Geography Reference Sheet

London

Located on the River Thames

Paris

Known as the 'City of Light'

Berlin

This city was divided by a famous wall

Madrid

Located in the center of the Iberian Peninsula

Rome

The center of the ancient Roman Empire

Athens

Named after the goddess of wisdom

Moscow

Home of the Kremlin and Red Square

Lisbon

Westernmost capital city in continental Europe

Amsterdam

Known for its canals and tulips

Stockholm

Built on 14 islands connected by bridges

Oslo

Located at the head of a fjord

Warsaw

Located on the Vistula River

Vienna

Famous for classical music composers like Mozart

Copenhagen

Home of the Little Mermaid statue

Helsinki

The northernmost capital of an EU member state on the European mainland

Dublin

Located on the River Liffey

Budapest

Split by the Danube into Buda and Pest

Prague

Known as the 'City of a Hundred Spires'

Bucharest

Sometimes called the 'Little Paris of the East'

Brussels

Also the de facto capital of the European Union

Zagreb

Located in the northwestern part of the country, not coastal Dubrovnik

Kyiv

Located on the Dnieper River

Sofia

Named after the Saint Sofia Church in the city center

Danube River

The second-longest river in Europe, flowing through Vienna, Budapest, and Belgrade

North Sea

Rich in oil and natural gas reserves under the seabed

Baltic Sea

One of the largest bodies of brackish water in the world — almost enclosed by land

Iberian Peninsula

The southwestern peninsula of Europe — home to Spain and Portugal

Italian Peninsula

Shaped like a boot extending south into the Mediterranean Sea

Scandinavian Peninsula

Located in northern Europe — contains Norway and Sweden, bordered by the North Sea and Baltic Sea

10

It begins in Germany's Black Forest and ends at the Black Sea in Romania — passing through 10 countries

Switzerland

The Rhine begins in the Swiss Alps — Switzerland is the small, mountainous, neutral country in central Europe

Hannibal

Hannibal was from Carthage in North Africa (modern-day Tunisia) — he crossed the Alps from the north

Rome, Italy

This city was the center of the Roman Empire — it sits on the Tiber River in central Italy

Athens, Greece

This city is considered the birthplace of democracy and philosophy — home of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle

Ankara

Istanbul is the largest city, but the government sits in a different city in central Turkey

Bern

Zurich is the largest city and Geneva hosts the UN, but neither is the capital

Danube River

It flows through Vienna, Budapest, and Bratislava before emptying into the Black Sea

Rhine River

Famous for its castles and vineyards along the valley — it forms part of the Germany-France border

Volga River

Often called 'Mother Volga' by Russians — it flows south to the Caspian Sea, not an ocean

Alps

The highest peak is Mont Blanc; Hannibal famously crossed these mountains with elephants during the Second Punic War

Ural Mountains

They run north to south through Russia, forming the traditional boundary between Europe and Asia

Pyrenees

The small country of Andorra is nestled within this range — it separates France from Spain

Carpathian Mountains

Transylvania, the region associated with Dracula legends, is within these mountains

Mediterranean Sea

The Romans called it 'mare nostrum' (our sea) — it was the center of the ancient world

Black Sea

The Danube, Dnieper, and Don rivers all empty into this sea — it connects to the Mediterranean via two narrow straits

Thames River

London's historic river — the Tower of London and Tower Bridge both stand on its banks

Seine River

The Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame Cathedral stand on its banks in Paris

Tiber River

Ancient Rome was founded on its banks — the Vatican City also sits along this river

Volga River

Russians call it 'Mother Volga' — it flows south through Russia to the world's largest landlocked lake

Strait of Gibraltar

At its narrowest, only 9 miles separate Spain from Morocco — the 'Pillars of Hercules' of ancient legend

English Channel

The Channel Tunnel (Chunnel) runs beneath it — at its narrowest (Strait of Dover) only 21 miles wide

Aegean Sea

Ancient Greek city-states and the Trojan War took place on its shores — it is part of the Mediterranean

Mont Blanc

Its name means 'White Mountain' in French — it stands at 15,774 feet on the French-Italian border

Matterhorn

Its perfect four-sided pyramid shape makes it one of the most recognizable mountains — on the Swiss-Italian border

Cairo

Located near the Great Pyramids of Giza

Africa

The country name contains the continent name.

