Land vs. Water — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Maham Liaqat — Updated on May 13, 2024
Land refers to the solid part of the earth's surface, while water covers about 71% of the surface, existing as oceans, lakes, and rivers.
Difference Between Land and Water
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Land is characterized by its solid surface, supporting various ecosystems and human activities such as agriculture, habitation, and industry. On the other hand, water bodies, including oceans, rivers, and lakes, are critical for supporting aquatic life and influencing global climate patterns.
While land surfaces are subject to processes like erosion, soil formation, and seismic activities, water bodies experience different physical phenomena such as currents, tides, and waves. These dynamic movements play a crucial role in regulating the earth's climate.
Land areas can be transformed through human activity and natural processes, affecting ecosystems and biodiversity. Conversely, water bodies are also affected by human activities, such as pollution and overfishing, which impact water quality and marine life health.
The availability of land is limited and subject to political boundaries and property rights, making land resources often scarce and contested. In contrast, water bodies, especially oceans, are vast and typically fall under international regulations, presenting unique challenges in governance and conservation.
Land habitats offer a diverse array of biomes, from forests and deserts to grasslands and tundras, each supporting distinct flora and fauna. Water habitats, however, provide environments like coral reefs, deep-sea ecosystems, and freshwater systems, each with unique life forms and ecological roles.
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Comparison Chart
Surface Type
Solid
Liquid
Coverage
Approximately 29% of Earth's surface
Approximately 71% of Earth's surface
Ecosystems
Forests, deserts, grasslands
Oceans, rivers, lakes
Human Use
Agriculture, cities, industries
Fishing, transportation, recreation
Environmental Issues
Deforestation, pollution
Water pollution, overfishing
Compare with Definitions
Land
The part of the Earth's surface that is not covered by water.
Farmlands and cities are built on land.
Water
Water is essential for all known forms of life and participates in the hydrological cycle.
Rainwater replenishes rivers and supports aquatic ecosystems.
Land
Land supports terrestrial ecosystems and human infrastructure.
Deserts and forests are examples of land-based ecosystems.
Water
Subject to international laws and maritime boundaries.
Territorial waters are regulated by international maritime law.
Land
Subject to various legal ownership and usage rights.
Private land ownership allows individuals to control property.
Water
Water bodies are dynamic, with systems governed by currents and tides.
Ocean currents influence global climate patterns.
Land
Land use is crucial in urban planning and development.
Land zoning laws regulate urban development.
Water
Water resources are critical for activities like hydroelectric power generation and irrigation.
Dams are built to utilize river water for electricity and irrigation.
Land
Land is the solid surface of Earth that is not permanently submerged in water. The vast majority of human activity throughout history has occurred in land areas that support agriculture, habitat, and various natural resources.
Water
Water (chemical formula H2O) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a solvent). It is vital for all known forms of life, even though it provides no calories or organic nutrients.
Land
A state of Germany or Austria.
Water
A colourless, transparent, odourless liquid that forms the seas, lakes, rivers, and rain and is the basis of the fluids of living organisms
Sodium chloride dissolves in water
Can I have a drink of water?
Land
Put (someone or something) on land from a boat
He landed his troops at Hastings
Water
A stretch or area of water, such as a river, sea, or lake
The lawns ran down to the water's edge
Land
Come down through the air and rest on the ground or another surface
We will shortly be landing at Gatwick
A fly landed on Tom's nose
Water
Urine
Drinking alcohol will make you need to pass water more often
Land
Cause someone to be in (a difficult situation)
His exploits always landed him in trouble
Water
The amniotic fluid surrounding a fetus in the womb, especially as discharged in a flow shortly before birth
I think my waters have broken
Land
Inflict (a blow) on someone
I won the fight without landing a single punch
Water
The quality of transparency and brilliance shown by a diamond or other gem.
Land
The solid ground of the earth.
Water
Capital stock that represents a book value greater than the true assets of a company.
Land
Ground or soil
Tilled the land.
Water
Pour or sprinkle water over (a plant or area) in order to encourage plant growth
I went out to water the geraniums
Land
A topographically or functionally distinct tract
Desert land.
Prime building land.
