Chapter 2

Regions of the United States

basin: a bowl-shaped landform that is lower than the surrounding land.

coastal plain: low, flat land that runs along a coast.

global grid: the grid formed by crisscrossing lines of latitude and longitude on a map.

inland: not bordering an ocean.

levee: a wall, typically made of dirt, built along a river to keep it from flooding.

lines of latitude: an imaginary line that runs east and west around the globe; also called a parallel.

lines of longitude: an imaginary line that runs around the globe between the North and South Poles; also called a meridian.

map key: an explanation of what the symbols on a map stand for.

plateau: a high, flat landform that rises steeply from the land around it.

scale: a diagram that explains distances on a map.

Special-purpose map: a map that shows just one kind of information, such as rainfall or elevation.