Johannesburg

This city is the economic hub and is NOT one of the three capitals.

Pretoria

South Africa has 3 capitals: Pretoria (executive/president), Cape Town (legislative/parliament), Bloemfontein (judicial/courts)

Nairobi

Famous for nearby wildlife safari parks on the East African savanna

Addis Ababa

Its name means 'New Flower' in Amharic, the official language

Rabat

Not Casablanca (largest city) or Marrakech (famous tourist city) — Rabat is on the Atlantic coast

Accra

Located on the southern coast of West Africa on the Gulf of Guinea

Dodoma

Not Dar es Salaam, the largest city and former capital — Dodoma is in the interior

Kinshasa

Located across the Congo River from Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo

Khartoum

Located where the Blue and White Nile rivers meet in northeastern Africa

Algiers

Algeria is the largest country in Africa by area — its capital sits on the Mediterranean coast

Tunis

Ancient Carthage (the great rival of Rome) was located just outside this city

Tripoli

Located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in North Africa

Dakar

Located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula — the westernmost point of mainland Africa

Yaoundé

Not Douala (largest city) — the capital sits on a central plateau, not on the coast

Kampala

Located on the northern shore of Lake Victoria, the source of the White Nile

Harare

Located in the northeast of Zimbabwe; formerly called Salisbury during British colonial rule

Maputo

A port city on the southern coast, formerly called Lourenço Marques under Portuguese rule

Antananarivo

Located in the central highlands of the world's fourth-largest island, off Africa's east coast

Kigali

Rwanda is a tiny landlocked country known as the 'Land of a Thousand Hills' — its capital is named Kigali

Yamoussoukro

Not Abidjan (largest city) — the official capital is inland and home to the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace

Luanda

A port city on the Atlantic coast of southwestern Africa, bordering the DRC to the north

Windhoek

Located in the central highlands; Namibia contains both the Namib Desert (Atlantic coast) and the Kalahari

Nile River

Ancient Egyptian civilization depended on its annual floods to fertilize farmland

Red Sea

Moses parted this sea in the book of Exodus when leading Israel out of Egypt

Mount Kilimanjaro

Located in Tanzania near the equator, yet it has a permanently snow-capped peak

Kalahari Desert

Home to the San Bushmen (Khoisan) people in southern Africa

Mediterranean Sea

The Nile delta fans out in northern Egypt — the river empties into the Mediterranean, not the Red Sea

Northwest Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia)

Named after the Greek titan Atlas — these mountains separate the Mediterranean coast from the Sahara

Abuja

It was chosen as capital because of its central location in the country

Bloemfontein

The Supreme Court of Appeal sits in this city in the Free State province

Nile River

Ancient Egyptian civilization was built on its banks — it flows north through Sudan and Egypt

Congo River

It forms the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo in central Africa

Atlas Mountains

Named after the Greek titan who held up the sky; the Sahara Desert lies to their south

Sahara Desert

Its name comes from the Arabic word for 'desert'; it spans about 3.5 million square miles across northern Africa

Victoria Falls

Named by Scottish explorer David Livingstone after Queen Victoria — it is the world's largest waterfall by width

Zambezi River

Victoria Falls — one of the world's largest waterfalls — is on this river on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border

Niger River

The country Nigeria is named after this river — it forms an unusual arc through western Africa

Mount Kilimanjaro

A freestanding volcano in Tanzania — its summit glaciers are disappearing due to climate change

Lake Victoria

The largest tropical lake in the world — the White Nile flows out of its northern shore

