1. Land of Contrasts
Natural Resources
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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
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3. 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
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4. 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.
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5. 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.
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6. 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.
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7. 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
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8. 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.
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9. 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.
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