COASTAL REGION
The Coastal Region is in the southeast part of Texas. This region is very diverse. There are forest, hills, plains, and deserts. It extends from the Red River all the way to the Rio Grande River and the Gulf of Mexico. The climate is very mild. It does not get too cold or too hot. Between June and December, there is always a chance of a hurricane, though, because of its location on the Gulf of Mexico. With a mild climate and the region’s access to water, the vegetation is very lush. That means a lot of vegetation can grow in this region like grasses, flowers, trees, and different crops. Overall, these
characteristics have caused many people to move to this area, making it the most populated region in Texas.
NORTH CENTRAL PLAINS REGION
The North Central Plains is located between the Red River and the Colorado River. It is covered with rolling plains, tall grasses, and some trees like pecan, post oak, and elm. This region is also surrounded by the Balcones and Cap Rock Escarpments. Escarpments are long, steep, rock walls where the land changes from lower elevations to higher elevations. As a person moves from the east to the west in this region, the climate becomes drier and windier. This type of climate leads to the chance of tornados in the spring and droughts in the summer.
GREAT PLAINS REGION
The Great Plains Region is located in the most northern part of Texas and extends to the Rio Grande. This region is made up of high plains, plateaus, canyons, and aquifers. The High Plains in this region is one of the flattest places on earth. Palo Duro Canyon was home to prehistoric Indians, and the Edwards Aquifer supplies water for San Antonio. The climate of this region is very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. During the winters, the most northern part of this region is known to experience blizzards. There is little vegetation because the region is very dry, windy, and receives little precipitation. Traveling through this region, a person would see mesquite and oak trees, short grasses, and tumble weeds rolling across the plains.
MOUNTAIN AND BASIN REGION
The Mountain and Basin Region is located in the western part of Texas. This region is made up of tall mountains separated by basins or closed valleys. The
southern border of this region is the Rio Grande River, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The climate is dry and desert like. There is little precipitation. Days are hot and nights are cool. As people travel to the higher elevations of the mountains, the climate gets even colder. Due to this climate, the vegetation includes forests of oak and ponderosa pine trees in the mountains and cactus, shrubs, and short grasses in the basins.
The Coastal Region is in the southeast part of Texas. This region is very diverse. There are forest, hills, plains, and deserts. It extends from the Red River all the way to the Rio Grande River and the Gulf of Mexico. The climate is very mild. It does not get too cold or too hot. Between June and December, there is always a chance of a hurricane, though, because of its location on the Gulf of Mexico. With a mild climate and the region’s access to water, the vegetation is very lush. That means a lot of vegetation can grow in this region like grasses, flowers, trees, and different crops. Overall, these
characteristics have caused many people to move to this area, making it the most populated region in Texas.
- Landforms – plains, rivers, hills, desert, islands along the coast, bayous, escarpments (e.g., Colorado River, Brazos River, Balcones Escarpment)
- Climate – mild winters and summers, humid
- Vegetation –grasses and shrubs, oak or pine forest
- Cities - Austin, Houston, Dallas, Waco, San Antonio, Texarkana, Corpus Christi, Brownsville
- Economy (Way of Life) -Most populous region (biggest population), major center of economic activity, fish and shrimp businesses very important, the port of Houston is one of the 10 busiest ports in the world,many oil rigs that are on-shore and off-shore
NORTH CENTRAL PLAINS REGION
The North Central Plains is located between the Red River and the Colorado River. It is covered with rolling plains, tall grasses, and some trees like pecan, post oak, and elm. This region is also surrounded by the Balcones and Cap Rock Escarpments. Escarpments are long, steep, rock walls where the land changes from lower elevations to higher elevations. As a person moves from the east to the west in this region, the climate becomes drier and windier. This type of climate leads to the chance of tornados in the spring and droughts in the summer.
- Landforms – rolling prairies, forests, rivers
- Climate – hot summers, cool winters
- Vegetation – grasses, brush, small trees
- Cities - Fort Worth, Wichita falls, San Angelo, Abilene
- Economy (Way of Life) - Ranching, Cotton and Wheat Farming, Natural Gas
GREAT PLAINS REGION
The Great Plains Region is located in the most northern part of Texas and extends to the Rio Grande. This region is made up of high plains, plateaus, canyons, and aquifers. The High Plains in this region is one of the flattest places on earth. Palo Duro Canyon was home to prehistoric Indians, and the Edwards Aquifer supplies water for San Antonio. The climate of this region is very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. During the winters, the most northern part of this region is known to experience blizzards. There is little vegetation because the region is very dry, windy, and receives little precipitation. Traveling through this region, a person would see mesquite and oak trees, short grasses, and tumble weeds rolling across the plains.
- Landforms – plains, plateaus, escarpments, canyons (e.g., Palo Duro Canyon, Cap Rock Escarpment, Edward’s Plateau)
- Climate – hot summers, cold winters, semi-arid
- Vegetation – grassland, cotton, wheat, short grasses, shrubs
- Cities -Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland, Odessa
- Economy (Way of Life) -Farming, Ranching, Oil and gas
MOUNTAIN AND BASIN REGION
The Mountain and Basin Region is located in the western part of Texas. This region is made up of tall mountains separated by basins or closed valleys. The
southern border of this region is the Rio Grande River, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The climate is dry and desert like. There is little precipitation. Days are hot and nights are cool. As people travel to the higher elevations of the mountains, the climate gets even colder. Due to this climate, the vegetation includes forests of oak and ponderosa pine trees in the mountains and cactus, shrubs, and short grasses in the basins.
- Landforms – mountains, canyons, and dry plateaus (e.g., Guadalupe Mountains, Davis Mountains, Chisos Mountains (part of Rocky Mountains), Rio Grande River, Pecos River)
- Climate – hot summers, cold winters, arid
- Vegetation – cactus, shrubs, pine trees in mountainous areas
- Cities -El Paso, Pecos, Presidio
- Economy (Way of Life) -Ranching (cattle, sheep, goat)Farming (cotton, fruits, vegetables), Oil and gas
