Transcript Regions of Texas

Regions of
Texas
UNIT 1
What is a Region?

An area of the world
that has similar, unifying
characteristics.

Physical Characteristics of places include landforms and soils,
bodies and sources of water, vegetation, climate, weather
patterns, and animal life

Human Characteristics of places include the language, religion,
political systems, economic systems, population distribution,
ethnicity, age, and standards of living
Texas Is Divided Into Four
Major Regions

Mountains and Basins

Great Plains

Central Plains

Coastal Plains
Mountains and Basins
Physical Characteristics

Rivers

Deserts
Mountains and Basins
Landscape

Scattered mountain
ranges

Flat desert basins

Mostly desert
Mountains and Basins
Region
Climate

Dry & Arid

Hot dry summers

Cold winters

Little moisture (Rain)

Hot days, cold nights
Mountains and Basins
Human Characteristics
Jobs = Industries

Industries – Ranching

Big Bend National Park

Dams
Mountains and Basins
Major Cities

El Paso, TX.
Great Plains
Physical Characteristics





Canyons
Escarpments
Plains
Aquifers
Plateaus
Great Plains
Climate

Dry

Hot Summers

Very Cold Winters
Great Plains
Major Cities
ODESSA
MIDLAND
Great Plains
Major Cities Cont….
Lubbock
Amarillo
Great Plains
Human Characteristics

Irrigation

Industries – ranching
& agriculture

Wind Farms

Dams – Amistad

Oil/Gas & Ranching
Texas Landscape
Keep In Mind:
As we go from West to East
(Mountains and Basins to
Gulf Coast Plains)
Elevation Decreases
What does that mean?
It means that as you get
closer to the Gulf of Mexico
(Sea Level), the land gets
flatter.
(No Mountains and less Hills)
North Central Plains
North Central Plains
Physical Characteristics
Landscape

Rolling
Prairies/Grasslands

Few Rivers

Hilly

Hardwood Forests
North Central Plains
Climate
Similar to the Great Plains

Hot Short Summers

Cool to Cold Winters

More Moisture (Rain)
North Central Plains
(Major Cities)
Fort Worth
Arlington
North Central Plains
Human Characteristics

Agriculture
(Farming/Ranching)

Manufacturing

Energy Production
(Petroleum/Wind Power)
Coastal Plains Region
WHY?
WHY DOES THIS REGION
OF TEXAS SEEM TO HAVE
MORE OF A VARIETY OF
TREES AND PLANTS THAN
THE REST OF THE STATE?
GULF OF MEXICO
The Gulf’s winds and moisture bring in most of
the states rain. As it reaches the higher
elevations of the state (West), the clouds and
moisture start to evaporate.
Coastal Plains
Physical Characteristics
Landscape
Varies

Plains

Hills

Pine Forests

Desert

Flat grasslands

Swamps-Marshes

Elevation Varies
(1,000ft – Sea Level)
Coastal Plains
Physical Characteristics
Landscape

All the rivers flow thru this
region

Wrong way rivers that
take water from the dries
part of the state to the
wettest part of the state
Landforms
Plains
Barrier Islands
Balcones Escarpment
Gulf Coast Plain
Plains
South Texas Plains
Barrier
Islands
Texas Escarpments

An escarpment is a transition between different
geographic regions.
-Usually a steep elevation increase, like a cliff or
steep slope.

Balcones Escarpment is a geologic fault zone several miles
wide between the Coastal and Great Plains

Part of it is in Austin

Lower elevation on the eastern side

Flatter on the eastern side
Coastal Plains
Climate

Mild

Hot – Humid Summers

Mild Winters

Greater Moisture
Coastal Plains
Major Cities
Dallas
Houston
Coastal Plains
Major Cities
Austin
San Antonio
Coastal Plains
Human Characteristics

Highway Systems

Location of major cities

Industries – timber,
agriculture, oil & gas,
technology, education

Dams

Fishing, tourism, intracoastal waterway