Regions of TexasUNIT 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

Jobs = Industries

Human Characteristics

Industries – Ranching Big Bend National Park Dams

Mountains and Basins

Major Cities

El Paso, TX.

Great PlainsPhysical Characteristics

Canyons Escarpments Plains Aquifers Plateaus

Great Plains

Climate Dry

Hot Summers

Very Cold Winters

Great PlainsMajor Cities

ODESSA MIDLAND

Great PlainsMajor Cities Cont….

Lubbock Amarillo

Great Plains

Irrigation

Industries – ranching & agriculture

Wind Farms

Dams – Amistad

Oil/Gas & Ranching

Human Characteristics

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

Landscape Rolling

Prairies/Grasslands

Few Rivers

Hilly

Hardwood Forests

Physical Characteristics

North Central Plains

ClimateSimilar 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

Agriculture

(Farming/Ranching)

Manufacturing

Energy Production

(Petroleum/Wind Power)

Human Characteristics

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

LandscapeVaries

Plains

Hills

Pine Forests

Desert

Flat grasslands

Swamps-Marshes

Elevation Varies

(1,000ft – Sea Level)

Physical Characteristics

Coastal Plains

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

Physical Characteristics

Landforms

Barrier Islands

Plains

Barrier Islands

Balcones Escarpment

PlainsGulf Coast Plain

South Texas Plains

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 PlainsMajor Cities

Dallas Houston

Coastal PlainsMajor Cities

Austin San Antonio

Coastal Plains

Highway Systems

Location of major cities

Industries – timber, agriculture, oil & gas, technology, education

Dams

Fishing, tourism, intra-coastal waterway

Human Characteristics