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Texas Regions Study Guide
A natural region is a large area whose parts have something in common such as natural
resources or landforms.
The Central Plains
The Central Plains Region has 3 geographic sections or areas. They are:
1. Grand Prairie
2. Rolling Plains
3. Cross Timbers
Compare and Contrast the Grand Prairie and Rolling Plains
The Central Plains Region has 2 major cities. They are:
1. Fort Worth
2. Abilene
Dinosaur Valley State Park is a tourist attraction in the Central Plains area. How
were the dinosaur tracks found here formed?
Dried mud covered the tracks millions of years ago. In more recent times, the
Paluxy River started flowing over the covered tracks and started to uncover the
dinosaur footprints.
Early in its history, Fort Worth was the stopping point for
long cattle drives
Today Fort Worth is home to many museums and several universities.
It also has many thriving industries such as meatpacking and aircraft building.
Abilene is known today for its rich oil and gas fields.
The Great Plains
The Great Plains Region has 3 geographic sections or areas. They are:
1. High Plains
2. Edwards Plateau
3. Llano Basin
Some of the major cities in the Great Plains Region are:
1. Amarillo
2. Lubbock
3. The sister cities of Midland and Odessa.
Helium is a natural gas that is lighter than air. It is found in the area around this
major city: Amarillo.
The word Amarillo means yellow in Spanish.
Lubbock is known as “the Hub of the Plains”. This city grew quickly after the
Santa Fe railroad built a line through it in 1909.
The Texas Hill Country is located in the hilly area of the Edwards Plateau area of
the Great Plains Region. Most of the world’s mohair comes from this area.
Mohair is the hair of angora goat.
The Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon in the world. It was created
millions of years ago when a river cut a path through the Caprock Escarpment.
Compare and Contrast the Great Plains and the Central Plains.
The Mountains and Basins Region
The Mountains and Basins region only has 1 geographic section or area. It is the:
1. Mountains and Basins
The Mountains and Basins Region also has only 1 major city. The major city is:
1. El Paso
What is a time zone?
A time zone is an area in which all of the clocks are set to the same time.
Why is El Paso located in a different time zone than the rest of the state of Texas?
El Paso is in a different time zone because it is so far away from other major cities
in Texas.
This region is not good for farmers and ranchers because the dry, rocky soil makes
it hard for people to farm or ranch.
The highest mountain in Texas is Guadalupe Peak.
This popular tourist spot near El Paso is known for the hollow rocks that hold
rainwater. Hueco Tanks State Park
El Capitan is a natural landmark in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Early
settlers used this mountain as a landmark to help them find there way through
the Guadalupe Pass.
What are some of the reasons that tourists might choose to visit the Mountains
and Basins Region?
Tourists might want to visit this region because there are many things to see.
There are beautiful mountains, national parks, and the McDonald Observatory,
for example.
The Coastal Plains Region
The Coastal Plains Region has 5 geographic sections or areas. They are:
1. Piney Woods
2. Gulf Coast Plain
3. South Texas Plain
4. Post Oak Belt
5. Blackland Prairie
Some of the major cities in the Coastal Plains Region are:
1. Houston
2. San Antonio
3. Dallas
4. Austin
The Coastal Plains Region borders this major body of water:
Gulf of Mexico
Why is fishing an important industry in the Gulf Coast Plain area?
The Gulf Coast area borders the Gulf of Mexico. Most of the major rivers in Texas
empty into the Gulf of Mexico in this area. There are many different kinds of fish
in the gulf that people can catch to eat or sell.
Padre Island is a natural landmark in the Coastal Plains region.
What kind of island is Padre Island and how does it protect the mainland?
Padre Island is a barrier island. Its protects the mainland by preventing major
storms and hurricanes from hitting the mainland full force.
Many people in the Piney Woods area work in the lumber industry.
Many farmers who live in the South Texas Plains area get water for irrigating their
crops from the Rio Grande River.
This area of the Coastal plains gets its name from the rich, dark soil found here:
Blackland Prairie.
Houston became a major center for trade with foreign countries because it has a
large port on the Gulf of Mexico where ships can load and unload goods.