What are the shapes of land and water called?

The shapes and natural forms of land and water are called physical features.

Physical features are the naturally occurring parts of Earth's surface that give a place its geographic character. They include landforms such as mountains, hills, valleys, plains, plateaus, islands, and peninsulas, as well as bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans. In elementary geography, the phrase is often used to distinguish natural features from human-made features such as roads, bridges, cities, and dams.

The term is broader than landforms. A landform usually refers to a distinct shape or formation of solid ground, while physical features can include both land and water. That distinction explains why “physical features” is the best answer to this wording. “Landforms” would cover many land shapes, but would not fully include water features.

Physical geography studies how these features form and change. Erosion, weathering, volcanic activity, glaciation, tectonic movement, and deposition can all reshape Earth's surface. Maps often show physical features with contour lines, shading, symbols, and blue water markings.