Tigris River

Mesopotamia means 'land between the rivers' — the Tigris and Euphrates formed this ancient region

Euphrates River

The longest river in western Asia, flowing through Turkey, Syria, and Iraq

Persian Gulf

An important waterway for oil transportation from the Arabian Peninsula

Asia

The Middle East is part of the western portion of Asia — Turkey, Syria, and Iraq are all in Asia

Mesopotamia

'Mesopotamia' is Greek for 'land between the rivers' — referring to the Tigris and Euphrates

Dead Sea

The Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth's land surface — about 1,400 feet below sea level

Red Sea

Moses is said to have parted this body of water in the Book of Exodus when fleeing Egypt

Dead Sea

Its salt concentration is so high that people float effortlessly — it sits 1,412 feet below sea level

Persian Gulf

Bordered by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain — crucial to global oil shipping

Arabian Desert

Covers Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, UAE, and other Gulf states — home to the Rub al Khali (Empty Quarter)

7

The seven are Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South America

Asia

It contains China, India, Russia, and more — roughly 60% of the world's population

Australia

It is both a continent and a country — uniquely, one nation covers an entire continent

Africa

Home to the Sahara Desert, the Nile River, and 54 countries

Equator

It is at 0 degrees latitude — the imaginary line halfway between the North and South Poles

Prime Meridian

It passes through Greenwich, England — all longitude is measured east or west of this line

5

Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern — the Southern Ocean was officially recognized in 2000

Pacific Ocean

Its name means 'peaceful sea'; Magellan named it after the calm weather he encountered in 1520

Atlantic Ocean

Named after the Greek titan Atlas; Columbus crossed it in 1492 sailing from Spain to the Caribbean

Indian Ocean

Named after the country of India, which juts southward into its waters

Southern Ocean

Also called the Antarctic Ocean; officially recognized as a distinct ocean in 2000

Arctic Ocean

It surrounds the North Pole and borders Russia, Canada, Greenland, Norway, and Alaska

Beijing

Home to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square in northeastern China

Tokyo

The most populous metropolitan area in the world, on the island of Honshu

New Delhi

Not Mumbai (largest city) or Kolkata — the capital is in the north near Pakistan's border

Seoul

Located along the Han River in the northwestern part of the Korean Peninsula

Pyongyang

One of the most isolated capital cities in the world — North Korea is largely closed to the outside

Bangkok

Known for ornate Buddhist temples and vibrant street food — in the heart of mainland Southeast Asia

Hanoi

Located in the north of the country; Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) is in the south

Jakarta

Located on the island of Java — Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago nation

Manila

The Philippines is an archipelago of over 7,000 islands in Southeast Asia

Riyadh

Not Mecca or Medina (the holy cities) — the capital is in the central part of the country

Jerusalem

A holy city for all three Abrahamic religions — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

Baghdad

Located on the Tigris River — once the center of the Islamic Golden Age (8th–13th centuries)

Tehran

Formerly known as Persia — the country changed its name to Iran in 1935

Kabul

Located along the Kabul River in a valley surrounded by the Hindu Kush mountains

Kuala Lumpur

Home to the Petronas Twin Towers — one of the world's most recognizable skylines

Singapore

A city-state at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula — the country and capital share the same name

Ulaanbaatar

Home to the descendants of Genghis Khan — a vast, sparsely populated landlocked country

Kathmandu

Gateway city for climbers heading to Mount Everest in the Himalayas

Dhaka

One of the world's most densely populated cities, located on the Buriganga River in South Asia

Phnom Penh

Located at the junction of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers in Southeast Asia

Vientiane

Located along the Mekong River — the name means 'city of sandalwood' in Pali

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and Colombo

This island nation in South Asia has two capitals — one legislative, one commercial

Abu Dhabi

Not Dubai (the most famous city) — the capital is on an island in the Persian Gulf to the west

