Geographers study natural regions to compare and contrast different areas. A natural region is an area with a common physical environment. Natural regions are defined by physical features. These features include types of climate, landforms, plant life, and soil. For travelers, physical features are clues that they are leaving one region and entering another.
Some geographers divide the continental United States into 10 major natural regions. Parts of four natural regions are found in Texas, which is more than in any other state. For this reason, Texas is called the crossroads of natural regions.
The Coastal Plains is one of the largest natural regions in Texas. As part of the larger Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Plain, the region covers the entire coast of Texas and extends a few hundred miles inland. The land along the coast is usually marshy, while the land inland has both dense forests and grassy prairies. The North Central Plains region is part of the larger U.S. region known as the Central Plains. This region is characterized by gently rolling prairies that offer abundant resources for ranching and farming. The Great Plains region is known as one of the flattest areas on Earth. However, the region’s flat grassland becomes more rugged in the southern part of the region.
The last of the four regions, the Mountains and Basins, lies west of the Pecos River in Texas. This region is part of the larger Intermountain Basins and Plateaus region of the United States. The region is dry and has a dramatic landscape that includes canyons, mountains, plateaus, and basins. The four natural regions have different climates, landforms, and vegetation. Studying these regions reveals much about life in Texas.
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