Texas Regions

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What is a Region?

Natural Texas and its Regions

How does geography affect people settlement?

Vocabulary Check!

Environment- physical surroundings

Culture- shared beliefs, traits, and values

Ecosystem- an area’s plants and animals together with the nonliving parts of their
environment

Migration- movement of people

Urbanization- an increase in people living and working in cities

What is geography?

-Study of the world, its people, and the interactions between them!

Physical Geography

• The four geographic regions of Texas are: the Coastal Plains, the North Central

Plains, the Great Plains, and the Mountains and Basins.

• Texas regions are unique with distinct physical and human characteristics.

• Both physical and human factors have contributed to settlement, population

distribution, and economic activities in Texas. Adaptation and modification of the

environment has played a large role in the development of Texas.

• Most major cities in Texas began along the numerous rivers found throughout the

state.

The Coastal Plains

–– are in south and southeast Texas with
the Gulf of Mexico and Rio Grande as its
borders

–– consist of plains, hills, and the Balcones
Escarpment

–– have a mild climate with plentiful rainfall

–– contain most of the major cities; all rivers
flow through this region

–– include fishing, tourism, agriculture,
technology, and oil and gas as its major
industries

North Central Plains

–– are in north and central Texas and
border on the Red River and Oklahoma

–– consist of prairies, forests, and plains

–– have hot summers and cold winters;
can experience violent thunderstorms

–– include ranching, agriculture, and oil
and gas as its major industry

The Great Plains

––are in far north and northwest Texas and
border on Oklahoma and New Mexico

–– consist of plains, plateaus, escarpments,
canyons, basins, and aquifers

–– have hot summers and cold winters; can
be very dry and windy with violent
sandstorms

–– include ranching, agriculture, and oil and
gas as its major industries

The Mountains and Basins

– are in west Texas and border the Rio
Grande and New Mexico

–– consist of deserts, mountains, and
basins

–– have hot summers and cold winters
with little rainfall

–– include ranching, agriculture (in Rio
Grande Valley with irrigation), and oil
and gas as its major industries

Aquifer

- a body of permeable rock which can contain or transmit groundwater.

ex:Ogallala(largest underground water source in North America) and Edwards(largest SPrings in Texas)

Basin

- a large low-lying area between elevated
areas such as mountains

Canyon

-deep, steep-walled, V-shaped
valley cut by a river through
resistant rock.

Example: Big Bend →

Plateau

- an area of a highland consisting of flat
terrain, that is raised sharply above the
surrounding area on at least one side

Ex: Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Escarpment

- long, steep slope, especially one at the
edge of a plateau or separating areas of
land at different heights.

Ex: Santa Elena @ Big Bend

Physical Map

CHECK

Regions Map

WORKBOOK ACTIVITY

Turn to pg. 10

Do pages 10-12!

This will be a grade