When most people hear the word geography, they immediately begin to think of maps, but it’s so much more than that. To understand why studying geography is relevant, people must first understand what it means. So, before providing our examples of Geography terms in Arabic, we’ll explain just that. The word comes to us from the ancient Greeks, who needed a word to describe the writings and maps that were helping them make sense of the world in which they lived. Hence, in Greek, geo means “earth” and –graphy means “to write.”  

Using geography, Greeks developed an understanding of where their homeland was located in relation to other places, what their own and other places were like, and how people and environments were distributed. These concerns have been central to geography terms In Arabic ever since. Of course, the Greeks were not the only people interested in geography. Throughout human history, most societies have sought to understand something about their place in the world, and the people and environments around them. 

Fun fact: Did you know that advances in geography were mainly made by scientists of the Muslim world, based around the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. Geographers of this Islamic Golden Age created the world’s first rectangular map based on a grid, a map system that is still familiar today. Islamic scholars also applied their study of people and places to agriculture, determining which crops and livestock were most suited to specific habitats or environments. We believe it is important to know the Arabic words for such terms. It might help you in your travels and also enhance your Arabic vocabulary. 

Here are our examples:

EnglishTransliterationArabic
Country in ArabicBaladبلد
State in ArabicWlayehولاية
City in ArabicMadenahمدينة
Town in ArabicBaldahبلدة
Village in ArabicQaryahقرية
Capital in ArabicAsemahعاصمة
Hill in ArabicTalتل
Valley in ArabicWadiوادي
Plain in ArabicSahelسهل
Desert in ArabicSahra’صحراء
Oasis in ArabicWahaواحة
Forest in ArabicGhabaغابة
Rainforest in ArabicGhaba estwa’yahغابة استوائية
Mountain in ArabicJabalجبل
Mountain range in ArabicSilselat jibalسلسلة جبال
Plateau in ArabicHadabaهضبة
Continent in ArabicQarraقارة
Ocean in ArabicMoheetمحيط
Sea in ArabicBaharبحر
Lake in ArabicBuhairaبحيرة
River in ArabicNahrنهر
Spring in Arabic (flowing water)Nab’نبع
Beach in Arabicshaati’شاطيء
Canyon in Arabicwaadeeوادي
Geography in Arabicjughraafiaaجغرافيا
Well in ArabicBi’rبئر
Location or place in ArabicMakaanمكان
Suburb in ArabicDawahinضاحية
Governorate in ArabicMuhafazaمحافظة

Whether geography is thought of as a discipline or as a basic feature of our world, developing an understanding of the subject is important. It helps us have a better understanding of society and why we live in the places we do. It also helps us understand How urbanization has changed the world and its societies and why certain areas flourish while others don’t. Geography terms in Arabic help us understand why certain locations are ideal for living and why others are not.


If you liked this article and would like to learn Arabic, why not head over to our website and download the Kaleela Arabic learning app and learn to speak Arabic today?

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