Ganges River

Hindus bathe in this river for spiritual purification — it is sacred in Hinduism

Gobi Desert

Known for remarkable dinosaur fossil discoveries in China and Mongolia

Mount Fuji

A sacred stratovolcano visible from Tokyo on clear days — Japan's most iconic symbol

Great Wall of China

Built over centuries to protect China's northern border from invaders like the Mongols

Asia

India and Bangladesh are both in Asia — the world's largest and most populous continent

Loess

Loess is fine, windblown yellow silt carried from the Gobi Desert region — it gives the river its color

Three Gorges Dam

The Three Gorges Dam is the world's largest hydroelectric power station, built across the Yangtze

Tibetan Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau is called 'the Roof of the World' — the highest and largest plateau on Earth

Mongols and other northern tribes

Genghis Khan led the most famous of these nomadic empires from the steppes north of China

Naypyidaw

The capital moved from Yangon (Rangoon) to this new city in 2006

Islamabad

Built in the 1960s near the older city of Rawalpindi

Yangtze River

The Three Gorges Dam is built on this river — it flows from Tibet eastward to the East China Sea

Ganges River

Hindus consider this river the holiest river — pilgrims travel to Varanasi to bathe in its waters

Mekong River

It begins in Tibet and empties into the South China Sea through a large delta in Vietnam

Himalayas

The name means 'abode of snow' in Sanskrit — home to Mount Everest, the world's highest peak

Hindu Kush

The Khyber Pass, a famous historical trade and invasion route, cuts through this range

South China Sea

One of the busiest shipping lanes in the world passes through it — several countries dispute its islands

False — it is not visible from space with the naked eye

The wall is very long but only about 30 feet wide — far too narrow to see from orbit

Mariana Trench

The Challenger Deep within it reaches nearly 36,000 feet below sea level — deeper than Everest is tall

Mount Everest

First summited by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953; stands at 29,032 feet on the Nepal-Tibet border

Ring of Fire

About 90% of the world's earthquakes and 75% of its volcanoes occur along this zone

Indus River

The ancient Indus Valley civilization (Harappa, Mohenjo-daro) developed along its banks

Yellow River

Its yellow color comes from loess silt — called 'China's Sorrow' for its devastating floods

Sea of Japan

Japan calls it the Sea of Japan; Korea calls it the East Sea — it separates Japan from Korea and Russia

Caspian Sea

Despite being called a 'sea,' it is actually a landlocked saltwater lake — the world's largest

K2

Called the 'Savage Mountain' — it is considered more dangerous to climb than Everest

Eurasian Steppe

The largest grassland in the world — the highway of the Mongol Empire and other nomadic peoples

Lake Baikal

The world's deepest lake (over 5,300 feet) and oldest known lake — in Siberia, Russia

Aral Sea

One of the world's worst environmental disasters — Soviet irrigation projects diverted its source rivers and it shrank by 90%

The Outback

The vast, dry interior of Australia — home to Uluru (Ayers Rock) and sparse population

Suva

An island nation in the South Pacific Ocean northeast of Australia

Port Moresby

Located on the southern coast of New Guinea island, directly north of Australia

Apia

A Polynesian island nation in the central South Pacific — not to be confused with American Samoa nearby

Nuku'alofa

A Polynesian kingdom in the South Pacific — one of the few Pacific nations that remained a monarchy

Island continent

It is both a country and a continent — the only landmass on Earth that is entirely one nation

North Island and South Island

The South Island is larger in area but the North Island has more people (Auckland, Wellington)

Polynesia

The name means 'many islands' in Greek — includes Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, and New Zealand

Melanesia

The name means 'black islands' in Greek — includes Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomons

Port Vila

An archipelago northeast of Australia, formerly called the New Hebrides under French-British rule

Honiara

Located on Guadalcanal island — site of a major World War II battle in 1942–43

Ngerulmud

One of the least populous national capitals — Palau's islands are famed for world-class diving

