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TEXAS.
A giant among states, vast Texas was once a sovereign nation. During 300
years of rule by Spain, it had sprawled like a sleeping giant, its riches
undeveloped and its colonization limited to a few missions, supported by
presidios (military posts). When Mexico became an independent country in
1821, Texas became a Mexican state and new settlers from the United States
were welcomed. The large influx of Anglo-American colonists and African
American slaves led to skirmishes with Mexican troops.
After a successful war of independence against Mexico, the Texans raised
the Lone Star flag over their own republic in 1836. This government was
officially recognized by the United States and by several European
countries. Then in 1845 Texas accepted annexation by the United States and
was admitted to the Union as the 28th state.
Texas is second only to Alaska in area. It covers more territory than the
total area of five Midwestern states--Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin,
and Michigan. There are 254 counties in Texas. Its largest county,
Brewster, is about as big as Connecticut and Rhode Island combined. Its
smallest, Rockwall, is only 147 square miles (381 square kilometers) in
area. For a time Texas had a peak mileage of more than 17,000 miles (27,358
kilometers) of main-track railroad, but the total has been declining ever
since the 1930s.
Cotton, first raised on the Blackland Prairies, has long been the most
important crop of Texas. Much of it is now grown on the Great Plains, an
achievement made possible by the discovery of a sandy, water-laden subsoil
beneath the area's dry surface. On the Rio Grande irrigation has given rise
to a great fruit-growing belt, while along the Nueces River vegetable crops
are harvested in an 11-month growing season. Texas leads the nation in beef
production, an industry that began to flourish in 1866, when cowboys first
drove wild longhorns north to market. Today scientifically bred cattle are
raised on the plains.
"Black gold," or crude oil, was found in Texas in the 19th century, but it
was the discovery of the gigantic east Texas oil field in 1930 that
revolutionized the agrarian state. Although much of the wealth of modern
Texas stems from its widespread petroleum-bearing formations, industry has
become increasingly diversified since the end of World War II.
The name Texas comes from a Caddo Indian word meaning "friends" or
"allies." The Spanish explorers pronounced the word tejas and gave this
name to the area. The nickname Lone Star State comes from the single star
in the Texas flag, which was officially adopted by the Republic of Texas in
1839. The Texas and Hawaii flags are the only state emblems that originally
flew over recognized independent countries.
Survey of the Lone Star State
Texas lies in the south-central region of the United States. Its
southwestern and southern boundary is formed by the Rio Grande. Across the
river are the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leуn, and
Tamaulipas. On the southeast Texas borders on the Gulf of Mexico for 367
miles (591 kilometers). To the east are Louisiana and Arkansas, with the
Sabine River forming the boundary with Louisiana for 180 miles (290
kilometers). To the north is Oklahoma, with the Red River providing the
boundary line for 480 miles (772 kilometers). New Mexico is to the west.
The Lone Star State is both longer and wider than any other state except
Alaska. Its greatest length, from north to south, is 801 miles (1,289
kilometers)--a figure that includes the Panhandle, which extends north of
the upper Red River for about 133 miles (214 kilometers). The state's
greatest width is 773 miles (1,244 kilometers). Both of the overall
distances are greater than the airline mileage between New York City and
Chicago. The area of the state is 266,807 square miles (691,027 square
kilometers), including 4,790 square miles (12,406 square kilometers) of
inland water surface.
Natural Regions
Texas has a wide variety in its geology, minerals, soils, vegetation, and
wildlife. Its elevation ranges from sea level along the coast of the Gulf
of Mexico to 8,751 feet (2,667 meters) at Guadalup
The Gulf Coastal Plain covers southern and eastern Texas and includes
about 40 percent of the state's area. Along the coast are many long barrier
beaches, such as Padre Island, separated from the mainland by lagoons.
Galveston is the largest of the bays. The plain extends 150 to 250 miles
(240 to 400 kilometers) inland to a series of hills that sweep across Texas
from Denison on the Red River to Del Rio on the Rio Grande. The western
part of this line (between Austin and Del Rio) is called the Balcones
Escarpment.
The Gulf Coastal Plain may be divided into five distinct sections. They
are: the Rio Grande plain, in the south; the coastal prairies, from the San
Antonio River to the Sabine River; the Pine Belt, or Piney Woods, from the
Louisiana line westward about 100 miles (160 kilometers); the Post Oak
Belt, west of the Pine Belt; and the Blackland Prairies, along the western
edge of the Gulf Coastal Plain from the Red River to a point near San
Antonio.
e Peak in Culberson County. Within the state are four large natural
regions.