Water
(of a person's eyes) fill with tears
Rory blinked, his eyes watering
Land
A nation; a country.
Water
Dilute or adulterate (a drink, typically an alcoholic one) with water
Staff at the club had been watering down the drinks
Land
The people of a nation, district, or region.
Water
Increase (a company's debt, or nominal capital) by the issue of new shares without a corresponding addition to assets.
Land
Lands Territorial possessions or property.
Water
A clear, colorless, odorless, and tasteless liquid, H2O, essential for most plant and animal life and the most widely used of all solvents. Freezing point 0°C (32°F); boiling point 100°C (212°F); specific gravity (4°C) 1.0000; weight per gallon (15°C) 8.338 pounds (3.782 kilograms).
Land
Public or private landed property; real estate.
Water
Any of various forms of water
Waste water.
Land
(Law) The solid material of the earth as well as the natural and manmade things attached to it and the rights and interests associated with it.
Water
Often waters Naturally occurring mineral water, as at a spa.
Land
An agricultural or farming area
Wanted to buy a house on the land.
Water
A body of water such as a sea, lake, river, or stream.
Land
Farming considered as a way of life.
Water
Waters A particular stretch of sea or ocean, especially that of a state or country
Escorted out of British waters.
Land
An area or realm
The land of make-believe.
The land of television.
Water
A supply of water
Had to turn off the water while repairing the broken drain.
Land
The raised portion of a grooved surface, as on a phonograph record.
Water
A water supply system.
Land
To bring to and unload on land
Land cargo.
Water
Any of the fluids normally secreted from the body, such as urine, perspiration, tears, or saliva.
Land
To set (a vehicle) down on land or another surface
Land an airplane smoothly.
Land a seaplane on a lake.
Water
A fluid present in a body part in abnormal quantities as a result of injury or disease
Water on the knee.
Land
(Informal) To cause to arrive in a place or condition
Civil disobedience will land you in jail.
Water
The fluid surrounding a fetus in the uterus; amniotic fluid.
Land
To catch and pull in (a fish)
Landed a big catfish.
Water
An aqueous solution of a substance, especially a gas
Ammonia water.
Land
(Informal) To win; secure
Land a big contract.
Water
A wavy finish or sheen, as of a fabric or metal.
Land
(Informal) To deliver
Landed a blow on his opponent's head.
Water
The valuation of the assets of a business firm beyond their real value.
Land
To come to shore
Landed against the current with great difficulty.
Water
Stock issued in excess of paid-in capital.
Land
To disembark
Landed at a crowded dock.
Water
The transparency and luster of a gem.
Land
To descend toward and settle onto the ground or another surface
The helicopter has landed.
Water
A level of excellence.
Land
(Informal) To arrive in a place or condition
Landed at the theater too late for the opening curtain.
Landed in trouble for being late.
Water
To pour or sprinkle water on; make wet
Watered the garden.
Land
To come to rest in a certain way or place
Slipped and landed on his shoulder.
Water
To give drinking water to.
Land
The part of Earth which is not covered by oceans or other bodies of water.
Most insects live on land.
Water
To lead (an animal) to drinking water.
Land
Real estate or landed property; a partitioned and measurable area which is owned and acquired and on which buildings and structures can be built and erected.
There are 50 acres of land in this estate.
Water
To dilute or weaken by adding water
A bar serving whiskey that had been watered.
Land
A country or region.
They come from a faraway land.
Water
To give a sheen to the surface of (fabric or metal).
Land
A person's country of origin and/or homeplace; homeland.
Water
To increase (the number of shares of stock) without increasing the value of the assets represented.
Land
The soil, in respect to its nature or quality for farming.
Wet land; good or bad land for growing potatoes
Water
To irrigate (land).
Land
Realm, domain.
I'm going to Disneyland.
Maybe that's how it works in TV-land, but not in the real world.
Water
To produce or discharge fluid, as from the eyes.
Land
(agriculture) The ground left unploughed between furrows; any of several portions into which a field is divided for ploughing.
Water
To salivate in anticipation of food
The wonderful aroma from the kitchen makes my mouth water.
Land
A shock or fright.
He got an awful land when the police arrived.
Water
To take on a supply of water, as a ship.
