Land of Contrasts Natural Resources 1.2

Viewing Texas page 32 Plain - landform that is generally level. Barrier Island - thin strip of land covered with sand dunes. Escarpment - long cliff Fault - weak part of the earth’s crust. Plateau - tableland 1.2

Texas’s Water Resources page 33 Major water source is the Gulf of Mexico. Bays along coast serve as nurseries for sea life and birds. Rivers 1.2

Rivers of Texas page 33 Rio Grande Red River Sabine River Neches River Trinity River Brazos River Texas Rivers are called “wrong-way” because they carry water from the dry part of the state to the part with plenty of water. 1.2

Texas Lakes Have Many Uses page 34 All but one lake was formed when rivers were dammed: the Caddo Lake. Texas ranks 3rd, behind Alaska and Minnesota, in surface area of its inland waters. Lakes are mainly used for irrigation. 1.2

Aquifers Used for Irrigation page 34 Aquifer – underground water reservoirs. Spring – when aquifers meet the surface. Two major aquifers in Texas: Edwards Aquifer gets water from rain on the Hill Country. It surfaces in Austin. Ogallala Aquifer is pumped to the surface for irrigation. 1.2

Soil Is a Valuable Resource page 35 Farming Ranching: cattle, sheep, and goats. Farming and ranching provide about $40 billion in income yearly for Texans. Main crops in Texas: Cotton Watermelons Spinach Wheat Rice Corn Soybeans Peanuts vegetables 1.2

Three Vegetation Regions page 35 3 types of natural vegetation: Forests - timber Savannas – grassland with scattered trees and drought-resistant undergrowth. Grasslands – area where natural vegetation is grass. 1.2

Texas Leads in Energy Production page 36 Main Minerals: Petroleum Natural gas Coal Sand Gravel Limestone Granite Salt Clay ¼ of all the energy produced in the entire United States has been produced in Texas. 1.2