Texas History
Fort Burrows
Chapter One, Section Four – 1.4
The Four Regions of Texas – READpgs18 – 23
Borders of Texas
•North: Red River & Oklahoma
•East: Sabine River & Arkansas & Louisiana
•South and West: Rio Grande & Mexico
•West: Balcones Fault & New Mexico
•Southeast: Gulf of Mexico / Major mountain ranges of Texas:
•The Guadalupe
•Davis
•Chalk
•Glass Mountains.
Main Idea:
Vocabulary:
Texas’ Borders:- North: Red River and Oklahoma
- South: Rio Grande and Mexico
- West: New Mexico and Mexico
- East: Sabine River and Louisiana
- Southeast: Gulf of Mexico
Main Idea: Geographers divide the State of Texas into Four regions:
↑North Central Plains← ↑ Great Plains
↕Coastal Plains←Mountain & Basins
Vocabulary:
-drought– a long period of time in which rain falls at a much lower rate than normal
-escarpment– a steep cliff
-butte ( BYOOTS )–steep-sided hills
-mesa ( MAY – suhz )– landforms with flat tops ( a result of erosion )
Four Regions of Texas
Texas Climate
- Texas generally has hot summers and mild winters
- Snow may fall in many parts of Texas
- Climate differs greatly across the state
- Rainfall varies greatly across the state
- Even in the wetter areas, Texas has had problems with drought
- Drought is a long period in which rain falls at a much lower rate than usual
The Coastal Plains
Borders
- North: Red River
- South and West: Rio Grande
- West: Balcones Fault
- Southeast: Gulf of Mexico
Land
- Western Edge: nearly 1000 ft above sea level
- Along the Coast: low and marshy land
Vegetation
- Gulf Coast area: Coastal Prairie supports Rice Industryand Eastern Cross Timbers
- East Texas: Pine Forests of the ‘Piney Woods’
- West of the ‘Piney Woods’: Forests of the Post Oak Belt
The North Central Plains
Borders
- North: Red River
- South: Edwards Plateau
- East: The North Central Plains Region
- West: Caprock Escarpment
Land
- Elevation: decreases from west to east
- Much of the region’s land is rolling and hilly
- In the South:
•buttes (steep-sided hills) and mesas (larger; similar landforms with flat tops)
Vegetation
- East: the Grande Prairie
- Central: forests of the Western Cross Timbers
- West: grasslands of the Rolling Plains
- Farming and ranching dominate the North Central Plains
The Great Plains
Borders
- North: Oklahoma
- South: Edwards Plateau
- East: Caprock Escarpment
- West: Edwards Plateau
Land
- Northern High Plains: mostly flat; some canyons
- Southern High Plains: The Llano Estacado is smooth and level
- South: The Edwards Plateau has hilly terrain
Vegetation
- The Great Plains region is dry and has very few trees
- Much of the region is grassland
- Parts of the region are important farming areas
The Mountains and Basins
Borders- North: New Mexico
- South and West: Rio Grande River
- East: Edwards Plateau
- 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
- Desert: cactus, mesquite trees, and other desert plants
- Mountains: some forest growth
El Capitan seen from Guadalupe Peak
Elevation / 8,085 feet (2,464 m)
Range / Guadalupe Mountains
Coordinates / 31°52′38″N, 104°51′27″W
- Which region has rolling and hilly land with many mesas and buttes ?
A. North Central PlainsB. Mountains & Basins
C. Coastal PlainsD. Great Plains
- Which region has low and marshy land and includes the pine forests of the ‘Piney Woods’ ?
A. Coastal Plains B. Great Plains
C. Mountains & BasinsD. North Central Plains
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