Texas is a state with a unique status. Texas - a state with a unique status Description of Texas

Texas(eng. Texas) - a state in the southeastern United States. It ranks second in terms of territory after Alaska (695.622 km²) and second after California in terms of population (22.8 million). Texas is one of the centers of American agriculture, cattle breeding, education, oil and gas and chemical industries, and financial institutions. The state capital is Austin; Administrative division- counties (254). The people of Texas are called Texans.

The name of the state comes from Spanish word"tejas", which in turn was a variant of the Indian word - "táyshaʔ ” (in the language of the Caddo tribes) - meaning “friend”, “ally” (the first Spanish explorers of the territory began to call it Indian tribes). The American state abbreviation is TX.

Geography

Location

Texas borders the states of New Mexico (to the west), Oklahoma (to the north), Louisiana and Arkansas (to the east). The southwestern border of Texas runs along the Rio Grande, which separates the United States and Mexico. In the southeast, Texas is bordered by Gulf of Mexico.

The eastern and southern parts of Texas are located on the Mexican Lowland (Gulf Coast); rising in the west, it passes into the Eduarde plateau (up to 835 m) and Llano Estacado (up to 1200 m). In the extreme west, the spurs of the Rocky Mountains begin (up to 2665 m high).

The largest rivers of Texas: Red River, Trinity, Brazos, Colorado and Rio Grande; many small rivers in the central and western parts often dry up.

Most of Texas (center and north) is plains covered with shrubs, increasingly thinning to the west, where the steppes and deserts begin. In the east and southeast, savannahs and oak-pine forests have been preserved (areas of the extreme southeast, on the border with Louisiana, are significantly swampy).

Climate

Climatically, Texas represents two zones: in the south (along the coast), the climate is subtropical, hot; in the central and northern parts The climate is continental with hot summers and cool winters (average temperature in January is from 1 to 15 C, in July from 25 to 30 C). Precipitation decreases in the direction from east to west from 1000-1300 mm to 200-300 mm per year. Texas is characterized by frequent tornadoes in the central part and episodic tropical cyclones on the coast, leading to serious damage.

Flora and fauna

Texas is rich in diversity of fauna and flora. The most numerous animals are coyotes, deer, armadillos. Texas has several national reserves.

Geographic areas

In Texas, 7 main geographical regions are usually distinguished: 1) Northern Plains (“Panhandle Plains”) - 2) Central Hill Country (“Hill Country”) - 3) Western District Big Bend - 4) Central East Prairies and Lakes - 5) Gulf Coast - 6) Southwest Plains (South Texas Plains") - 7) Eastern Pine Forest District ("Pineywoods"). In turn, these geographical areas are often subdivided into regional categories.

The largest settlements

According to data for 2000, there are 22 agglomerations and 2 metropolitan areas in Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington and Houston-Galveston-Brazoria). Eight federal highways pass through the state - No. 10, 20, 27, 30, 35, 37, 40, 47, connecting Texas with New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.

Story

Spanish colonization

Before the settlement by the Spaniards and European settlers, the modern territory of Texas was the habitat of various Indian tribes: Apache, Atapakan, Bidai, Caddo, Comanche, Cherokee, Kiowa, Tonkawa, Wichita and Karankawa. In the 1870s the Apaches left Texas; they were the last Indians to occupy much of the state. Three native tribes of Texas are currently recognized by the US government: the Alabama and Kushat tribe, the Kickapoo tribe, and the Isleta del sur Pueblo tribe.

In 1519, the Spanish navigator Alonso Alvarez de Pineda passed along the Texas coast, for the first time mapping coastline Gulf of Mexico. The first European to set foot on the land of Texas (November 6, 1528) was the shipwrecked conquistador Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca. He spent six years in Texas establishing trade links with the local tribes. The first settlement was founded by the Spanish in the Isleta region near present-day El Paso in 1682. Meanwhile, the east of modern Texas began to be developed by the French, who were expanding their colony of Louisiana. On February 18, 1685, the Frenchman Rene-Robert Cavalier founded Fort Saint Louis in Matagorda Bay, a French outpost in Texas. In 1690, Alonso de León crossed the Rio Grande and established the Catholic Mission of San Francisco de los Texas in eastern Texas. The mission was located in the area of ​​the old road to San Antonio, the oldest transportation artery in the territory of the modern United States. By the end of the 18th century, the entire territory of modern Texas, together with Mexico, was part of the Spanish colony "New Spain".

