What Is a Basin in Geography Terms?

A basin can describe a few different geographic conditions but all of them have to do with land formations and the water that drains from them.

In geography terms a basin is:

• A shallow area or depression filled with water. For example, a pond is a type of basin.

• A water area that has been closed artificially so that the tide does not cause changes. A harbor is a type of basin.

• A large, round, bowl-shaped depression that occurs on land or in the ocean. These can be natural formations or man-made.

• Where a river and all its branches and tributaries drain. An example of this is the Amazon Basin. The Amazon River, all its tributaries, and the land surrounding the water make up the entire geographical basin. It spans almost the entire width of South America but is located mainly in Brazil, Peru, and a few smaller countries.

• When rock strata all tilt away from a center area. One example of this can be found in Tennessee called the Nashville Basin. There, all of the rock strata angle down and away from Nashville. Another example of this geographic phenomenon is the Great Basin located in the western United States, which encompasses most of Nevada, half of Utah, and parts of Idaho, Oregon, and California.