Regions of Texas How many regions are in

Regions of Texas

How many regions are in Texas? Great Plains Mountains and Basins North Central Plains Coastal Plains What region is Fort Worth in? 4

• Texas is a vast state made up of many different natural elements and terrains. The 3 largest states in the United States are: 1 st largest is ……………. 2 nd largest is ……………. . 3 rd largest is ……………. .

Texas is the 2 nd largest state in the United States. Traveling across Texas you will see everything from forests to mountains to beaches to plains.

NORTH CENTRAL PLAINS

NORTH CENTRAL PLAINS • Location – Center part of the state

North Central Plains Cities • • Austin Waco Fredericksburg Llano Fort Worth Wichita Falls Abilene • The Hill Country is a popular name for the area of hills along the Balcones Fault and is a transitional area between the Great Plains and the Gulf Coastal Plains.

North Central Plains Physical Features – Prairies – Forests in the Cross Timbers – Rolling Plains and Hills – Variety of trees – Small shrubs – Limestone rock - Thick grass

NORTH CENTRAL PLAINS PHYSICAL FEATURES AFFECT INDUSTRY • Rich soils support farm industries

NORTH CENTRAL PLAINS SUBREGIONS This region is divided into 3 subregions: Grand Prairie Cross Timbers Rolling Plains

NORTH CENTRAL PLAINS HAS 3 SUBREGIONS GRAND PRAIRIE – flat and rolling hills, grasslands; suited for livestock CROSS TIMBERS – sandy soil; good for farming a variety of crops ROLLING PLAINS – grasslands; hilly terrain; steep valley; rivers; suited for cattle and ranches

NORTH CENTRAL PLAINS CLIMATE – Sub tropical – Cold winters – Hottest summer temperatures in the state – 20 -30 inches of rainfall a year – Violent storms and tornadoes

NORTH CENTRAL PLAINS PLANTS -bluebonnets -Indian Paintbrush -Texas Oak Trees -Mesquite Trees

North Central Plains Animals • • • Bobcat White-tailed deer Turkeys

NORTH CENTRAL PLAINS AGRICULTURE – Cattle, goats, sheep, cotton, grain sorghum, oats, pecans, hay, peaches, cedar trees, wheat, corn, peanuts – Fertile soil, beef, wool, mohair from angora goats, oil in some areas

NORTH CENTRAL PLAINS ECONOMY The fertile soil produces crops for a large portion of its industry

COASTAL PLAINS

COASTAL PLAINS • largest of the 4 Texas regions

Location of Coastal Plains • Covers 1/3 of the land of Texas

COASTAL PLAINS CITIES – – – – Austin Brownsville Dallas Houston San Antonio Tyler Texarkana Corpus Christi

Coastal Plains Physical Features – Woods & Forest – Beaches – Grassy Plains and Prairies – Has lots of fishing and shrimping – It is the largest of the four regions in Texas – Gets the most rainfall

COASTAL PLAINS This region is divided into 5 subregions: Piney Woods Gulf Coastal Plains South Texas Plains Post Oak Belt Black land Prairie

COASTAL PLAINS SUBREGIONS • Piney Woods – pine forest, farming, timber • Gulf Coast Plain – prairie, bayous, farming, ranching, fishing, ports, oil, petrochemicals • South Texas Plains – warm dry climate, yearround farming, ranches • Post Oak Belt – sandy soils, prairies, farming, energy resources • Blackland Prairie – rich soil, large population, manufacturing

COASTAL PLAINS • Much of the coast of Texas is made up of marshes----wetlands where a variety of tall grasses grow.

COASTAL PLAINS CLIMATE -Hot and damp, humid -Tornadoes, hurricanes “More rain and violent storms than any other region” -30 -55 inches of rain per year Warm in the South Cold in the North

COASTAL PLAINS ANIMALS Many kinds of animals live in the coastal plains region… – Quail, Hawks, Owls, Bald Eagles and hundreds of other birds – White tail deer – Foxes, Bobcats, Skunks – River otters – Alligators in the marshes!!! Some weigh up to 500 lbs!!!

COASTAL PLAINS AGRICULTURE – Timber, dairy, cattle, hogs, poultry, grain, sorghum, cotton, corn, peanuts, roses, fruits, hay, fish, sheep, wheat, vegetables, rice, citrus, and shrimp – People, lots of rain, rivers, lumber and paper mills, chemical plants, ports, and oil

COASTAL PLAINS Economy Way of life: fishing, timber, oil and gas The gulf coast is a major center of economic activity. The marshlands provide breeding grounds for ocean life, which make the fish and shrimp businesses very important. The port of Houston is one of the 10 busiest ports in the world.