V early XIX century, east Texas began to be settled by immigrants from the United States. Moses Austin purchased 800 km²; On January 3, 1823, on the Brazos River, Stephen Austin formed a colony of 300 American families (now known as the "Old Three Hundred"). In 1821, New Spain, which included Texas, achieved independence from Spain, and thus Texas became part of the new state of Mexico.

Republic of Texas

By the mid 1830s. dictatorship and lawlessness in Mexico led to the fact that the state was on the verge of collapse: the territories of Texas and Yucatan expressed - according to constitutional law - a desire to secede. In 1835, Mexican President General Antonio López de Santa Anna proposed a new constitution that would abolish slavery. the norm among American immigrants. In addition, he stepped up pressure on the Americans, demanding disarmament and forced expulsion of illegal immigrants from the US border states and the return of their lands. This policy of the Mexican government caused discontent among the inhabitants of Texas, and served as a pretext for the war for independence.

On October 2, 1835, the Texans clashed with a detachment of Mexican cavalry near the city of Gonzales, which led to the outbreak of hostilities. On October 28, 1835, at the Battle of Concepción, 90 Texans defeated 450 Mexicans. On March 2, 1836, a convention of independence from Mexico was signed at the Assembly of Representatives of American Settlers. In response, Mexican troops were sent in the battle for the Alamo fortress in San Antonio, almost completely destroying the small Texan garrison after a thirteen-day siege. Following this, on March 27, 1836, on the orders of López de Santa Anna, the Mexicans executed James Fannin and about 400 Texans in Goliad. These defeats, in turn, inspired the Texans to create an army that, under the leadership of Sam Houston, won the decisive battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836 (López de Santa Anna was taken prisoner).

On May 14, 1836, Texas officials and General Santa Anna signed a treaty of independence in the city of Velasco. However, the Mexican government did not ratify this treaty, leaving the issue of Mexican independence open (while the western part of present-day Texas continued to have an unclear legal status). At the end of 1836, a constitution was adopted (affirming the right to slavery), and Texas was proclaimed a republic. Sam Houston became the first president. After repeatedly moving the capital, Houston was chosen as the center of power in 1837. The Republic of Texas has received international recognition. At the same time, Mexican raids on Texas continued. (March 5, 1842, a detachment of Mexicans numbering more than 500 people, led by Rafael Vazquez, invaded Texas for the first time since the revolution; reaching San Antonio, they retreated back to the Rio Grande; September 11, 1842, a 1,500-strong army of Mexico, led by Adrian Wall, captured part of San Antonio, but later retreated, capturing prisoners). The clashes continued for almost 10 years and depended on whether the position of the Mexican government was strengthening or weakening. The United States did not officially intervene in this struggle, although thousands of volunteers in the United States were recruited to help the Texans. Armed conflicts between Mexico and the Republic of Texas made it possible to stop not so much the accession of the latter to the United States under the treaty of December 29, 1845 (Texas became the 28th state), but the victory of the United States in the American-Mexican War of 1846-1848, which completely suppressed the resistance and claims of Mexico. When Texas separated from Mexico, it was originally intended to become part of the United States sooner or later (although there was also an idea among the Texans of developing Texas into a huge nation with territory as far as the Pacific Ocean).

Texas is the first and so far the only internationally recognized independent state directly admitted to the United States as an equal member of the union. (The state of Vermont, which proclaimed itself the Republic of Vermont in 1777 and joined the United States in 1791, had de facto autonomy, but did not have international recognition; the United States annexed the self-proclaimed Republic of California and the Kingdom of Hawaii, but included them in the state as states only later some time).

Second half of the 19th century

Upon joining the United States, the territory of Texas included all the lands of the modern state of Texas, as well as uninhabited northern areas, which, under an agreement dated September 9, 1850, were transferred to the US government as payment of an external debt of Texas ($10 million). Subsequently, these federal territories were divided among the future states of New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wyoming.

Despite the fact that all residents and veterans of the battles in Texas were given allotments and other benefits, there was not much influx of immigrants. Special agencies were created to recruit immigrants from Europe: there were German, French, Swedish and Dutch agencies. The most active immigration came from Germany (this is evidenced by the names of many cities - Fredericksburg, Aldorf, New Braunfels, etc.). After the European revolutions of 1848, Poles, Swedes, Norwegians, Czechs and French joined the German settlers. Immigration grew until the Second World War.

