1. COASTAL PLAIN

3. HOUSTON

4. DALLAS

5. CORPUS CHRISTI

7. SAN ANTONIO

8. ECONOMY Citrus fruits Timber products Gas, oil, chemical production Farming and ranching Tourism Fishing Mining coal, limestone, gravel

9. CLIMATE SUMMER Summers in the coastal plains is hot and humid. Strong storms can happen, but generally rainfall is sparse. Long periods of drought are common. Temperatures during the day range from 95 to over 100 degrees.

10. WINTER Winters are generally mild. Freezing temperatures are infrequent and seldom last long. Snow and ice storms can occur inland, but seldom near the coast. Long stretches of clear, comfortable days are common.

11. SPRING The coastal plain in known for its spring burst of wildflowers. March 15 is the average day for the last freeze. Nights are cool, but humid. Storms are frequent as the last of the cold fronts mix with warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. Floods and tornados can be dangerous and cause property damage.

12. FALL Summer-like weather continues into September. Hurricane season does not end until November. The average day for the first freeze is generally near Thanksgiving. Days are mild and nights are cool.

13. PLACES TO VISIT SAN ANTONIO The Alamo

14. THE BIG THICKET IN EAST TEXAS

15. The Moody Gardens in Galveston

16. The Bob Bullock Museum in Austin

17. Padre Island National Seashore

18. You can cheer for the Houston Texans NFL team at Reliant Stadium.

19. PHYSICAL FEATURES Piney woods Marshland Barrier islands Rivers, bayous, and lakes Prairies Bays and estuaries Brushland

20. History and Culture of the Coastal Plains The Coastal Plains region is culturally diverse due to the influences of the various nationalities of its early citizens. Certain towns and areas have dominant cultures. Slavery was common in this region until after the Civil War. Nations of Native Americans competed with each other and white settlers for territory.

21. The Caddo Indians built villages in the Piney Woods. They were mostly peaceful. They hunted and grew crops. They were known for their round homes and burial mounds.

22. The Karankaras hunted wild game and fished in the Gulf of Mexico. They were not friendly to the first Spanish explorers. They were wiped out by war and disease.

23. The Alabama-Coushata Indians’ home was in the deep forest area of southeast Texas. They still have their own reservation today.

24. The Tonkawa were hunters and gatherers in Central Texas. They fought the early Texans in Bastrop County. Here they are performing the Wolf Dance.

25. These are immigrants from Czechoslovakia. They settled many communities in Central Texas.

26. German immigrants were farmers and hard workers. They are known for their stone buildings.

27. People from Mexico have made huge contributions to the lives of Texans. They were expert cowboys, or vaqueros. They have introduced their food, language, and music into our daily lives.

28. The Spanish were the first nonnative explorers and settlers in the Coastal Plains. They built churches called missions. They brought horses, cows, language, and Christianity to Texas.

29. Immigrants from Poland established their own communities throughout the region. They brought their food, music, and craftsmanship from their homeland.

30. Interesting Facts About the Coastal Plains The first capital of Texas was located at Washington-on-the-Brazos. The whooping crane winters only on the coast near Aransas Pass. The pine forest near Bastrop at one time supplied lumber to build the young town of Austin. The first oil well in the world was drilled near Beaumont.

31. BIBLIOGRAPHY Texas, Scott Foresman, 2003 Mall.ballparks.com. 5 June 2007. www.mckinneyisd.net/.../Fourth/Texas/txmap.gif www.simonandbaker.com/houston_downtown3.jpg www.texasfreeway.com/Corpus/historic/photos/i... members.virtualtourist.com www.radisson.com/.../TXSANDT/Riverwalk2_450.jpg www.atwitsend.org/Oil%20Refinery%20CA.jpg www.3riversdominica.com/.../3rivers_pond.jpg