Coastal Features

Bays

• A bay is a body of water partially enclosed by land, with a wider opening to the sea
• Can be formed by tectonic activity, erosion, or deposition
• Examples: Bay of Bengal, San Francisco Bay, Bay of Fundy

Capes

• A cape is a pointed piece of land that extends out into the sea
• Formed by the erosion of a coastline, often by a combination of wave and tidal action
• Examples: Cape of Good Hope, Cape Cod, Cape Horn

Cliffs

• A cliff is a steep rock face that forms part of a coastline
• Formed by erosion, often by the sea, or by tectonic uplift
• Examples: White Cliffs of Dover, Cliffs of Moher, Big Sur coast

Deltas

• A delta is a landform that forms at the mouth of a river, where sediment accumulates
• Characterized by a network of distributaries, wetlands, and sediment deposits
• Examples: Nile Delta, Mississippi Delta, Ganges Delta

Headlands

• A headland is a point of land that extends out into the sea, often with a cliff face
• Formed by erosion, often by the sea, or by tectonic uplift
• Examples: Headland of Cornwall, Headland of Donegal, Headland of Oregon

Islands

• An island is a piece of land that is surrounded by water
• Can be formed by tectonic activity, volcanic activity, or erosion
• Examples: Great Britain, Iceland, Hawaii

Peninsulas

• A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides
• Formed by tectonic activity, erosion, or deposition
• Examples: Florida Peninsula, Baja Peninsula, Italian Peninsula

Straits

• A strait is a narrow channel of water that connects two larger bodies of water
• Formed by tectonic activity, erosion, or deposition
• Examples: Strait of Gibraltar, Bosphorus Strait, Strait of Malacca