Land
(electronics) A conducting area on a board or chip which can be used for connecting wires.
Water
To drink water, as an animal.
Land
On a compact disc or similar recording medium, an area of the medium which does not have pits.
Water
(uncountable) A substance (of molecular formula H2O) found at room temperature and pressure as a clear liquid; it is present naturally as rain, and found in rivers, lakes and seas; its solid form is ice and its gaseous form is steam.
By the action of electricity, the water was resolved into its two parts, oxygen and hydrogen.
Land
(travel) The non-airline portion of an itinerary. Hotel, tours, cruises, etc.
Our city offices sell a lot more land than our suburban offices.
Water
The liquid form of this substance: liquid H2O.
May I have a glass of water?
Your plants need more water.
Land
(obsolete) The ground or floor.
Water
(countable) A serving of liquid water.
Land
(nautical) The lap of the strakes in a clinker-built boat; the lap of plates in an iron vessel; called also landing.
Water
The aforementioned liquid, considered one of the Classical elements or basic elements of alchemy.
And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
He showed me the river of living water, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God.
Land
In any surface prepared with indentations, perforations, or grooves, that part of the surface which is not so treated, such as the level part of a millstone between the furrows.
Water
Water in a body; an area of open water.
The boat was found within the territorial waters.
These seals are a common sight in the coastal waters of Chile.
Land
(ballistics) The space between the rifling grooves in a gun.
Water
A body of water, almost always a river.
Land
A group of dwellings or tenements under one roof and having a common entry.
Water
A combination of water and other substance(s).
Land
Lant; urine
Water
Mineral water.
Perrier is the most popular water in this restaurant.
Land
(intransitive) To descend to a surface, especially from the air.
The plane is about to land.
Water
Spa water.
Many people visit Bath to take the waters.
Land
(dated) To alight, to descend from a vehicle.
Water
(pharmacy) A solution in water of a gaseous or readily volatile substance.
Ammonia water
Land
(intransitive) To come into rest.
Water
Urine.
Land
(intransitive) To arrive on land, especially a shore or dock, from a body of water.
Water
Amniotic fluid or the amniotic sac containing it. Used only in the plural in the UK but often also in the singular in North America. (The Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary says "often used in plural; also: bag of waters".)
Before the child is born, the pregnant woman’s water breaks.
Before your child is born, your water(s) will break.
Before the child is born, the pregnant woman’s waters break.
Land
(transitive) To bring to land.
It can be tricky to land a helicopter.
Use the net to land the fish.
Water
Fluids in the body, especially when causing swelling.
He suffers from water on the knee.
Land
To capture or arrest.
Water
A state of affairs; conditions; usually with an adjective indicating an adverse condition.
The rough waters of change will bring about the calm after the storm.
Land
(transitive) To acquire; to secure.
Water
A person's intuition.
I know he'll succeed. I feel it in my waters.
Land
To succeed in having sexual relations with; to score
Too ugly to ever land a chick
Water
Excess valuation of securities.
Land
(transitive) (of a blow) To deliver.
If you land a knockout blow, you’ll win the match
Water
The limpidity and lustre of a precious stone, especially a diamond.
A diamond of the first water is perfectly pure and transparent
Land
(intransitive) (of a punch) To connect
If the punches land, you might lose a few teeth!
Water
A wavy, lustrous pattern or decoration such as is imparted to linen, silk, metals, etc.
Land
(intransitive) To go down well with an audience.
Some of the comedian's jokes failed to land.
Water
(transitive) To pour water into the soil surrounding (plants).
Land
Urine. See Lant.
Water
(transitive) To wet or supply with water; to moisten; to overflow with water; to irrigate.
Land
The solid part of the surface of the earth; - opposed to water as constituting a part of such surface, especially to oceans and seas; as, to sight land after a long voyage.
They turn their heads to sea, their sterns to land.
Water
(transitive) To provide (animals) with water for drinking.
I need to water the cattle.
Land
Any portion, large or small, of the surface of the earth, considered by itself, or as belonging to an individual or a people, as a country, estate, farm, or tract.
Go view the land, even Jericho.
Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey,Where wealth accumulates and men decay.
