TOEFL IBT – Geography
Vocabulary is promordial in order to improve your TOEFL score. Remember, Preparation is the key to succeed !
This vocabulary will be useful for adding to your English vocabulary, for satisfying your curiosity, or especially for any English exams you may take. Here we will look at the most commonly used words having to do with geography, along with their French translations.
Africa |
a continent south of Europe and between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans |
The world record is 141 miles, set in Africa. |
l’Afrique |
altitude |
the height of anything above sea level on earth |
It is more intense near the Equator and at high altitudes. |
l’équateur |
Antarctica |
the continent surrounding the South Pole, almost entirely covered by an ice sheet |
Antarctica is divided by the Transantarctic Mountains into two icy regions. |
l’Antarctique |
Antarctic Circle |
an imaginary line drawn parallel to the Equator just north of the South Pole |
It was the first human settlement south of the Antarctic Circle. |
le cercle antarctique |
Arctic |
of, relating to, or located at or near the North Pole |
The lights occur regularly over the Arctic and Antarctic. |
l’Arctique |
Arctic Circle |
an imaginary line drawn parallel to the Equator, just south of the North Pole |
North of the Arctic Circle, the sun does not rise at all. |
le cercle Arctique |
Asia |
a continent bounded by Europe and the Arctic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans |
They need roads, and they need power plants in Asia. |
l’Asie |
atlas |
a bound collection of maps |
Look in the atlas and you’ll find your answer. |
l’atlas |
Australia |
a continent located southeast of Asia, between the Indian and Pacific Oceans |
Far more are loading up their families and moving to Australia. |
l’Australie |
border |
the line that separates one country, state, province, etc. from another |
Most are stationed on the southern front near the Iranian border. |
la frontière |
capital |
the city or town that is the official seat of government in a country |
The capital of the United States is Washington, D.C. |
la capitale |
cartographer |
a person engaged in the production of maps |
The suburbs are a cartographer’s nightmare. |
le/la cartographe |
city |
a large or important town |
Clinton flew to this southern Italian city from Warsaw, Poland. |
la ville |
compass rose |
a circle divided into 32 points used to determine direction |
The radial lines on a compass rose are also called “rhumbs.” |
la rose des vents |
continent |
one of the main landmasses of the globe |
It has also been the only continent too harsh for colonization. |
le continent |
country |
a state or nation |
He has betrayed his team, his country, and his people. |
le pays |
east |
a cardinal point of the compass, 90 degrees to the right of north |
The newest casino is about 8 miles east of Anacortes. |
est |
Eastern Hemisphere |
the eastern part of the terrestrial globe, including Asia, Africa, Australia, and Europe |
Belladonna is one of the most toxic plants found in the Eastern Hemisphere. |
l’hémisphère oriental |
Equator |
the great circle of the earth that is equidistant from the North Pole and South Pole |
It is more intense near the Equator and at high altitudes. |
l’équateur |
Europe |
a continent in the western part of the landmass lying between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans |
He is the first Brazilian goalie to play in Europe. |
l’Europe |
geography |
the science dealing with the areal differentiation of the earth’s surface |
National standards also have been set for geography and the arts. |
la géographie |
hemisphere |
one of the halves into which the earth is divided |
Haiti’s telephone system is the worst in the hemisphere. |
l’hémisphère |
hill |
a natural elevation of the earth’s surface, smaller than a mountain |
I look up onto that hill every time I go past. |
la colline |
International Date Line |
a theoretical line, the regions to the east of which are counted as being one day earlier in their calendar dates than the regions to the west |
In Asia, across the International Date Line, the eclipse actually occurs Tuesday. |
le ligne de changement de date |
island |
a piece of land completely surrounded by water |
The island has a shrine that is popular with Taiwanese tourists. |
l’île |
isthmus |
a narrow strip of land, bordered on both sides by water, connecting two larger bodies of land |
The Isthmus of Panama formed, connecting North and South America. |
l’isthme |
landform |
a specific feature on the surface of the earth |
The landform on Mars suggests water once brushed across the planet. |
la forme du terrain |
latitude |
the angular distance north or south from the Equator on the earth’s surface |
Icebergs in the lower latitudes are a reason for angst. |
la latitude |
longitude |
angular distance east or west on the earth’s surface |
A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude, and elevation. |
la longitude |
map |
a representation of the features of an area of the earth or a portion of the heavens |
I believe I now have a map of the cave area. |
la carte |
meridian |
a great circle of the earth passing through the poles and at any given point on the earth’s surface |
