You don’t have to be able to locate all the world’s countries to do well with MAT geography analogies, but the more familiar you are with a map of the world or a globe, the better. In fact, you may want to put up a map on the wall of your study room and check it out when you need a break from studying.
It’s impossible to define every geographical term in the world, but the following ones get you started.
38th parallel north: Line of latitude that divided Korea after World War II
Adriatic Sea: Water that separates Italy from the Balkan peninsula
Aegean Sea: Water that separates Greece and Turkey
Alps: Mountain range in Europe; contains Mount Blanc and the Matterhorn
Amazon River: Second-longest river in the world, located in South America; greatest waterflow
Andes: Longest mountain range in the world, located in South America
Antarctic Circle: Line of latitude, south of which experiences a period of 24-hour sunlight
Appalachian Mountains: Mountain range in eastern North America
Arabian Sea: Branch of Indian Ocean between India, the Arabian Peninsula, and Somalia
Arctic Circle: Line of latitude, north of which experiences a period of 24-hour sunlight
Atlas Mountains: Mountain range in northwest Africa
Black Sea: Large sea separating parts of Europe and Asia
Cartography: The making of maps
Caspian Sea: Largest inland body of water, located in Asia
Chesapeake Bay: Largest estuary in the United States, bordered by Maryland and Virginia
Coordinates: A position on a map, specified by latitude and longitude, ex: 41N 73W
Death Valley: Desert in California; hottest and lowest location in North America
El Niño–Southern Oscillation: A climate pattern where the temperature of the tropical Pacific Ocean warms about every five years
English Channel: Water separating France from Great Britain
Equator: Line of latitude on Earth’s surface midway between the North Pole and the South Poles
Erie Canal: Completed in 1825; connects the Atlantic Ocean with Lake Erie via the Hudson River through New York and New Jersey
Everglades: Wetlands in Florida
Gaza Strip: Home to many Palestinian refugees; borders Egypt and Israel
Great Lakes: Five freshwater lakes on the U.S.–Canada border: Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario
Great Salt Lake: Largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere; located in Utah
Himalayas: World’s highest mountain range, located in Asia; contains Mount Everest
Hudson River: South-flowing river in New York, forms a barrier between New York and New Jersey at its bottom end
Iberian Peninsula: Region of southwestern Europe containing Spain, Portugal, and Andorra
International Date Line: Invisible line from the North Pole to the South Pole that separates one day from the next
Kalahari Desert: Desert in southern Africa
Kremlin: Moscow residence of the president of Russia
La Niña: A climate pattern where the temperature of the tropical Pacific Ocean cools about every five years
Lake Titicaca: Largest lake in South America
Lake Victoria: Largest lake in Africa
Latitude: The east–west lines on a map that specify north–south position
Longitude: The north–south lines on a map that specify east–west position
Louisiana Purchase: The 1803 sale of the Louisiana Territory from France to the United States
Mediterranean Sea: Sea between Europe and Africa
Mesopotamia: Location of the cradle of civilization; modern-day Iraq
Mississippi River: Largest river system in North America; flows south through the United States
Missouri River: Longest river in North America
Mount Everest: Tallest mountain in the world, on the China–Nepal border
Mount Kilimanjaro: Tallest mountain in Africa (Tanzania)
Mount McKinley: Tallest mountain in North America (Alaska)
Mount Rushmore: Mountainside sculpture of four U.S. presidents in South Dakota
Niagara Falls: Three waterfalls (Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls) on the border of Ontario, Canada and New York
Nile: Longest river in the world; flows north through Africa
Oceania: Large portion of the Pacific Ocean containing thousands of islands
Oregon Trail: East-West wagon trail used by emigrants, traders, trappers, explorers, and pioneers, connecting the Missouri River to Oregon
Pacific Ring of Fire: Area around the Pacific Ocean where most earthquakes and volcanic eruptions take place
Panama Canal: Located in the Central American country of Panama, it was completed in 1914; connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
Pangaea: An ancient super-continent; from the Greek “pan” meaning entire and “gaea” meaning Earth
Persian Gulf: Part of the Indian Ocean between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula
Prime meridian: The line of longitude set at 0 degrees; goes through Greenwich, England
River Thames: Longest river in England; flows through London
Sahara: Largest desert in the world, located in Africa
Scandinavia: Region of northern Europe containing Denmark, Norway, and Sweden
Siberia: Huge region comprising most of north Asia, location of many Soviet labor camps (Gulag camps)
Strait of Magellan: Connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans south of mainland South America
Suez Canal: Completed in 1869; connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea
Tibet: Region of China northeast of the Himalayas
Tropic of Cancer: Line of latitude that is the most northerly place the sun can be overhead
Tropic of Capricorn: Line of latitude that is the most southerly place the sun can be overhead
Volga: Longest river in Europe, it runs through Central Russia