A Land Called Texas Chapter 2

A Land Called Texas Location and Size of Texas The Location and Size of Texas A. Absolute Location of Texas (exact location on a map, using longitude and latitude) 1. Latitude of Southern tip: _____________ Latitude of Northern tip: _____________ 2. Longitude of Easternmost tip: _____________ Longitude of Westernmost tip: _____________ 3. The absolute location of the Texas Governor’s Mansion can be expressed as 1010 Colorado Street in Austin or as 36°16’ N and 97°44’ W. 25° 50’N 36° 30’N 93° 3’W 106° 38’W

A Land Called Texas Location and Size of Texas B. Relative Location: Location described by what it is close to, surrounded by, next to, etc… (Ch. 1, p. 9) 1.Dallas is 225 miles northwest of Houston or 33 miles east of Fort Worth What are some examples of the relative location of Texas? 2. Texas’s southeast side is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico 4. Located in south central part of U.S. 3. Along the border of Mexico

A Land Called Texas Location and Size of Texas C. Size (How big is Texas?) 1. second largest state in the U.S miles tall, 773 miles wide ,277 square miles 4. TX = 7% of the total land area of the U.S.

A Land Called Texas Landforms of Texas Landforms: A.Plains B.Barrier Islands C.Escarpment (formed by earthquakes) D.Plateau E.Canyon F.Mountain Ranges (Highest point: Guadalupe Peak – Elevation : 8,749 feet) Barrier Islands Escarpment Plateau

A Land Called Texas Texas River System Texas Rivers: Rio Grande, Nueces, Frio, San Antonio, Guadalupe, Medina South Red, Canadian North Sabine, Neches, Trinity, San Jacinto, Brazos, Colorado East Pecos West ? ? ? ?

Texas Lakes 200 major lakes. Caddo Lake began as a natural lake. A. Texas lakes developed for reservoirs (artificial lakes) B. Today, Texas lakes used for: irrigation, water supply, manufacturing, recreation, and energy C.

A Land Called Texas Texas Aquifers Texas Aquifers: formations of natural gravel, rock, and sand that trap and hold rainwater underground 1.Edwards Aquifer 2.Ogallala Aquifer 3.Springs occur where aquifers meet the surface.

Barton Springs Located in Zilker Park, not far from UT campus.

Comal Springs Located in Landa Park in New Braunfels, these are the largest springs in Texas and in the Southwest.

Comal River A popular place to go tubing and swimming! Runs directly behind Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels.

Ogallala Aquifer One of the world’s largest aquifers, it lies under 174,000 square miles. It was named in 1899 because of its location near the town Ogallala, Nebraska.

A Land Called Texas Weather & Climate Climate is an area’s pattern of weather over a long period of time. A.Absolute Location and Climate 1.Mild winters: closer to equator 2.Wind Patterns: a.Western winds cross deserts and carry warmer, drier air into Rio Grande Valley area and western Texas. b.Winds that blow in from the north bring cooler temperatures to the Panhandle. Elevation: generally temperature cools about 3° for each 1,000 foot rise in elevation

A Land Called Texas Weather & Climate B. Relative Location and Climate 1.Location near the Gulf of Mexico has a major influence on the climate of the coast of Texas. a.Ocean breezes cool land in the summer and warm it in the winter (Gulf acts as an air conditioner). b.Gulf of Mexico also brings more humidity (the amount of moisture in the air) to the coast moisture in the air. 2.Moisture from the Gulf of Mexico is the source of most of the rain that falls in TX.

A Land Called Texas Weather & Climate C. Drought: long periods without rain , the average rainfall was 14.8 inches 2. Causes damage to crops & livestock E. Floods: excess rain causes rivers to overflow their banks 1. In 2015, there was major flooding in many areas of Texas. 2. Can cause damage to property & loss of lives

A Land Called Texas Climate of Texas E. Severe Weather 1. Tornado Alley 2. Hurricanes: can affect any part of the state. a. The Hurricane of 1900 in Galveston left more than 6,000 people dead. b Hurricane Ike 3. Blizzards 4. Dust Storms

Land of Contrast Natural Resources of Texas A. Agricultural Resources 1. Plenty of rainfall 2. Rich Soil 3. Some Texans make their living from growing crops and raising animals. B. Soil: Valuable resource used for farming.

A Land Called Texas Natural Resources of Texas C. Energy Resources 1.Nonrenewable Resources in Texas: oil, natural gas, coal 2. Renewable Resources in Texas: sun, wind, and trees 3. Other Resources: sand, gravel, granite, copper, salt, & sulphur

Land of Contrast Natural Resources of Texas