Transcript Regions of Texas

Regions of Texas
The Great Plains
p. 61 - 65
The Real “Old West”
This region is found east of the Rocky
Mountains. The Caprock Escarpment divides the
Great Plains to the east.
 The Great Plains – often called “a sea of grass”
– were once home to immense herds of buffalo
and nomadic Native Americans.
 Today much of the land is used to grow cotton
and wheat.
 Located far from the moist Gulf winds, the Great
Plains region is a dry area.
 Droughts are often a problem; only irrigation
from underground water sources and new
techniques make farming possible.

The Real “Old West”
Because of its high elevation, the Great Plains
often have cooler summers than other parts of
Texas, and the winters are cold.
 3 geological subsections lie within this region:

 Edwards
Plateau
 Llano Basin
 High Plains
The Edwards Plateau
 It
has a thin layer of soil making most
of the area ill-suited for farming.

Almost the entire region is covered with
weeds and tree foliage which provide food
for sheep.
 The
economy of the area depends
largely on cattle, goat and sheep
raising.
The Edwards Plateau
 This
section is among the nations most
important wool-producing areas.
 Del Rio is the area’s largest city.
 As the Edwards Plateau nears the
Caprock Escarpment, it becomes a hilly
area of eroded limestone called the Hill
Country.
The Llano Basin





Smallest geographic section
in Texas.
The land is lower here
because of erosion.
The terrain consists of
rolling plains broken up by
hills.
Part of the area is occupied
by large lakes and reservoirs
on the Colorado River.
The combination of lakes
and hills has given this
section the name Highland
Lakes Country.
The High Plains
Occupies most of the Panhandle.
 The land is mostly flat except for 2 areas that
have quite different characteristics:

 Canadian
Breaks – rugged area that follows the
Canadian River.
 Palo Duro Canyon – rugged area that has been
carved by the Red River.

The High Plains section is divided into 2 major
parts:
 North
Plains – wheat and grain sorghum produced
 South Plains – World’s largest cottonseed producing
industry.
Using your pencil or pen,
shade the Great Plains
region on your map.