A poor parson dwelling upon land [i.e., in the country].
Water
(intransitive) To get or take in water.
The ship put into port to water.
Land
Ground, in respect to its nature or quality; soil; as, wet land; good or bad land.
Water
To urinate onto.
Nature called, so I stepped into the woods and watered a tree.
Land
The inhabitants of a nation or people.
These answers, in the silent night received,The king himself divulged, the land believed.
Water
(transitive) To dilute.
Can you water the whisky, please?
Land
The mainland, in distinction from islands.
Water
To overvalue (securities), especially through deceptive accounting.
Land
The ground or floor.
Herself upon the land she did prostrate.
Water
(intransitive) To fill with or secrete water.
Chopping onions makes my eyes water.
The smell of fried onions makes my mouth water.
Land
The ground left unplowed between furrows; any one of several portions into which a field is divided for convenience in plowing.
Water
(transitive) To wet and calender, as cloth, so as to impart to it a lustrous appearance in wavy lines; to diversify with wavelike lines.
To water silk
Land
Any ground, soil, or earth whatsoever, as meadows, pastures, woods, etc., and everything annexed to it, whether by nature, as trees, water, etc., or by the hand of man, as buildings, fences, etc.; real estate.
Water
The fluid which descends from the clouds in rain, and which forms rivers, lakes, seas, etc.
Land
The lap of the strakes in a clinker-built boat; the lap of plates in an iron vessel; - called also landing.
Water
A body of water, standing or flowing; a lake, river, or other collection of water.
Remembering he had passed over a small water a poor scholar when first coming to the university, he kneeled.
Land
In any surface prepared with indentations, perforations, or grooves, that part of the surface which is not so treated, as the level part of a millstone between the furrows, or the surface of the bore of a rifled gun between the grooves.
Water
Any liquid secretion, humor, or the like, resembling water; esp., the urine.
Land
To set or put on shore from a ship or other water craft; to disembark; to debark.
I 'll undertake to land them on our coast.
Water
A solution in water of a gaseous or readily volatile substance; as, ammonia water.
Land
To catch and bring to shore; to capture; as, to land a fish.
Water
The limpidity and luster of a precious stone, especially a diamond; as, a diamond of the first water, that is, perfectly pure and transparent. Hence, of the first water, that is, of the first excellence.
Land
To set down after conveying; to cause to fall, alight, or reach; to bring to the end of a course; as, he landed the quoit near the stake; to be thrown from a horse and landed in the mud; to land one in difficulties or mistakes.
Water
An addition to the shares representing the capital of a stock company so that the aggregate par value of the shares is increased while their value for investment is diminished, or "diluted."
Land
To pilot (an airplane) from the air onto the land; as, to land the plane on a highway.
Water
To wet or supply with water; to moisten; to overflow with water; to irrigate; as, to water land; to water flowers.
With tears watering the ground.
Men whose lives gilded on like rivers that water the woodlands.
Land
To come to the end of a course; to arrive at a destination, literally or figuratively; as, he landed in trouble; after hithchiking for a week, he landed in Los Angeles.
Water
To supply with water for drink; to cause or allow to drink; as, to water cattle and horses.
Land
To go on shore from a ship or boat; to disembark.
Water
To add water to (anything), thereby extending the quantity or bulk while reducing the strength or quality; to extend; to dilute; to weaken.
Land
To reach and come to rest on land after having been in the air; as, the arrow landed in a flower bed; the golf ball landed in a sand trap; our airplane landed in Washington.
Water
To shed, secrete, or fill with, water or liquid matter; as, his eyes began to water.
If thine eyes can water for his death.
Land
The land on which real estate is located;
He built the house on land leased from the city
Water
To get or take in water; as, the ship put into port to water.