In the years civil war Texas was part of the Confederation (February 23, 1861, in a referendum, the people of Texas voted for secession from the United States by 46,129 votes to 14,697 - a 76% majority). However, state president Sam Houston refused to take the Confederate oath, and the Convention assembled a new state government. It was in Texas - on May 12, 1865 - that the last battle of the Civil War took place (the Texans did not yet know that the Confederate troops led by General Lee surrendered on April 9 in Virginia). In 1870, the US Congress re-incorporated Texas into the country. In 1876, the modern Texas constitution was adopted.

20th century

At the beginning of the 20th century, significant oil reserves were discovered in Texas and the Gulf of Mexico, which reshaped the state's economy (prior to World War II, farm cattle breeding and agriculture prevailed in Texas). In 1910-20s. the Texas border area was exposed to vestments by Mexican bandits who took advantage of the turmoil of the Mexican Revolution. During the years of the Great Depression, the state also experienced a sharp decline in the quality of life; to this were added numerous dust storms in the 30s, caused by drought and improper land cultivation. All this led to a significant outflow of population from Texas in those years.

After World War II, Texas became one of the centers of scientific technology, education and industry. Houston hosts the NASA administration and the center of manned spaceships them. Lyndon Johnson with Mission Control. In the 60s. Texas began to phase out the segregation system, a process that took more than a decade.

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. The crime still has no clear explanation. His post was taken by Vice President Lyndon Johnson, a former Texas senator.

Administrative system and politics

Fundamentals of State Administrative Organization

Since Texas joined the US as an independent state, this state is the only one that has the right to hold a popular referendum on independence. Also, the Texas flag is the only one that has the right to be on flagpoles on the same level as the federal one.

The Governor of Texas is Republican Rick Perry. He took up this post in December 2000, after former Governor George W. Bush was elected President of the United States. In the Senate, the state is represented by two Republicans - Kay Bailey Hutchison (since 1993) and John Cornyn (since 2002).

The current Texas constitution, adopted in 1876, is the second largest of any state. Like many other state constitutions, it clearly separates the branches of government and includes a set of rights in the main text (Article One). The Texas legal code is longer and more detailed than the US legal code, and it also includes some Texan idiosyncrasies.

The executive branch of government consists of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Inspector of Public Relations, Commissioner of Land, Supreme Attorney, Commissioner of Agriculture, a three-member railroad commission, representatives of public education, and the Secretary of State.

With the exception of the Secretary of State (who is appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Senate), all other positions are elected. Also in the state, state boards and commissions play a significant role. Due in part to a large bureaucracy, the governor's power is limited compared to other state governors and the president of the United States. More power is concentrated in the hands of the lieutenant governor, who leads the state senate and creates Senate committees and groups. The governor controls the state police force and has the power to veto laws passed by the legislatures. He also appoints the members of the executive and judicial colleges.

The supreme body of the legislature of Texas, as well as any other state with the exception of Nebraska, is bicameral. There are 150 people in the House of Representatives, 31 in the Senate. The head of the lower house of parliament is the speaker, and the head of the senate is the lieutenant-governor. The House of Representatives meets in regular session only once every two years.

The Texas court system has a reputation for being one of the most complex in the world, due to the many levels of courts and the nuances of overlapping jurisdictions. Texas has two highest courts: the Texas Superior Court - which hears private cases - and the Texas Criminal Court. Except for some municipalities, judges of all levels are elected locally by voting, after which the position is approved by the governor.

Texas has 254 counties governed by authorized assemblies. At the head of such a meeting is a district judge, elected by the people of the county.

State Politics

In Texas politics currently dominated by the Republican Party, which has a majority of seats in the Texas Senate and the House of Representatives. Every elected chief executive is a Republican, as is every elected member of both superior courts. Democrats have not won elections in Texas since 1994. The overwhelming majority of congressmen elected in Texas are Republicans, and both senators are also Republicans. In the history of the country, 3 US presidents were politicians from Texas: Lyndon Johnson (Democrat), George W. Bush (Republican) and George W. Bush (Republican).

