1. Section 1: A Regional Crossroads
Main Ideas
Texas is considered the crossroads of natural regions.
There are four main natural regions found in Texas.
Question: What natural regions can be found in Texas?

2. 2.
North Central Plains 1.
Great Plains 1 2 4 3 3.
Coastal Plains 4.
Mountains and Basins

3. Section 2: The Coastal Plains
Main Ideas
The five subregions of the Coastal Plains have varied landscapes and economies.
Texans in the Coastal Plains have both changed and adapted to their environment.
Question: What are the main industrial and economic activities of the Coastal Plains?

4. MAIN INDUSTRIAL AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
SUBREGION
MAIN INDUSTRIAL AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
Piney Woods
Gulf Coast Plain
South Texas Plains
Post Oak
Belt
Blackland Prairie
timber, farming (fruits, vegetables), cattle ranching, oil
farming (rice, cotton, grains), livestock, fishing, shrimping, center of oil industry, petrochemicals, ports and shipping
farming (Rio Grande valley: fruit, vegetables, sugar- cane); ranching; retail and international trade; tourism; military bases (San Antonio)
farming (cotton, corn, sorghum, cattle, hogs); mining (oil, gas, lignite); manufacturing
farming (cotton, grains, vegetables, cattle, chickens, hogs); Dallas/Metroplex: banking, insurance, and oil corporate headquarters, international cotton market, manufacturing, transportation hub

5. Section 3: The North Central Plains
Main Ideas
The Grand Prairie, Cross Timbers, and the Rolling Plains are the subregions found in the North Central Plains.
The physical features of the North Central Plains affect industry in the region.
Question: How do the physical features of the North Central Plains affect industry in the region?

6. GRAND PRAIRIE CROSS TIMBERS ROLLING PLAINS
well suited for cattle, other livestock; Fort Worth is a large meat-processing center
flat and rolling hills; grasslands
GRAND PRAIRIE
wet and mild climate; thin soil
limits crops that can be grown to mainly crops for animal feed; cotton in some areas
absorbs water well—very good for farming; many crops grown from peanuts to corn, cotton, hay
CROSS TIMBERS
sandy soil
well suited for cattle (valleys— shelter; grasslands and rivers—food and water); contains may of the state’s largest ranches
grasslands; hilly terrain; steep valleys; rivers
ROLLING PLAINS

7. Section 4: The Great Plains
Main Ideas
The Great Plains region is divided into the High Plains and the Edwards Plateau subregions.
Texans have modified the region’s environment to build and support its ranching and oil industries.
Question: What are some of the physical features of the High Plains and the Edwards Plateau?

8. HIGH PLAINS Physical Features EDWARDS PLATEAU Physical Features
high flat, Caprock prairie with elevation rising to east; escarpments on eastern, western edges; Red River forms Palo Duro Canyon; little rainfall; oil and gas
EDWARDS PLATEAU
Physical Features
high, hilly limestone plateau rising and getting more rugged to west; Balcones Escarpment and Fault, many springs on southern edge; many areas rocky with thin soil; prairie grasses; trees; rivers, streams form deep valleys and canyons

9. Section 5: The Mountains and Basins
Main Ideas
The Mountains and Basins region is characterized by its dramatic landscape and dry desert climate.
The natural features of this region affect human activity there.
Question: What are the physical and human characteristics of the Mountains and Basins region?

10. Population/ Main Cities
MOUNTAINS AND BASINS
Physical Features
Economic Activities
Population/ Main Cities
mountains, plateaus,
basins, canyons;
desert climate with
little rainfall; dry
rocky soil; limited
plant life (desert grasses, shrubs,
cacti)
ranching; some farming with irrigation; oil, sulfur, silver; tourism; El Paso
(military bases, Mexican trade, I-10 trade route)
population:
small, concentrated
in a few small towns
main city:
El Paso (one of the
largest Texas cities)

11. In what ways have Texans adapted to the environment?
Chapter Wrap-Up
Identify some of the consequences of Texans’ modifications of the environment.
Explain ways in which geographic factors have affected the economic development of Texas.
In what ways have Texans adapted to the environment?