Palikir

Located on Pohnpei island — Micronesia is the Pacific region north of Melanesia

Canberra

Like Brasilia, it was purpose-built as a compromise between two rival cities

Wellington

It is one of the world's southernmost capital cities, on the southern tip of the North Island

Great Barrier Reef

It is so large it can be seen from outer space — it stretches over 1,400 miles along the northeast Australian coast

Coral Sea

The Great Barrier Reef runs through it — Australia lies to its west and Papua New Guinea to its north

Great Victoria Desert

Named after Queen Victoria, it spans Western Australia and South Australia

Buenos Aires

Its name means 'good airs' (fair winds) in Spanish — a reference to the winds sailors felt arriving

Santiago

Chile is a long, narrow strip along South America's western coast — the Andes are on its eastern border

Lima

Peru was home to the ancient Inca Empire — Machu Picchu and Cusco are here

Bogota

Located high in the Andes mountains at over 8,600 feet elevation

Caracas

Located on the coast near the Andes in northern South America, near the Caribbean

Mexico City

Built on the ruins of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, which was on a lake island

Havana

Famous for colorful classic cars and Spanish colonial architecture in the Caribbean

Guatemala City

Shares its name with the country — Guatemala City is both the city and country name

San Jose

Costa Rica is known for extraordinary biodiversity and environmental conservation in Central America

Panama City

Located near the famous Panama Canal, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans

Quito

The country is named for the equator that runs through it — 'Ecuador' means equator in Spanish

Sucre

La Paz is the seat of government, but Sucre is the constitutional (judicial) capital

Montevideo

Located on the Río de la Plata estuary across from Buenos Aires, Argentina

Asuncion

One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the Americas, founded by Spain in 1537

Tegucigalpa

One of the few national capitals in the world with no railway system

San Salvador

El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America

Managua

Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America by area

Kingston

Jamaica is a Caribbean island nation south of Cuba in the Greater Antilles

Georgetown

Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America — on the northeast coast

Paramaribo

The smallest country in South America, formerly a Dutch colony — its language is Dutch

Port-au-Prince

Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic — Haiti is on the western third

Santo Domingo

Founded in 1496, it is one of the oldest continuously inhabited European-founded cities in the Americas

Port of Spain

Twin-island nation (Trinidad and Tobago) in the southern Caribbean, near Venezuela's coast

Brazil

Brazil covers about half of South America's total land area

Angel Falls

Over 3,200 feet tall — about 15 times higher than Niagara Falls; named after aviator Jimmy Angel

Iguazu Falls

Far wider than Niagara Falls — 'Iguazu' means 'big water' in the Guaraní language

Lake Titicaca

Sits on the Peru-Bolivia border in the Andes at over 12,500 feet — the highest navigable lake in the world

Patagonia

Known for glaciers, mountains, and windswept grasslands at the southern tip of South America

Pampas

Similar to the Great Plains of North America — vast, flat grasslands in central Argentina

Galapagos Islands

Famous for giant tortoises, marine iguanas, and finches that inspired Darwin's theory of evolution

Gulf of Mexico

The Mississippi River empties into it — bordered by the US, Mexico, and Cuba

Atacama Desert

Located in northern Chile along the Pacific coast — some parts have never recorded rainfall

South America

The Amazon passes through Brazil and Peru before emptying into the Atlantic on the east coast of South America

7

The Andes run through 7 countries — Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina

Among the oldest mountain ranges in North America, known for gentle rounded ridges

The Appalachians are among the oldest mountain ranges in North America — worn down to gentle rounded ridges by erosion

Peru

This South American country's capital is Lima — the Andes Mountains run along its western spine

Brasilia

It was purpose-built in the interior of the country to be the new capital

Ottawa

Queen Victoria chose it partly because of its location between English and French Canada

Amazon River

It flows through the largest rainforest on Earth — it empties into the Atlantic Ocean in Brazil