Every country could then establish its position relative to that meridian. |
le méridien |
mile |
a unit of distance on land in English-speaking countries equal to 1.609 kilometers |
Kigali is 80 miles north of the new French base here. |
le mile |
mountain |
a natural elevation of the earth’s surface rising more or less abruptly to a summit |
As a youth, I rode the mountains of Pear Blossom. |
la montagne |
north |
a cardinal point of the compass lying in the plane of the meridian |
Val Verde is about 41 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. |
nord |
northeast |
a point on the compass midway between north and east |
High winds blowing from the northeast whipped Southern California on Thursday. |
nord-est |
Northern Hemisphere |
the half of the earth between the North Pole and the Equator |
It is found through the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. |
l’hémisphère nord |
northwest |
a point on the compass midway between north and west |
The area is about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. |
nord-ouest |
North America |
the northern continent of the Western Hemisphere |
Cremations in North America have tripled in the past three decades. |
l’Amérique du Nord |
North Pole |
the northernmost point of the earth |
I have never had a desire to go to the North Pole. |
pôle Nord |
ocean |
the vast body of salt water that covers almost three-fourths of the earth’s surface |
Breathe deeply and savor air kissed by salt from the ocean. |
l’océan |
parallel |
extending in the same direction and never converging or diverging |
The end of the blade should be parallel to the line. |
parallèle |
plain |
an area of land not significantly higher than adjacent areas |
Football is a lot like being on the plains of Africa. |
la plaine |
plateau |
a land area having a relatively level surface considerably raised above adjoining land on at least one side |
We climbed up granite cliffs and over plateaus marshy with meltwater. |
le plateau |
Prime Meridian |
the imaginary line running through Greenwich, England, at which longitude is 0 degrees |
The Prime Meridian is marked by a tall obelisk, commissioned by Charles Neville. |
le méridien origine |
region |
a part of the earth’s surface of considerable and usually indefinite extent |
The entire economy of the region became dependent on the project. |
la région |
river |
a natural stream of water of fairly large size flowing in a definite course or channel |
Grain prices tend to go up when river levels go down. |
la rivière |
scale |
a graduated line representing proportionate size |
When calculated as a ratio against the map scale, a sense of the hilliness of the terrain can be derived. |
l’échelle |
sea |
a division of the oceans, more or less definitely marked off by land boundaries |
The choreography took them across both rough seas and still waters. |
la mer |
sea level |
the horizontal plane or level corresponding to the surface of the sea at mean level between high and low tide |
A melted Antarctic ice sheet would raise sea level by 200 feet. |
le niveau de la mer |
south |
a cardinal point of the compass lying directly opposite north |
All you have to do is start south on Main Street. |
sud |
southeast |
the point or direction midway between south and east |
Columbia has a concentration of hospitals in the Southeast and Southwest. |
sud-est |
southwest |
the point or direction midway between south and west |
The wind was from the southwest and the tide was rising. |
sud-ouest |
South America |
a continent in the southern part of the Western Hemisphere |
Travelers to South America and the Middle East reported similar problems. |
l’Amérique du Sud |
Southern Hemisphere |
the half of the earth between the South Pole and the Equator |
In the Southern Hemisphere, it is now fall. |
l’hémisphère Sud |
South Pole |
the southernmost point on Earth |
The country staged its first expedition to the South Pole in 2011. |
le pôle Sud |
time zone |
one of the 24 regions or divisions of the globe approximately coinciding with meridians at successive hours |
I guess I can write it off to the time zone changes. |
le fuseau horaire |
topography |
the detailed mapping or charting of the features of a relatively small area |
He began studying topography maps, tidal charts, and weather patterns. |
la topographie |
Tropic of Cancer |
one of two corresponding parallels of latitude on the globe; located north of the Equator |
Dahao is located just south of the Tropic of Cancer. |
le tropique du Cancer |
Tropic of Capricorn |
one of two corresponding parallels of latitude on the globe; located south of the Equator |
The island is located 360 km north of the Tropic of Capricorn. |
le tropique du Capricorne |
valley |
a relatively low region drained by a great river system |
Quickly the violence spread throughout Rwanda’s hills and valleys. |
la vallée |
west |
a cardinal point of the compass 90 degrees to the left when facing north |
This year has seen a wildfire season throughout the West. |
ouest |
Western Hemisphere |
the western part of the globe, including North and South America |
Guatemala has one of the highest kidnapping rates in the Western Hemisphere. |
l’hémisphère occidental |
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- TOEFL vocabulary list: all the essential words you need to know