The Central Lowland covers the eastern edge of the Panhandle and the north-
central part of the state. It extends southward to include Fort Worth,
Abilene, and Colorado City. The eastern part of this region includes the
Grand, or Fort Worth, Prairie, sandwiched between the East and West Cross
Timbers belts. The remainder of the Central Lowland consists of rolling
plains.
The Great Plains extend over most of the Panhandle and west-central and
central Texas. This vast tableland ranges in elevation from 2,500 to 4,700
feet (760 to 1,430 meters). In the Panhandle are the High Plains, or Llano
Estacado (Staked Plain), a dry, flat, treeless area. To the east the
central Texas section extends almost as far as Waco and Austin. The
southeastern extension of the Great Plains is the Edwards Plateau. Across
the lower Pecos River the plain continues westward as the Stockton Plateau.
This section is sometimes called the Trans-Pecos.
The Basin and Range Region covers the extreme western part of the state. It
has a series of rugged mountain ranges and dry, sandy basins. In Hudspeth
County is the Diablo Plateau, or Bolston, between the Guadalupe and Hueco
mountains. In a southward loop of the Rio Grande is a rugged area that
includes Big Bend National Park. The Chisos Mountains lie within the park.
Thousands of acres in the upper Rio Grande valley near El Paso are
irrigated from Elephant Butte Reservoir in New Mexico.
Most of the rivers of Texas flow in a southeasterly direction into the Gulf
of Mexico. From the state's eastern border to its western border, the
largest of these rivers are the Sabine, Neches, Trinity, Brazos, Colorado
(of Texas), Guadalupe, San Antonio, Nueces, and Rio Grande with its chief
branch, the Pecos. The northern edge of the state lies in the Mississippi
River basin. Within this section are the Canadian River, which flows across
the Panhandle, and the Red River, on the Texas-Oklahoma border.
Climate
Texas has three main types of climate. A narrow strip along the coast has a
marine climate tempered by winds from the Gulf of Mexico. Here temperatures
are fairly uniform, with pleasant summers and mild winters. The Gulf coast
area, from Brownsville northward, can experience severe ocean-borne storms,
including destructive hurricanes. The mountain climate of western Texas
brings dry, clear days with dramatic dips in temperature at nightfall. The
rest of the state has a continental climate with cold winters and hot
summers. Quick temperature changes are common in this area. The warmest
part of the state is the lower Rio Grande valley, which has an average
annual temperature of 74° F (23° C). The coldest is the northwest
Panhandle, with a 54° F (12° C) average.
Average annual precipitation (rain and melted snow) varies from 58 inches
(147 centimeters) in the extreme eastern part of the state to less than 10
inches (25 centimeters) near El Paso. In most parts of the state, the
greatest amount of rainfall occurs between April and July and is especially
heavy during May. Snowfall is generally limited to the northern plains
area, where it averages about 15 inches (38 centimeters) annually.
Natural Resources
Texas has a rich supply of natural resources. The eastern part of the state
is a productive farming region with fertile soil and ample rainfall. Where
western Texas can be irrigated, it has huge grazing areas and valuable
cropland. Almost 10 percent of the state is forested. The largest amount of
timber is in eastern Texas, where the forest area extends over 43 counties.
The chief commercial trees are several varieties of pine and oak, elm,
hickory, magnolia, sweet gum, black gum, and tupelo.
The mineral resources, led by petroleum, are the most valuable in the
nation. The major commercial advantages of the state are its excellent
ports for trade with Central and South America. The Gulf coast yields
valuable catches of shrimp.
The chief conservation problem is the maintenance of an adequate water
supply, particularly in western Texas and in the large urban and industrial
centers. Since 1930 many dams have been built to provide flood control,
power, and irrigation. Today about one fourth of the reservoirs they formed
have a storage capacity of more than 100,000 acre-feet each. The largest is
Toledo Bend, on the Sabine River. Next in size are Amistad, on the Rio
Grande, and Sam Rayburn, on the Angelina. Other large projects include Lake
Texoma, formed by Denison Dam, on the Red River and Falcon Reservoir, on
the Rio Grande. Amistad and Falcon benefit both the United States and
Mexico.
The Texas Water Commission administers water rights and control. There are
