The Lone Star State is huge; it is the second-largest U.S. state by both area and population. Its expansiveness has so much to offer in the way of history, culture, housing, and natural beauty.
It’s often divided into four physical regions that boast different natural landscapes: the Gulf Coastal Plains, the Interior Lowlands or North Central Plains, the Great Plains, and the Basin and Range Province.
The Gulf Coastal Plains
The Gulf Coastal Plains makes up about one-third of the state, home to more people than in any other part of Texas. About two out of three Texans live here. Consider this when checking out houses for rent in Austin TX, as this area is rich in both natural resources and economic opportunity.
The area stretches east and south from the Balcones Escarpment to the Gulf of Mexico, and is a combination of completely flat land to rolling hills.
This area is ideal for farming and ranching, given its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico.
Major cities include Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, Corpus Christi, and Galveston, which are centers for manufacturing and trade, as well as banking, tourism, and education.
It’s an area of many natural resources. Pine forests produce ample lumber and rich soil helps grow cotton, rice, and vegetables.
The North Central Plains
This area is also popular for farming, and is mostly rural. Peanuts, fruits, and vegetables are popular crops.
There is a small population here, with the largest city being Fort Worth. The city actually began as a marketing center for cattle raised in the region. Today it’s a manufacturing center for airplanes, computers, and clothing.
Other notable living areas are Abilene and San Angelo, which are marketing centers for ranch products like wool and mohair.
Fort Hood, one of the nation’s largest military installations, is also here.
The Great Plains
This area runs along the east side of the Rocky Mountains through Texas into Mexico, a dry area where there are often droughts.
Images of what’s popularly known as the “Old West” best fit here: dry, sprawling lands with isolated farms.
Del Rio, located along the Rio Grande, is one of the biggest living areas here, with Kerrville and Fredericksburg as part of the Hill Country. This is where the home of former president Lyndon B. Johnson sits, best known as the LBJ Ranch.
A popular attraction is Longhorn Cavern State Park, where gunpowder was made and stored during the Civil War; it was also a place for dancing and drinking during the days of prohibition.
The Basin and Range Province
This area is part of the Rocky Mountain system, and is the driest of all the regions getting a mere 7 inches of rainfall yearly.
The natural vegetation here is what you’d expect of a stereotypical desert scene: cacti, yucca, and creosote bush. There are many canyons and plateaus dotted with saucer-shaped depressions called basins.
Few people live here, but nearly two-thirds of them reside in El Paso. Farming is done along the Rio Grande and cotton is the main crop.