COASTAL PLAINS • Oil and Gas Along the coastal region you will find many oil rigs that are on-shore and off-shore. The ocean gives easy access to ship the oil and gas to where it needs to go.

THE GULF COAST PLAINS ADAPTS TO ENVIRONMENT • Houston – petrochemicals, shipping, manufacturing • Dallas – banking, manufacturing, corporate headquarters • Laredo – trade, farming • San Antonio – tourism, military, retail

GREAT PLAINS

GREAT PLAINS • Region is located mostly in the panhandle area of Texas. • This area is very flat with a high elevation that features canyons. It is a barren area with very few trees.

GREAT PLAINS LOCATION – Texas Panhandle to the north – Cap Rock Escarpment on the east -Northeast Texas -Colorado and Red Rivers are the borders.

GREAT PLAINS CITIES -Amarillo -Lubbock -Odessa Abilene Midland -San Angelo -Wichita Falls

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF THE GREAT PLAINS • • • Panhandle area of Texas Highest Elevation in Texas High and flat treeless plains and grasslands • Caprock Escarpments with elevation rising to the east • Balcones Escarpments along the eastern and western edges • Red River Palo below Duro the Canyon Caprock – hard forms bed of rock soil of the High Plains Escarpment – cliffs

GREAT PLAINS GEOGRAPHIC FEATURES -Rolling grassy lands -Thick grasses -Cross Timbers area - large areas of hardwood trees -Limestone rock -Higher elevation because limestone doesn't wear down easily

GREAT PLAINS This region is divided into 3 subregions: High Plains Edwards Plateau Llano Basin

GREAT PLAINS • Climate – – – Windy, Dry Air Tornadoes Very cold in winter Very hot in summer Coldest region of Texas – 15 -20 inches of rainfall a year – Violent sand, snow, and rain storms

GREAT PLAINS PLANTS -Prickly pear -Yucca -Indian Paintbrush -Cactus

GREAT PLAINS ANIMALS • • Pronghorn Prarie Dog Snakes Toads

Great Plains Economy Way of Life • Cattle ranching and cotton farming are major sources of commerce in this area • Farming - fruits, vegetables, watermelons, oats • Ranching - cattle, angora goats (mohair) • Cedar trees - fenceposts • Oil and gas

TEXANS HAVE ADAPTED TO THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE GREAT PLAINS • Used grasslands for farming • Pumped water for irrigating crops • Drilled for oil and gas • Built cities

MOUNTAINS AND BASINS

MOUNTAINS AND BASINS LOCATION • Far west Texas • East border near Pecos River • South border is the Rio Grande • North border is New Mexico

MOUNTAINS AND BASINS CITIES – – – - Alpine El Paso Fort Stockton Pecos -Kermit & Monahans in Permian Basin area -Fort Davis, Marfa, & Alpine in Mountain area

MOUNTAINS AND BASINS PHYSICAL FEATURES • Towering Peaks, Rocky Canyons, and flowering cacti. • Mountains and Basins have dry, rocky soils. • Places: Big Bend National Park, Guadalupe National Park, and Davis Mountains

MOUNTAINS AND BASINS • Guadalupe Peak is the highest point in Texas

MOUNTAINS AND BASINS PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS • • • Dry desert climate Rocky soil Mountains, Canyons, Basins Plateaus Limited Plant Life

Mountains and Basins Physical Features – Mountains ranges, basins & plateaus – Guadalupe Mountains – Big Bend National Park – Guadalupe Peak – highest peak in Texas (8749 feet) • Basins are lowlands surrounded by higher land.

MOUNTAINS AND BASINS This region has no subregions

MOUNTAINS AND BASINS CLIMATE -Driest part of state -8 inches of rain per year, 20 in mountains -Hot days, cool nights

MOUNTAINS AND BASINS PLANTS -Some sagebrush

MOUNTAINS AND BASINS ANIMALS mountain lions peregrine falcons rattlesnakes

MOUNTAINS AND BASINS WAY OF LIFE Ranching-cattle, sheep, goat Farming - cotton, fruits, vegetables, cantaloupes (irrigation in El Paso and Pecos River Valley) Oil and gas - part of Permian Basin

Summary of the Regions of Texas