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

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

Section 2: The Coastal Plains EQ: What are the main industrial and economic activities of 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.

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

Section 3: The North Central Plains EQ: How do the physical features of the North Central Plains affect industry in the region? 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.

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

Section 4: The Great Plains EQ: What are some of the physical features of the High Plains and the Edwards Plateau? 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.

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

Section 5: The Mountains and Basins EQ: What are the physical and human characteristics of the Mountains and Basins region? 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.

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)

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?