What is the difference between a canyon, gorge & valley?

Question asked by: knowitall

The simplest way to answer this is to define each term, so you can see:

A canyon is a deep valley with steep sides, think of the grand canyon most famously to visualise what this is.

A gorge is a deep ravine, which usually has a river running through it - though this doesn't have to be the case.

Finally a valley is any depression, usually of a certain length, in the surface of the land and often contains a river.

So, a canyon is a specific type of valley, with particularly steep sides. A gorge is a particularly deep depression, and will usually contain a river.
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