topography
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topography
The description and representation of the surface forms of a terrain, including its natural features (mountains, valleys, rivers) and artificial features (cities, roads).
Die Topographie der Alpen ist durch hohe Gipfel und tiefe Täler gekennzeichnet.
The topography of the Alps is characterized by high peaks and deep valleys.
The word comes from Greek: 'tópos' means 'place' and 'gráphein' means 'to write' or 'to describe'. A topography is therefore literally an 'Ortsbeschreibung' (description of a place).
Für die Planung der neuen Straße musste die Topographie des Geländes genau vermessen werden.
For the planning of the new road, the topography of the terrain had to be measured precisely.
'Topographie' (topography) is a technical term used mainly in scientific, technical, or academic contexts, for example in geography, biology, or literary studies.
Der Geologie-Student analysiert die Topographie der Vulkaninsel.
The geology student is analyzing the topography of the volcanic island.
You can recognize the geographical meaning from words such as 'Gelände' (terrain), 'Berg' (mountain), or 'Fluss' (river). You can recognize the figurative meaning from abstract terms such as 'Beziehungen' (relationships), 'Macht' (power), or 'Gefühle' (feelings).
Die Karte zeigt die komplexe Topographie der Küstenregion.
The map shows the complex topography of the coastal region.
In the geographical meaning, 'Topographie' (topography) is often combined with verbs such as 'beschreiben' (to describe), 'analysieren' (to analyze), 'darstellen' (to represent), or 'erfassen' (to capture/record). Typical adjectives are 'flach' (flat), 'bergig' (mountainous), or 'komplex' (complex).
Das Gebiet hat eine überwiegend flache Topographie.
The area has a predominantly flat topography.
structure
'die Struktur' and 'die Topographie' can both describe how elements are arranged in an area. 'Struktur' is more general and means the structure or organization of something. 'Topographie' first means the precise description of a terrain, that is, mountains, valleys, rivers, roads, or places. Figuratively, 'Topographie' can also mean a precise arrangement in a specific area. The words can be confused when spatial order is involved. For general organization, 'Struktur' fits better; for terrain or a very spatial description, 'Topographie' is more precise.
Die Topographie der Region ist schwierig, weil es viele Berge und enge Täler gibt.
The topography of the region is difficult because there are many mountains and narrow valleys.
Für die neue Website plant das Team zuerst die Struktur der Seiten.
For the new website, the team first plans the structure of the pages.