigration
- Languages, Dialects, Indigenous
- Multiculturalism, Immigration, Diversity
- Urbanization, Migration, Diversity
- Mining, Agriculture, Tourism
- Farming, Crops, Livestock
- Resources, Energy, Mining
- Manufacturing, Resources, Trade
- Labour, Taxation, Economy
- Federalism, Democracy, Multiculturalism
- Health, Welfare, Care
- Culture, Diversity, Indigenous
- Art, Aboriginals, Colonization
- Cultural Institutions
- Indigenous, Colonization, Federation
- Authoritarian, Society, Politics
- Colonization, Gold Rush, Immigration
- Small Democracies, 1860-1900
- Social Movements, Indigenous Rights, Activism
- Immigration, Economy, Culture
- Postwar Economy, Immigration, Aborigines
- WWII, Pacific, Involvement
- Indigenous, Multicultural, Outback
- Popular Culture, Music, Film
- International Relations, Trade, Migration
- Radicalism, Labor, Politics
- Australia since 1983
- Domestic issues
- Emblems, Flora, Fauna
Australian federal election of 2010
Less than a month after becoming Australia’s first woman prime minister, Julia Gillard of the centre-left Australian......
Avalon
Avalon, island to which Britain’s legendary king Arthur was conveyed for the healing of his wounds after his final......