The Mountains and Basins Chapter 1, Section 4 Borders North: New Mexico South and West: Rio Grande East: Great Plains Region

The Mountains and Basins Chapter 1, Section 4 Land This region includes scattered mountain ranges and flat desert basins. Major mountain ranges include the Guadalupe, Davis, Chalk, and Glass Mountains. Big Bend National Park is in the Mountains and Basins region. Vegetation Desert: cacti, mesquite, and other desert plants Mountains: some forest growth

Land 150 mountains – Guadalupe Peak highest point in TX. Plateaus Basins Deserts Pecos & Rio Grande Rivers Big Bend National Park Photo courtesy of www.visitbigbend.com

Climate Dry Air (not humid) Less than 8 inches of rain per year – least rainfall of the 4 regions Hot days, cool nights Some short grasses Shrubs Desert plants Some pine forests in mountains

Climate Hot and dry climate. Most of the region gets less than 14 inches of rain per year.

Cactus Cougar Yucca Plant Mule Deer Elk Creosote Bush Black Bear

Natural Landmarks Big Bend National Park Rio Grande through El Paso

Major Economic Activities Ranching- cattle, sheep, goats (need lots of land and must supplement with feed) Farming- cotton, citrus fruits, vegetables, melons (made possible by irrigation) Oil and gas deposits in Permian Basin Tourism – Big Bend and mountains Mining

Natural Landmarks Marsical Canyon Boquillas Canyon Santa Elena Canyon

El Paso Biggest city in the region Sister city with Cuidad Juarez in Mexico across the border. The two cities use maquiladoras, or factories, to provide jobs. Growing city due to NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)

Major Cities El Paso Fort Davis City of El Paso By forsyth7707 on Aug 2009

Closing Based on our discussion today, make a list of ways that people have adapted in order to live in the Mountains and Basins Region.