1. Regions of Texas UNIT 1

2. What is a Region?  An area of the world that has similar, unifying characteristics.

3.  Physical Characteristics of places include landforms and soils, bodies and sources of water, vegetation, climate, weather patterns, and animal life  Human Characteristics of places include the language, religion, political systems, economic systems, population distribution, ethnicity, age, and standards of living

4. Texas Is Divided Into Four Major Regions  Mountains and Basins  Great Plains  Central Plains  Coastal Plains

5. Mountains and Basins Physical Characteristics  Rivers  Deserts

6. Mountains and Basins Landscape  Scattered mountain ranges  Flat desert basins  Mostly desert

7. Mountains and Basins Region Climate  Dry & Arid  Hot dry summers  Cold winters  Little moisture (Rain)  Hot days, cold nights

8. Mountains and Basins Jobs = Industries Human Characteristics  Industries – Ranching  Big Bend National Park  Dams

9. Mountains and Basins Major Cities  El Paso, TX.

10. Great Plains Physical Characteristics  Canyons  Escarpments  Plains  Aquifers  Plateaus

11. Great Plains Climate  Dry  Hot Summers  Very Cold Winters

12. Great Plains Major Cities ODESSAMIDLAND

13. Great Plains Major Cities Cont…. LubbockAmarillo

14. Great Plains  Irrigation  Industries – ranching & agriculture  Wind Farms  Dams – Amistad  Oil/Gas & Ranching Human Characteristics

15. Texas Landscape Keep In Mind: As we go from West to East (Mountains and Basins to Gulf Coast Plains) Elevation Decreases

16. What does that mean?

17. It means that as you get closer to the Gulf of Mexico (Sea Level), the land gets flatter. (No Mountains and less Hills)

18. North Central Plains

19. Landscape  Rolling Prairies/Grasslands  Few Rivers  Hilly  Hardwood Forests Physical Characteristics

20. North Central Plains Climate Similar to the Great Plains  Hot Short Summers  Cool to Cold Winters  More Moisture (Rain)

21. North Central Plains (Major Cities) Fort WorthArlington

22. North Central Plains  Agriculture (Farming/Ranching)  Manufacturing  Energy Production (Petroleum/Wind Power) Human Characteristics

23. Coastal Plains Region

24. WHY? WHY DOES THIS REGION OF TEXAS SEEM TO HAVE MORE OF A VARIETY OF TREES AND PLANTS THAN THE REST OF THE STATE?

25. GULF OF MEXICO The Gulf’s winds and moisture bring in most of the states rain. As it reaches the higher elevations of the state (West), the clouds and moisture start to evaporate.

26. Coastal Plains Landscape Varies  Plains  Hills  Pine Forests  Desert  Flat grasslands  Swamps-Marshes  Elevation Varies (1,000ft – Sea Level) Physical Characteristics

27. Coastal Plains Landscape  All the rivers flow thru this region  Wrong way rivers that take water from the dries part of the state to the wettest part of the state Physical Characteristics

28. Landforms Barrier Islands Plains Barrier Islands Balcones Escarpment Plains Gulf Coast Plain South Texas Plains

29. Texas Escarpments  An escarpment is a transition between different geographic regions. -Usually a steep elevation increase, like a cliff or steep slope.

30.  Balcones Escarpment is a geologic fault zone several miles wide between the Coastal and Great Plains  Part of it is in Austin  Lower elevation on the eastern side  Flatter on the eastern side

31. Coastal Plains Climate  Mild  Hot – Humid Summers  Mild Winters  Greater Moisture

32. Coastal Plains Major Cities Dallas Houston

33. Coastal Plains Major Cities Austin San Antonio

34. Coastal Plains  Highway Systems  Location of major cities  Industries – timber, agriculture, oil & gas, technology, education  Dams  Fishing, tourism, intra- coastal waterway Human Characteristics