Mississippi River

Mark Twain wrote about life on this river — it divides the eastern and western United States

Andes

Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca are both in this range — it runs the entire length of South America's west coast

Rocky Mountains

Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain National Park are in this range — it forms the Continental Divide

Appalachian Mountains

They are much older and more worn down than the Rockies — one of North America's oldest ranges

Caribbean Sea

Columbus arrived at its islands in 1492; pirates once roamed these waters in the 17th–18th centuries

Amazon Rainforest

Sometimes called the 'lungs of the Earth' — it covers 2.7 million square miles in South America

Grand Canyon

Carved by the Colorado River — approximately 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide, and over a mile deep

Bering Strait

During the Ice Age, a land bridge (Beringia) here allowed the first humans to migrate from Asia to North America

Gulf of Mexico

The Mississippi River empties into it; the Gulf Stream current originates here

Denali

Formerly called Mount McKinley — its Athabascan name means 'the high one'

Great Plains

The 'breadbasket of America' — home to wheat farms, cattle ranches, and former bison herds

Patagonian Desert

Located in southern Argentina, in the rain shadow of the Andes — the largest desert in South America

Augusta

Not Portland, the largest city

Concord

Shares its name with a famous Revolutionary War battle site in Massachusetts

Montpelier

The least populous state capital in the US — a very small city

Boston

Site of the Boston Tea Party — and also the largest city in New England

Providence

Founded by Roger Williams in 1636, who sought religious freedom from Puritan Massachusetts

Hartford

Known as the 'Insurance Capital of the World' due to the concentration of insurance companies

Albany

Not New York City — Albany is on the Hudson River in the center of the state

Trenton

Washington crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night 1776 to attack this city

Harrisburg

Not Philadelphia or Pittsburgh — Harrisburg is a smaller city on the Susquehanna River

Dover

Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution in 1787 — hence its nickname 'The First State'

Annapolis

Home of the US Naval Academy on the Chesapeake Bay

Richmond

Richmond served as the capital of the Confederate States during the Civil War

Charleston

Shares its name with a city in South Carolina — don't confuse the two

Raleigh

Part of the Research Triangle with Durham and Chapel Hill — a tech and university hub

Columbia

Named after Christopher Columbus — located in the center of the state, not on the coast

Atlanta

Hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics — and is both the capital and the largest city

Tallahassee

Not Miami or Orlando — Tallahassee is in the northern Florida Panhandle region

Montgomery

Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat here in 1955, sparking the Civil Rights Movement

Jackson

Named after President Andrew Jackson — the largest city and capital

Nashville

Known as 'Music City' — the home of country music and the Grand Ole Opry

Frankfort

Not Louisville (home of the Kentucky Derby) or Lexington — Frankfort is a smaller city on the Kentucky River

Baton Rouge

'Baton Rouge' means 'Red Stick' in French — named for a red cypress pole that marked tribal territory

Little Rock

Named for a small rocky outcropping (la petite roche) on the Arkansas River, noted by French explorers

Columbus

Named after Christopher Columbus — and also the largest city in Ohio

Lansing

Not Detroit (the largest city and automotive capital) — Lansing is in the center of the Lower Peninsula

Indianapolis

Home of the Indianapolis 500 (Indy 500) auto race at the famous oval track

Springfield

Not Chicago — Springfield is Abraham Lincoln's hometown and home to his presidential library

Madison

Named after President James Madison — located on an isthmus between two lakes

Saint Paul

Saint Paul and Minneapolis are called the 'Twin Cities' — but Saint Paul is the capital

Des Moines

The French name 'Des Moines' likely means 'of the monks' or comes from a Native American name

Jefferson City

Named after President Thomas Jefferson — not St. Louis or Kansas City, both much larger cities

Bismarck

Named after German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck to attract German investment in the railroad

Pierre

Located on the Missouri River — Sioux Falls is the largest city, but Pierre (pronounced 'Peer') is the capital

