🗺️ Geography
In this section you'll learn useful Spanish vocabulary and everyday expressions for talking about geography, countries, cities, landscapes, and the location of places around the world.
🟢 Basic Geography Vocabulary
🌎 World → Mundo
🗺️ Map → Mapa
🌍 Country → País
🌐 Continent → Continente
🏙️ City → Ciudad
🏛️ Capital → Capital
🟡 Natural Landscapes
🏔️ Mountain → Montaña
🏞️ Valley → Valle
🏜️ Desert → Desierto
🌲 Forest → Bosque
🌋 Volcano → Volcán
🏝️ Island → Isla
🔵 Water & Coastal Geography
🌊 River → Río
💧 Lake → Lago
🌊 Ocean → Océano
🌊 Sea → Mar
🌅 Coast → Costa
🏖️ Beach → Playa
🧠 Describing Geographic Locations
💡 Use estar to say where a country, city, or geographic feature is located.
La ciudad está cerca de la costa.
The city is near the coast.
El pueblo está entre las montañas.
The town is between the mountains.
La ciudad está cerca de la costa.
The city is near the coast.
El pueblo está entre las montañas.
The town is between the mountains.
💡 Use hay when talking about geographic features that exist in a particular place.
Hay un lago cerca de la ciudad.
There is a lake near the city.
Hay varias islas frente a la costa.
There are several islands off the coast.
Hay un lago cerca de la ciudad.
There is a lake near the city.
Hay varias islas frente a la costa.
There are several islands off the coast.
💡 Use al norte de, al sur de, al este de, and al oeste de to describe the position of one place in relation to another.
La isla está al sur del continente.
The island is south of the continent.
La isla está al sur del continente.
The island is south of the continent.
💬 Talking About Geography
🏔️ Una cadena de montañas atraviesa gran parte de la región.
A mountain range crosses a large part of the region.
A mountain range crosses a large part of the region.
🌊 El río pasa por varios pueblos antes de llegar al mar.
The river passes through several towns before reaching the sea.
The river passes through several towns before reaching the sea.
🏝️ La isla está rodeada de pequeñas playas y costas rocosas.
The island is surrounded by small beaches and rocky coasts.
The island is surrounded by small beaches and rocky coasts.
🗺️ Buscamos la ciudad en el mapa antes de empezar el viaje.
We looked for the city on the map before starting the trip.
We looked for the city on the map before starting the trip.
💬 Everyday Conversations
Looking at a map
A: ¿Dónde está la ciudad que vamos a visitar?
B: Está al norte, cerca de las montañas.
A: Where is the city we're going to visit?
B: It's in the north, near the mountains.
A: ¿Dónde está la ciudad que vamos a visitar?
B: Está al norte, cerca de las montañas.
A: Where is the city we're going to visit?
B: It's in the north, near the mountains.
Talking about the landscape
A: ¿Qué hay al otro lado del valle?
B: Hay un bosque grande y, más lejos, un lago.
A: What is on the other side of the valley?
B: There is a large forest and, farther away, a lake.
A: ¿Qué hay al otro lado del valle?
B: Hay un bosque grande y, más lejos, un lago.
A: What is on the other side of the valley?
B: There is a large forest and, farther away, a lake.
📝 Example Sentences
🏙️ La capital está situada junto a un río que atraviesa toda la ciudad.
The capital is located beside a river that runs through the entire city.
The capital is located beside a river that runs through the entire city.
🌋 Desde el valle se puede ver la cima del volcán en los días despejados.
From the valley, you can see the top of the volcano on clear days.
From the valley, you can see the top of the volcano on clear days.
🏜️ En algunas partes del desierto casi no llueve durante todo el año.
In some parts of the desert, it hardly rains throughout the year.
In some parts of the desert, it hardly rains throughout the year.
🌲 Un bosque extenso cubre las montañas al oeste del lago.
A large forest covers the mountains west of the lake.
A large forest covers the mountains west of the lake.
🏝️ La pequeña isla está a varios kilómetros de la costa.
The small island is several kilometers from the coast.
The small island is several kilometers from the coast.
🗺️ En el mapa podemos ver las fronteras entre los diferentes países.
On the map, we can see the borders between the different countries.
On the map, we can see the borders between the different countries.
🏆 Final Practice
Try saying each phrase before pressing play.
- ¿Dónde está la ciudad?
- La ciudad está cerca de la costa.
- Hay un lago entre las montañas.
- El río pasa por el valle.
- La isla está al sur del continente.
- Necesito mirar el mapa.