A Land Called TexasChapter 2

A Land Called TexasLocation and Size of Texas

The Location and Size of Texas

A. Absolute Location of Texas (exact location on a map, using longitude and latitude)

1. Latitude of Southern tip: _____________ Latitude of Northern tip: _____________

2. Longitude of Easternmost tip: _____________ Longitude of Westernmost tip: _____________

3. The absolute location of the Texas Governor’s Mansion can be expressed as 1010 Colorado Street in Austin or as 36°16’ N and 97°44’ W.

25° 50’N

36° 30’N

93° 3’W

106° 38’W

A Land Called TexasLocation and Size of Texas

B. Relative Location: Location described by what it is close to, surrounded by, next to, etc… (Ch. 1, p. 9)

1. Dallas is 225 miles northwest of Houston or 33 miles east of Fort Worth

What are some examples of the relative location of Texas?

2. Texas’s southeast side is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico

4. Located in south central part of U.S.

3. Along the border of Mexico

A Land Called TexasLocation and Size of Texas

C. Size (How big is Texas?) 1. second largest state in the U.S.2. 801 miles tall, 773 miles wide3. 267,277 square miles4. TX = 7% of the total land area of the U.S.

A Land Called TexasLandforms of Texas

Landforms: A. PlainsB. Barrier IslandsC. Escarpment (formed by earthquakes)D. PlateauE. CanyonF. Mountain Ranges (Highest point: Guadalupe

Peak – Elevation : 8,749 feet)

Barrier Islands

Escarpment

Plateau

A Land Called TexasTexas River System

Texas Rivers:

•Rio Grande, Nueces, Frio, San Antonio, Guadalupe, MedinaSouth

•Red, CanadianNorth

•Sabine, Neches, Trinity, San Jacinto, Brazos, ColoradoEast

•PecosWest

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Texas Lakes

•200 major lakes.•Caddo Lake began as a natural lake.A.•Texas lakes developed for reservoirs (artificial lakes)B.

•Today, Texas lakes used for: irrigation, water supply, manufacturing, recreation, and energyC.

A Land Called TexasTexas Aquifers

Texas Aquifers: formations of natural gravel, rock, and sand that trap and hold rainwater underground

1. Edwards Aquifer2. Ogallala Aquifer3. Springs occur where aquifers meet the surface.

Barton Springs

Located in Zilker Park, not far from UT campus.

Comal Springs

Located in Landa Park in New Braunfels, these are the largest springs in Texas and in the Southwest.

Comal River

A popular place to go tubing and swimming!

Runs directly behind Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels.

Ogallala Aquifer

One of the world’s largest aquifers, it lies under 174,000 square miles. It was named in 1899 because of its location near the town Ogallala, Nebraska.

A Land Called TexasWeather & Climate

Climate is an area’s pattern of weather over a long period of time.

A. Absolute Location and Climate

1. Mild winters: closer to equator

2. Wind Patterns:a. Western winds cross deserts and carry

warmer, drier air into Rio Grande Valley area and western Texas.

b. Winds that blow in from the north bring cooler temperatures to the Panhandle.

Elevation: generally temperature cools about 3° for each 1,000 foot rise in elevation

A Land Called TexasWeather & Climate

B. Relative Location and Climate

1. Location near the Gulf of Mexico has a major influence on the climate of the coast of Texas.a. Ocean breezes cool land in the summer

and warm it in the winter (Gulf acts as an air conditioner).

b. Gulf of Mexico also brings more humidity (the amount of moisture in the air) to the coast moisture in the air.

2. Moisture from the Gulf of Mexico is the source of most of the rain that falls in TX.

A Land Called TexasWeather & Climate

C. Drought: long periods without rain1. 2011, the average rainfall was 14.8 inches2. Causes damage to crops & livestock

E. Floods: excess rain causes rivers to overflow their banks

1. In 2015, there was major flooding in many areas of Texas.2. Can cause damage to property & loss of lives

A Land Called TexasClimate of Texas

E. Severe Weather

1. Tornado Alley2. Hurricanes: can affect any part of the state.

a. The Hurricane of 1900 in Galveston left more than 6,000 people dead. b. 2008 Hurricane Ike

3. Blizzards4. Dust Storms

Land of ContrastNatural Resources of Texas

A. Agricultural Resources1. Plenty of rainfall2. Rich Soil3. Some Texans make their living from growing crops and raising animals.

B. Soil: Valuable resource used for farming.

A Land Called TexasNatural Resources of Texas

C. Energy Resources

1. Nonrenewable Resources in Texas: oil, natural gas, coal2. Renewable Resources in Texas: sun, wind, and trees3. Other Resources: sand, gravel, granite, copper, salt, & sulphur

Land of ContrastNatural Resources of Texas