Economy

Prior to World War II, Texas' economy was dominated by agriculture. After the Second World War, the state began to rapidly industrialize. Its economy (as of 2000) is based mainly on information technology, oil and gas, electricity generation and export, agriculture and manufacturing. The two main economic centers: the metropolitan areas of Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth, in addition to them, San Antonio and El Paso play a significant economic role. Houston specializes in the petrochemical industry and space technology (NASA is based here), while Dallas is the center information technologies and agricultural industry.

Fishing, the oil industry, and the tourism industry are developed in the Gulf of Mexico coast zone. In the central and western parts there are cattle breeding farms and agricultural holdings (corn, cotton). The northwestern part of the state is divided among many small private oil companies. Gambling business in Texas is prohibited.

In 2001, Texas' gross domestic product was $764 billion. The growth of the state's economy is fueled by the presence of a wide range of jobs, low cost of living, high level life, no state tax, preferential business taxation, and little government intervention in business. Another important aspect is the favorable climate.

Education

There are two leading universities in the country in Texas - the University of Texas at Austin (it includes 9 academic universities) and the Agricultural and Technical University Texas at College Station, which have been in rivalry since their founding in the 19th century. There are also many high-level medical institutes in Texas.

culture

The culture of Texas has absorbed many ethnic and external regional traditions, thanks to the ongoing immigration from other states and countries, while many of the cultural institutions of Texas (sports, music, architecture, cuisine, etc.) were generated by the border position of the state (proximity to Mexico).

Demography

In the 1990s, Texas overtook New York, which had previously been in second place in terms of population (traditionally, California was in the first place). A 2005 estimate put the state's population at 22.8 million. As of 2004, 3.5 million (15.6%) people born outside the United States live in Texas (of which approximately 1.2 million are illegal immigrants). Census data shows that Texas has 7.8% of children under 5, 28.2% under 18, and 9.9% over 64. Women make up 50.4% of the population.

Races

The traditional majority are the descendants of Anglo-Saxons and Germans, as well as Mexicans (whose numbers continue to increase every year). V last years the number of immigrants of Asian roots is growing, especially in cities such as Houston and Dallas. Immigrants come to Texas from China, Vietnam, India, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Pakistan and other countries.

The most represented ethnic groups in Texas are Mexicans (24.3%), Blacks (11.5%), Germans (9.9%), Anglo-Saxons (7.2%) and Irish (7.2%). Paradoxically, such a large state as Texas has only 3 Indian reservations that are extremely insignificant in territory, which was the result of the Texas policy of the 19th century: even among the leaders of the Republic of Texas there was an opinion that the Indians should be exterminated as a barbarian race that was not amenable to civilization (then it was popular the notion that "whites and reds will never get along"). The Indians themselves also gave cause - until the mid-1860s they made attacks on whites - however, as a rule, after violations of obligations by the white settlers themselves. By the end of the 1870s. all the major tribes emigrated from Texas.

Religion

According to data on religion among residents of Texas, 66% are Protestants, 23% are Catholics, 1% are Christians of other denominations, and 1% are representatives of non-Christian religions. 6% of the population are atheists. Of the Protestant churches, the largest are Baptists (32% of the population), Methodists (9%) and Pentecostals (3%).

Miscellaneous facts

Six flags flew over Texas at different times: French Fleur-de-lis, Spanish, Mexican, the flag of the Republic of Texas, the flag of the Confederate States of America and, finally, the United States.

The Texas Capitol, located in Austin, repeats appearance Washington, but lined with pink granite and topped with a statue of the Goddess of Liberty holding a Texas star. Like the governor's buildings of some other southern states, the Texas Capitol faces south instead of north. The building of the Texas Capitol is taller than the Washington one, and slightly less massive.

The nature of Everest is not as pure and beautiful as many of us think. The highest mountain peak in the world is literally littered with rubbish left by negligent tourists. Sometimes here you can stumble upon the frozen bodies of dead climbers. And, moreover, at the moment on Everest, due to warming, there is a sharp melting of snow and ice.

Our imagination often draws places not as they really are. Even choosing a tour to France, you may end up in a completely different country that you expected to see. And so about true nature some of the famous places you will learn in this article.