Lincoln

Named after President Abraham Lincoln — Omaha is larger but Lincoln is the capital

Topeka

Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz was from Kansas — Topeka is the capital, on the Kansas River

Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City shares its name with the state — it is also the largest city

Austin

Known as 'Keep Austin Weird' and 'Live Music Capital of the World' — not Houston or Dallas

Santa Fe

The oldest state capital in the US — founded by the Spanish in 1610, over 160 years before independence

Phoenix

One of the hottest and fastest-growing cities in the US — and the capital and largest city

Helena

Named after Helena, Minnesota by a homesick gold miner during the Last Chance Gulch gold rush

Cheyenne

Named after the Cheyenne Native American people — located in the southeastern corner of the state

Denver

Known as the 'Mile High City' because it sits exactly one mile above sea level

Salt Lake City

Named after the nearby Great Salt Lake — also the capital and largest city

Carson City

Not Las Vegas! Carson City is a small city near the California border and Lake Tahoe

Boise

'Boise' comes from the French 'les bois' meaning 'the woods' — named by French-Canadian trappers

Olympia

Not Seattle (the largest city) — Olympia is at the southern end of Puget Sound

Salem

Not Portland (the largest and most famous city) — Salem is in the Willamette Valley south of Portland

Sacramento

Not LA or San Francisco — Sacramento is in the Central Valley north of San Francisco

Juneau

Accessible only by air or sea — no roads lead to Juneau, making it unique among state capitals

Honolulu

Located on the island of Oahu, about 2,400 miles west of California in the Pacific Ocean

Mississippi River

It flows from Minnesota south through the center of the US to the Gulf of Mexico

Missouri River

Lewis and Clark traveled up this river beginning their expedition to the Pacific in 1804

Colorado River

Its name means 'colored red' in Spanish, referring to the reddish sediment it carries

Ohio River

It joins the Mississippi River at Cairo, Illinois — forming the southern border of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois

Columbia River

Lewis and Clark followed this river to the Pacific Ocean, completing their 1804–06 expedition

Rio Grande

Its name means 'Big River' in Spanish — it forms the entire Texas-Mexico border

Rocky Mountains

Also called 'the Rockies' — the backbone of western North America

Sierra Nevada

Its name means 'snowy mountain range' in Spanish — contains Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous US

Cascade Range

Named for the cascading waterfalls in the region — includes active volcanoes like Mount St. Helens

HOMES

HOMES: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior — the five Great Lakes

Lake Superior

Its name means 'upper lake' — it is the largest and farthest north of the Great Lakes

Lake Michigan

Chicago sits on its southwestern shore — and it is the only Great Lake entirely within the US

Lake Huron

Named after the Huron people (Wyandot) who lived on its shores

Lake Erie

The shallowest and southernmost Great Lake — Cleveland, Toledo, and Buffalo are on its shores

Lake Ontario

Toronto, Canada sits on its northern shore — Lake Ontario drains into the St. Lawrence River

New England

Named after England by early colonists — the 6 northeastern states where English settlement began

Southeast

Known for warm weather, beaches, Southern cuisine, and the history of the Civil War and Civil Rights

Midwest

Often called 'America's Heartland' — the agricultural and industrial center of the country

Great Plains

Known for vast flat grasslands, wheat and corn farming, and severe weather like tornadoes

Southwest

Known for deserts, canyons, the Rio Grande, and deep Hispanic and Native American heritage

Pacific Northwest

Known for rain, evergreen forests, volcanoes, and tech companies like Microsoft and Amazon

Washington, D.C.

Named after President George Washington — it is a federal district, not a state

Arizona

Carved by the Colorado River — up to one mile deep and 18 miles wide

Death Valley

Located in California's Mojave Desert — the lowest AND hottest place in North America

Denali

Located in Alaska — formerly called Mount McKinley, renamed Denali (its Athabascan name) in 2015