Chapter 2 Section 3 (Texans and Geography) and 4 (Natural Resources of Texas)

Who Texans Are Texas is mostly populated by people who moved from other lands. Immigration is the movement of people from one country to another Texans have many backgrounds, ethnicities, and races which contributes to the state’s cultural diversity

Who Texans Are First people were the Native Americans who moved into the area thousands of years ago Europeans began arriving in late 1400s and brought diseases and warfare, greatly diminishing the Native American population

Who Texans Are The first European immigrants were from Spain. They settled in Mexico and moved north into Texas, bringing the Spanish language and Catholic faith. Mexican immigrants are the largest group of immigrants to Texas even now, making up about 30% of the Texas population

Who Texans Are Other European immigrants come from Germany, Czechoslovakia, France, Ireland, and many other countries and greatly influenced Texas foods, place names, music and more Many African Americans were brought to Texas as slaves during the 1800s. They have influenced music, religious practices, etc.

Who Texans Are There has been an influx of Asian Americans to Texas. They brought with them foods and traditions. They also brought different religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam.

Where Texans have Settled Many regions of Texas have been settled by people with similar ethnic backgrounds People from Mexico – Rio Grande Valley and South Texas Early settlers from southern US settled in East Texas Large groups of German and Czech immigrants settled in Central Texas

The Growing Population of Texas Demography – branch of geography that studies human populations Growth Rate – speed of growth Birthrate – number of births per 1000 people Death rate – number of deaths per 1000 people

The Growing Population of Texas Texas birthrate is higher than the death rate causing a higher growth rate Immigration and migration also cause the Texas growth rate to increase As Texans live longer and more are born, the age distribution (portion of the population at each age) of the state changes

Agricultural Resources The climate, soil, and water resources allow Texans to make their living from agriculture Agriculture is the growing of crops and raising of animals East Texas – fruits, nuts, corn, tomatoes, watermelon, and a large timber industry Gulf Coast – rice and vegetables

Agricultural Resources South Texas – alfalfa, citrus fruits, cotton, melons Panhandle – wheat and cotton Livestock of Texas include cattle, chickens, horses, pigs, sheep, turkeys, and goats Most of the livestock ranges are in the praires/plains where the native grasses grow freely

Agricultural Resources Cattle ranching is an important part of Texas and its culture Ranchers in rocky areas raise goats for mohair, used to make clothing.

Energy Resources Oil is a large part of Texas economy Coal, natural gas, and oil are nonrenewable resources (cannot be replaced by Earth’s natural processes) Renewable resources (can be easily replaced by Earth’s natural processes) include sunshine, trees, and wind