What Is a Natural Region? ? ? ? ?

Natural Region: A large area whose parts have something in common, such as natural resources or landforms.

The Four Natural Regions of Texas  The Central Plains  The Great Plains  The Mountains & Basins  The Coastal Plains

The Four Natural Regions of Texas

The Central Plains Region  It has three landform areas: the Grand Prairie, the Cross Timbers, and the Rolling Plains.  Fort Worth and Abilene are the major cities in this region.  Fort Worth, nicknamed “cowtown,” is known for meatpacking and aircraft building.  Abilene is well known for its rich oil and gas fields. The Central Plains

Agriculture & Natural Resources  Cattle, goats, & sheep  Cotton, oats, pecans, peaches, hay, wheat, corn, peanuts, & grain sorghum  Cedar trees, limestone, rich soil, oil & natural gas Climate  Cold winters  Hot summers  inches of rain per year  Violent storms  Tornadoes

The Central Plains Landforms  The Grand Prairie is a grassy land.  The Cross Timbers are two strips of forest that cross the prairies.  The Rolling Plains has rocky soil better suited for ranching rather than farming. More Facts  Animals: Armadillo, golden cheeked warbler, roadrunner, Mexican free-tailed bat, & mockingbird  Dinosaur Valley State Park – This park preserves dinosaur tracks.  Part of “tornado alley”

The Great Plains Region  This region has three landform areas: the High Plains, the Edwards Plateau, and the Llano Basin  Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland, and Odessa are the major cities in this region  Amarillo is a center for the cattle, agriculture, health care, and natural gas industries.  Lubbock, “the hub of the plains,” is home to Texas Tech University.  Midland and Odessa, “sister cities,” have large oil and gas industries. The Great Plains

Agriculture & Natural Resources  Cattle  Cotton, wheat, corn, & hay  Mesquite trees, Pecan trees, rich soil, and Helium Climate  Windy  Dry  Very cold winters  Very hot summers  Coldest region in Texas  inches rainfall per year  Violent sand, snow, rain, & dust storms

The Great Plains Landforms  The High Plains, located mainly in the Panhandle is known for petroleum, natural gas, and rich soils.  The Edwards Plateau area is an area that is high and level. It also has areas of hills. It is also called, “Texas Hill Country.”  The Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon in the United States.  The Caprock Escarpment is a line of steep slopes or cliffs that separate the Great Plains and Central Plains of Texas. More Facts  Animals: turkey, deer, pronghorn, & prairie dog  People use the land for grazing cattle, growing cotton & growing wheat  Palo Duro Canyon is a major natural landmark in the region.  Mohair is the hair of angora goats that is used when spinning fine yarn. Almost half the world’s mohair comes from counties in this region.

The Mountains and Basins Region  This is in West Texas.  El Paso is the only major city in this region.  El Paso is so far from the other major cities in Texas that it is in a different time zone.  El Paso is located on the border, or boundary line, that Texas shares with Mexico. Mountains & Basins

The Mountains and Basins Agriculture & Natural Resources  Plants – short grasses, shrubs, desert plants, and Pine forests  Cotton, wheat, hay, fruits, and vegetables  Cattle, dairy, hogs, goats, and sheep Climate  Driest part of the state  Hot Days  Cold nights  inches of rainfall per year

The Mountains and Basins Landforms  Guadalupe Peak is the highest point in Texas.  The basins of Texas make up part of the Chihuahuan Desert, a natural area Texas shares with Mexico.  El Capitan is a mountain in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, it is a natural landmark in this region More Facts  Animals: mountain lion, bighorn sheep, horned toad, coyote, rattlesnake, roadrunner, and quail  There are 150 mountains in the mountain ranges  Pecos and Rio Grande Rivers are in this region.  There are many cattle ranches in this region.  A desert is a dry area that receives fewer than 10 inches of rain per year.

The Coastal Plains  This is the largest region in Texas.  Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and Austin are the major cities in this region.  This region has five areas: The Piney Woods, the Gulf Coast Plain, the South Texas Plain, the Post Oak Belt, and the Blackland Prairie. The Coastal Plains

Agriculture & Natural Resources  Dairy, cattle, hogs, poultry, and sheep  Fish, Pine and hardwood trees, shrimp, oil, and natural gas  Cotton, corn, grain sorghum, peanuts, roses, fruit, hay, wheat, vegetables, and rice Climate  Hot Summers  Cold winters in the northern part of the region  inches rainfall per year  Tornadoes  Hurricanes

The Coastal Plains Landforms  Gulf of Mexico  Piney Woods  Brazos River  Colorado River  Rio Grande  plains More Facts  Animals: Squirrel, deer, javelina, crane, armadillo, Bob white, wood duck, barred owl, quail, alligator, and the Mexican free-tailed bat  This region has the largest population.  King Ranch, which is the largest cattle ranch in Texas is in this region.