TEXAS GEOGRAPHY Texas is a big place can you handle it?

In your composition book write the following Rivers These are the requirements on your map of Texas (the cover of your foldable) Rio Grande River Canadian River Colorado River Pecos River Brazos River Sabine River Red River Guadalupe River Nueces river Trinity River Prairie Dog Town River San Antonio River

In your composition book, write the following landforms These are the requirements on your map of Texas for landforms High Plains (Great Plains) North (Central) Plains Mountains & Basins Edwards Plateau Grand Prairie Post Oak Belt Gulf Coastal Plains West Texas Mountains

In your composition book, write the following landforms Cities These are the cities that are expected to be on your map of Texas San Antonio Galveston Houston Amarillo El Paso Dallas Fort Worth Austin

Why Geography? Geography prepares us for modern life People, businesses, governments depend on geography everyday to meet their needs Computer software such as GIS and GPS use geography to help people

Sizing Up Texas Second largest US State The area of Texas is 267,277 square miles Some parts of Texas are closer to the capitals of other states than to Austin.

Sizing Up Texas Texas is the combined size of: New York Pennsylvania Ohio Illinois Connecticut Rhode Island Massachusetts Vermont New Hampshire New Jersey Maine

Sizing Up Texas El Paso, Texas is closer to the Pacific Ocean than to Houston. Some students in Texas live 4 hrs from the nearest school How could these geographic facts affect Texas?

6 Geographical Questions Location Place Regions Human-Environment Interaction Human Systems Physical Systems

Location – Where is it? Absolute Location – The exact location of a place on the earth’s surface Relative Location – The location of a place in relation to other places The Absolute location and Relative location of Texas affect it in many ways – How has Texas’ relative location to Mexico affected it?

Using Latitude and Longitude The Absolute Location of a place is given using latitude and longitude coordinates Coordinates are written using a numerical measurement and a directional label. Latitude is given first followed by longitude (31° N, 97° W) is the approximate location of Belton on the earth’s surface

Place – What is it like? Place refers to the physical and human characteristics of a location Physical Characteristics include: Landforms, Climate, plants, animals Human Characteristics include: Language, Religion, Architecture, Music, Politics, ways of life

Physical Characteristics

Human Characteristics

Regions – How does it compare to other places? Geographers divide areas into regions in order to better study them. Regions are places that are united based on common characteristics Regions can be based on physical, human, business and other characteristics

4 Natural Regions of Texas land area that shares similar elevation, precipitation, climate, soil, and vegetation

Natural Regions of Texas

Human-Environment Interaction How do humans react to their environment and how does it affect them? Ex: Pollution Deforestation Hurricanes/Tornadoes Farming Damming Rivers to make lakes

Human Systems Movement - How people move through the environment Cultural Diffusion - new ideas brought by migrating people become widely accepted. People bring ideas and goods with them when they move from one place to another.

Movement in Texas

Vocabulary-Wow, there are so many words! absolute location exact position of a place using latitude and longitude relative location location of a place in relation to another place What is the absolute location of Houston? What is the relative location of Texas to Mexico? Houston Skyline

Precipitation Drip, drip, drip… How much rain does our area receive each year? What part of Texas receives the most rain? What part receives the least amount of rain?

Texas Aquifers Ogallala Aquifer Rain slowly fills these giant underground lakes. The aquifer then supplies water for drinking and irrigation. Edwards Aquifer Ogallala Aquifer

Reservoirs-man-made lakes Which one of these is not a reservoir? Lake Houston Lake Livingston Caddo Lake Ahhhhhhhh!

Elevation-height of the land What is your elevation? How tall are you? West Texas is a tall place with Guadalupe Peak reaching 8, 749 feet. The Humble area is about 90 feet above sea level.

Texas mountains that take a prize! El Capitan-2nd tallest (above) Guadalupe Peak-tallest (right)

Escarpment-steep cliff Caprock-in Texas Panhandle Balcones-in central Texas

Other Important Terms Which one is which? savanna barrier island plateau

Most Important Mineral Resources NATURAL GAS PETROLEUM-GAS

Petrochemical Industry To turn the oil and gas into something useful, you must refine it at a petrochemical plant. The area around Pasadena and Deer Park has many of these refineries. Ever heard of Stinkadena? TEXACO TEXACO TEXACO

AGRIBUSINESS Agribusiness combines farming, ranching and related businesses. It is an important part of the Texas economy. Cotton is the number one cash crop for our state.

TEJANO Texas has a very rich cultural history. Caliente! Texas has a very rich cultural history. Much of the Texas culture is tied to Mexico such as food, architecture, and language. A Tejano is a person of Mexican heritage who calls Texas home. Yummy! Hola!