The Four Regions of Texas
Great
Plains
Mountains
and Basins
North
Central
Plains
Coastal
Plains
Coastal Plains
Gulf Coast Plain
Post Oak Belt
Piney Woods
South Texas Plains
Landforms
Plains
Barrier Islands
Balcones Escarpment
Gulf Coast Plain
Plains
South Texas Plains
Barrier
Islands
Balcones Escarpment
•Part of it is in Austin
•Lower elevation on the
eastern side
•Flatter on the eastern side
Natural Vegetation
Pine Forests (East TX)
Savanna
Oak Forests (Post Oak Belt)
Grasslands (Gulf Coast Plains)
Natural Resources
Coastal Plains: 30-55” rain/year
Rivers - Brazos, Colorado, Trinity, San Jacinto,
Neches, Guadalupe, etc…
Flat Land
Grass
Pine Forests
Other
Natural
Resources
Fertile Soil (Blackland
Prairie)
Oil
Natural Gas
Iron and Coal Deposits
Fish
Economic Activities
That use primarily Natural
Resources
Lumber
Tourism
Ports
(Shipping)
Oil
Drilling
and
Refining
Natural Gas
Fishing
Farming: cotton, rice, vegetables, citrus
Ranching
Economic
Activities
Medical
That use other resources
TX Medical Center in Houston
Technical
Education
Government
Cities of the
Coastal
Plains
Houston
Austin
San Antonio
Other Cities…
Texarkana
Corpus Christi
Brownsville
Dallas
Climate
The nearby Gulf of
Mexico provides the
region with a mild
climate.
Winds from the Gulf
pick up moisture and
drop it on the land.
Because of this, the
Coastal Plains generally
receives more rain than
the other three regions.
Elevation affects the climate, too. In
general, temperature cools about 3
degrees for each 1,000 foot rise in
elevation… and vice versa.
Because of the lower elevation, the
Coastal Plains can also be warmer
than areas farther inland, but not
be as affected by cold fronts as
places at a higher elevation