Transcript The regions of Texas are…

Keese 2008
Can you name the Regions of
Texas?
•Gulf Coastal Plain
• North Central Plains
•Great Plains
•Mountains and Basins
Coastal Region
Location of Coastal Region
 Covers 1/3 of the land of Texas
 Northeast border is the Sabine River
 Southeast border is the Gulf of Mexico
 West border is the Balcones Escarpment
 Most populated region in Texas
Coastal Climate…….
 Hot and damp, humid
 Tornadoes, hurricanes
 30-55 inches of rain per year
Coastal Cities……
 Austin
 Houston
 Dallas (on the border of Central Plains)
 San Antonio
 Texarkana
 Corpus Christi
 Brownsville
Way of life….
 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.
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..
PLANTS
 The land along the Gulf Coast is very near sea level. It
is hard for water to drain off the land, since there is
nowhere lower for the water to go. Much of the coast
of Texas is made up of marshes----wetlands where a
variety of tall grasses grow.
Coastal Animals….
 Many kinds of animals live in the coastal region… To name
a few…
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Quail
Hawks
Owls
Hundreds of other birds
Bald eagle
White tail deer
Foxes
Skunks
River otters
Bobcats
Alligators in the marshes!!! Some weigh up to 500 lbs!!!
STOP…………….
 Our next region we will look at is…..
NORTH CENTRAL PLAINS
North Central Plains
Location of Central Plains
 The Great Plains include the Llano Estacado, the
Panhandle, Edwards Plateau, Toyah Basin and the
Llano Uplift.
 It is border on the east by the Caprock Escarpment in
the panhandle and by the Balcones Fault to the
southeast.
Picture of Edwards Plateau
Central Plains Climate
 Central Texas is shaped by its many rivers and hills.
The climate is subtropical.
 In a single year the region can receive up to 48 inches
of rain, and flooding is common near rivers and in low
lying areas.
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Central Plain Cities…..
 Austin
 Waco
 Fredericksburg
 Llano
 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.
 In the summer, one of the favorite activities is floating
down a creek or river in an inner tube. Spring is a time
for residents to drive the winding back roads and take
in the rainbow of colors produced by the blooming
wildflowers, including Bluebonnets and Indian
paintbrush. In the fall and winter, hunters visit in
hopes of taking home a white-tailed deer.
 Some of the favorite local cuisines are barbecue and a
variation on traditional Mexican food affectionately
referred to as Tex-Mex..
Central Plain - Plants
 Blue bonnets
 Indian Paintbrush
 Texas Oak Trees
 Mesquite Trees
 Baldcypress Trees
Indian Blanket
Standing Cypress
Blue Sage
Central Plain - Animals
 Bobcat
 White-tailed deer
 Turkeys
 Screech Owl
 Mexican Freetail Bat
 Cliff Swallow
STOP…………….
 Our next region we will look at is…..
Great Plains
Great Plains Cities
 Amarillo
 Lubbock
 Abilene
 San Angelo
 Wichita Falls
Location of Great Plains
 Northeast Texas
 Colorado and Red Rivers are the borders.
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
Climate
 Dry air
 Tornadoes
 20-30 inches of rain
per year
Way of Life
Farming - fruits, vegetables, watermelons, oats
Ranching - cattle, angora goats (mohair)
Cedar trees - fenceposts
Oil and gas
Plants
 Prickly pear
 Yucca
 Indian Paintbrush
 Cactus
Animals
 Pronghorn
 Prarie Dog
 Snakes
 Horny Toad
Welcome to the Mountains and
Basins!!
Location
Far west Texas
East border near Pecos River
South border is the Rio Grande
North border is New Mexico
Contains Guadalupe Peak, Big Bend National
Park, and Rio Grande
Cities
 El Paso
 Pecos
 Kermit & Monahans in Permian Basin area
 Fort Davis, Marfa, & Alpine in Mountain area
Climate
Driest part of state
8 inches of rain per year, 20 in mountains
Hot days, cool nights
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
Plants
 IT IS FLAT!!!!!
 Some sagebrush
Animals