Regional NamesCan be based on: Geographic Characteristic or Feature

• Sunbelt – warm climate• Panhandle - shape• Coastal Bend – area where coast bends

General Location – • N, S, E, W• Vague boundaries, based on perceptions

Cultural Identification• German Hill Country• Metroplex – Dallas, Ft. Worth area

Political Boundaries• Cities• Counties• Legislative Districts

Natural Regions – defined by physical features like climate, plants, soil• United States = 10• Texas = 4 (more than any other state)

The Regions of Texas

(Crossroads of Natural Regions)

Coastal Plains

North Central Plains

Great Plains (yellow)

Mountains & Basins

North

The Coastal Plains

Coastal Plains Information

•Most populated region• Largest region• Covers 1/3 of TX• Divided into 5 subregions

• Wettest part of Texas (receives the most rainfall)• Supports forests areas

• Mild weather (close to the Gulf of Mexico)• Longest growing season for farming

• Intracoastal Waterway (helps economy)

Coastal Plains Climate

• Dense forests (4 National Forests) – East Texas Piney Woods subregion• Grassy Prairies• Rich soil• Low & marshy (Bayous) in some areas near the

coastlines

Coastal Plains Soil/Vegetation

Nacogdoches

Caddo Lake near Marshall,TX

Coastal Plains

• Banking (Federal Reserve Bank in Dallas), trade, tourism, sports • Ranching: cattle, poultry, & hogs (King Ranch)• Lumber/timber industry – Piney Woods• Farming: rice, cotton, corn, grain, sugarcane• Fruits & vegetables: grapefruit & oranges

(especially in Rio Grande Valley with fertile soil, warm, freezing rare)

• Fishing, shrimping & shipping (many ports for international shpping)• Petrochemical: Oil & oil refining (Spindletop and E. TX Oilfield)

• Minerals: coal, lignite, natural gas, granite, sand• Military bases in San Antonio

Coastal Plains Economy/Resources

Shrimp boats near Galveston

Coastal Plains Economy/Resources

Oil rig near Galveston

Coastal Plains Economy/Resources

• Houston (largest city in TX, shipping, trade, Petrochemical industry

contributed to growth)• San Antonio (2nd largest city)• Beaumont

Old Mission Control, Johnson Space Center

Houston

Coastal Plains Cities

•Galveston•Corpus Christi•Waco•Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex• Laredo (fastest growing city in TX)

Corpus Christi

Dallas

Coastal Plains Cities

The North Central Plains

• Divided from Coastal Plains by Balcones Escarpment• 3 subregions

• “Where the West Begins”

Slogan relates back to a treaty signed when the Republic of Texas and nine Native American groups signed Bird’s Fort Treaty. Under this treaty, the Native Americans agreed to stay west of what is now Fort Worth. At the time, the location marked the western frontier of settlement and explains, in part, why some people think of Fort Worth as being in West Texas.

North Central Plains Information

• Light rainfall• Hot summers• Cold winters • Not affected by the Gulf of Mexico (too far

away)

North Central Plains Climate

•Rolling Prairies, shrubs, small trees• Thin soil limits crop production

stony soil in some areas (not good for farmers)sandy soil in other areas (good for famers b/c it

absorbs water)• Two belts of forestland

North Central Plains Soil/Vegatation

• Ranching: cattle (beef/dairy), hogs, sheep, poultry, goats, )major processing facilities for meat/dairy)• Fort Worth Stockyards• Farming: cotton, wheat, grains, & peanuts•Manufacturing: airplanes, helicopters, &

electronics• Oil and natural gas• Ft. Worth – transportation center, busiest rail

yard in nation

North Central Plains Economy/Resources

Ft. Worth Stockyards• For the drovers heading the cattle up the Chisholm trail to the

railheads, Fort Worth was the last major stop for rest and supplies.

• Beyond Fort Worth they would have to deal with crossing the Red River into Indian Territory.

• Between 1866 and 1890 more than four million head of cattle were trailed through Fort Worth, which was soon known as “Cowtown.”

• When the railroad finally arrived in 1876, Fort Worth became a major shipping point for livestock.

Mineral Resources:• sand• gravel• coal• limestone

North Central Plains Economy/Resources

Cotton Gin

Cotton Gin

North Central Plains Economy/Resources

• Fort Worth (est. in 1849 as an army fort on the Texas frontier)

• Abilene•Wichita Falls Fort Worth

North Central Plains Cities

The Great Plains

• Separated from the North Central Plains by the Caprock Escarpment

• Covers the Panhandle of TX

• Divided into 2 subregions• Known as one of the flattest

areas on Earth

Great Plains Information

• Part of TX w/ the coldest and longest winter (further from Gulf & higher in elevation)

•Mild sun

• Dry region – drought often a problem b/c of little rainfall

Great Plains Climate

• Varied landscape:• Flat and treeless (called a “Sea of Grass”)• Hilly & rugged• Palo Duro Canyon (cut into Caprock by Red

River)• Escarpment• Rocky soil (hard layers of limestone below

Edwards Plateau)

Great Plains Soil/Vegetation

•Farming w/ irrigation from Ogallala Aquifer: cotton & grain (wheat)•Ranching: sheep, goats, cattle (attracted by rich grasslands)•Oil & Natural Gas•Meat processing and distribution

Great Plains Economy/Resources

Grain storage near Amarillo Ranch near Amarillo

Great Plains Economy/Resources

•Amarillo• Lubbock•Odessa•Midland•Austin(capital)

Red Butte near Amarillo

Near Lubbock

Great Plains Cities

Mountains and Basins

• Close cultural and economic ties to Mexico encourages trade• Small population•West of Pecos River

Presidio Chapel in San Elizario

Mountains & Basins Information

• Driest part of TX • Desert • Hot Summers• Cold Winters• Average rainfall: 9” per year

Rain comes as air moves up in elevation, it cools, and rains

Red Sands (near El Paso)

Mountains & Basins Climate

• Dry, rocky soil• Desert plants (cactus) & mesquite trees (limited plant

life)• Farmers irrigate crops with water from the Rio

Grande River• Dramatic landscape:• Canyons• Mountains• Plateaus• Basins

Franklin Mountains

Mountains & Basins Soil/Vegetation

•Ranching: cattle, sheep, goats (limited)

•Minerals: oil, sulfur, & silver (boosted economy)

• Farming: cotton, pecan trees, alfalfa, & vegetables (limited, requires irrigation)

• Tourism: Big Bend & Guadalupe Mountains National Parks (Guadalupe Peak – highest)• Military bases

Mountains & Basins Economy/Resources

• El Paso – (major East/West shipping route b/c of I-10 has encouraged growth)•Marfa•Alpine

El Paso

Mountains & Basins Cities