Land
Material in the top layer of the surface of the earth in which plants can grow (especially with reference to its quality or use);
The land had never been plowed
Good agricultural soil
Water
Binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
Land
The solid part of the earth's surface;
The plane turned away from the sea and moved back over land
The earth shook for several minutes
He dropped the logs on the ground
Water
The part of the earth's surface covered with water (such as a river or lake or ocean);
They invaded our territorial waters
They were sitting by the water's edge
Land
Territory over which rule or control is exercised;
His domain extended into Europe
He made it the law of the land
Water
Facility that provides a source of water;
The town debated the purification of the water supply
First you have to cut off the water
Land
The territory occupied by a nation;
He returned to the land of his birth
He visited several European countries
Water
Once thought to be one of four elements composing the universe (Empedocles)
Land
A domain in which something is dominant;
The untroubled kingdom of reason
A land of make-believe
The rise of the realm of cotton in the south
Water
Liquid excretory product;
There was blood in his urine
The child had to make water
Land
Extensive landed property (especially in the country) retained by the owner for his own use;
The family owned a large estate on Long Island
Water
A fluid necessary for the life of most animals and plants;
He asked for a drink of water
Land
The people who live in a nation or country;
A statement that sums up the nation's mood
The news was announced to the nation
The whole country worshipped him
Water
Supply with water, as with channels or ditches or streams;
Water the fields
Land
A politically organized body of people under a single government;
The state has elected a new president
African nations
Students who had come to the nation's capitol
The country's largest manufacturer
An industrialized land
Water
Provide with water;
We watered the buffalo
Land
United States inventor who incorporated Polaroid film into lenses and invented the one-step photographic process (1909-1991)
Water
Secrete or form water, as tears or saliva;
My mouth watered at the prospect of a good dinner
His eyes watered
Land
Working the land as an occupation or way of life;
Farming is a strenuous life
There's no work on the land any more
Water
Fill with tears;
His eyes were watering
Land
Reach or come to rest;
The bird landed on the highest branch
The plane landed in Istanbul
Water
Bodies of water covering much of the Earth's surface, primarily consisting of oceans, lakes, and rivers.
The Pacific Ocean is the largest body of water on Earth.
Land
Cause to come to the ground;
The pilot managed to land the airplane safely
Land
Bring into a different state;
This may land you in jail
Land
Bring ashore;
The drug smugglers landed the heroin on the beach of the island
Land
Deliver (a blow);
He landed several blows on his opponent's head
Land
Arrive on shore;
The ship landed in Pearl Harbor
Land
Shoot at and force to come down;
The enemy landed several of our aircraft
Land
Relating to or characteristic of or occurring on land;
Land vehicles
Sea stories
Sea smells
Sea traffic
Land
Operating or living or growing in water;
Boats are aquatic vehicles
Water lilies are aquatic plants
Fish are aquatic animals
Land
Landforms are shaped by natural processes like erosion and tectonic activities.
Mountains and valleys are common types of landforms.
Common Curiosities
Can landforms change over time?
Yes, landforms can change due to natural processes such as erosion and plate tectonics.
How does land support human activities differently from water?
Land supports activities like agriculture and urban development, while water is crucial for transportation, fishing, and recreation.
What role does water play in biodiversity?
Water bodies are habitats for diverse marine and freshwater species, crucial for maintaining ecological balance.
What is the primary difference between land and water?
Land is the Earth's solid surface, whereas water covers the majority of the Earth in the form of oceans, lakes, and rivers.
What are the main environmental issues affecting land?
Deforestation, pollution, and soil degradation are major concerns.
How does water pollution differ from land pollution?
Water pollution often involves contamination by chemicals and plastics affecting aquatic life, whereas land pollution includes soil and urban waste issues.
How do humans impact water ecosystems?
Through activities like pollution, habitat destruction, and overfishing.
How are water bodies important for global climate?
They regulate temperatures and weather patterns through ocean currents and the water cycle.
What are the challenges in managing water resources?
Overuse, pollution, and international governance are key challenges.
How is land use regulated?
Through planning laws and regulations that determine how land can be used or developed.
What is sustainable land management?
It involves using land resources in ways that do not deplete them and harm the environment, ensuring long-term usability.
Why is water considered a renewable resource?
Because it is replenished through the hydrological cycle, though its availability can be limited by pollution and overuse.
What is the significance of coastal areas?
Coastal areas are crucial for marine biodiversity and are densely populated human habitats.
How does water aid in transportation?
Water provides a medium for ship navigation, crucial for international trade and travel.
What is land reclamation?
It's the process of creating new land from oceans, riverbeds, or lakes.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