1. Texas is more than a desert

After watching movies about the Wild West, many of you may get the impression that the US state of Texas is a godforsaken wasteland. The classics of the genre are the images of unrestrained cowboys who ride horses through the area, where, apart from the sand hot by the sun, there is nothing else. However, in reality, the state of Texas is more than a desert, and everyone who lives there knows about it. It covers a rather vast territory and is divided into four climatic regions, not counting the transition zones. East End Texas is woodland, the center is prairies and grasslands, and the west is desert biomes that aren't as barren as you might think. To the south, the state borders the Gulf of Mexico; here, in addition to beaches, there are also wetlands.

Deserts in Texas are not flat sand dunes like those in the Sahara. In them you can find mountains (for example, the Guadeloupe mountain range), canyons and even rivers.

2 Densely Populated Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands, located 965 kilometers west of the South American mainland, are famous for having once inspired Charles Darwin to create scientific work about the theory of evolution. Many consider them to be a wonderful tropical paradise, not even suspecting that they are formed by volcanic rocks. In some areas of the Galapagos Islands, there is a desert area where cacti grow as tall as trees.

The Galapagos Islands are territorially owned by the state of Ecuador. The Ecuadorians decided to colonize the islands after they annexed them from Spain. Yes, "Darwin's paradise" is inhabited mainly by Ecuadorians. In an attempt to develop the tourism industry, the Ecuadorian government has promised that those who agree to work in the Galapagos Islands will receive a salary much higher than that of the inhabitants of the mainland. At the moment, the population of the islands is 30 thousand people - the result of mass immigration. Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz Island) is the largest city in the Galapagos Islands.

Population growth has had a bad effect on the ecology of the Galapagos Islands. Here, the number of game fish species has drastically declined, and people suffer from a lack of access to health care, clean drinking water and education.

3. Kansas is not flat.

In 2003, geographers Mark Fonstad, William, and Brandon Vogt conducted a mock study in which they found that the state of Kansas is as flat as a pancake. But, it turns out, not all. Where it borders the Missouri, the elevation is 1,200 meters above sea level. Gradually, it decreases to 200 meters - near the border with Colorado. Moreover, quite massive rock formations and flinty hills can be found in Kansas.

In fact, Kansas isn't even in the top five flattest states, according to the American geographical society(English American Geographical Society). An article published in Geographical Review in 2014 states that Florida is the flattest state in the US. It is followed by Illinois, North Dakota, Louisiana, Minnesota, Delaware and only after - Kansas.

So why do people think Kansas is flat as a pancake, without taking other states into account? Probably because of the quality of the roads that are laid here mainly on flat, not hilly terrain.

4. The climate of British Columbia is close to tropical.

Canada is America's cold northern neighbor. However, not all of its territory, as many believe, is covered with white snow.

It is believed that the climate of the Canadian province of British Columbia (especially Vancouver Island) is very close to tropical. It has some of the mildest winters in the entire country, and the province's proximity to the ocean makes it an ideal place for summer holidays and sailing.

What plants do you associate with the tropics? Of course, palm trees, of which there are a lot in British Columbia. Cities like Oak Bay host an annual event to sell palm trees, which are more hardy than those found in the Caribbean. There is evidence that they were once common throughout North America.

5. Hawaii has a desert

The Hawaiian Islands are one of the best tropical destinations on the planet, attracting thousands of tourists from all over the world every year. The Hawaiian authorities are making every effort to maintain this status. The Hawaiian Islands were shaped by powerful volcanoes, which led to their division into several climatic zones.

The Hawaiian Islands are at the top of a volcanic hotspot: numerous eruptions from the Earth's interior created lava accumulations even before the archipelago was formed. Each of the largest islands in the group has at least one volcano. Due to effusive rocks Hawaii is not the best habitat for plants and animals. On the Big Island, the eruptive Kilauea volcano even created a barren desert known as Ka-u; it consists of hardened lava, ash, sand and gravel. Nothing grows here due to low rainfall and sulfur dioxide, which causes acid rain.

6. There are ski resorts in New South Wales

Australia, as you probably know, has a rather hot climate. There are even areas that are absolutely unsuitable for life. Snow in Australia is rare, although in some places it is so cold that you can even ski. This sport originated on the continent in 1861 thanks to Norwegian immigrants. In states such as Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales, snow falls regularly in the winter in the highlands. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Australia (the Snowy Mountains located in the state of New South Wales) was -23 degrees Celsius.

In winter, the Snowy Mountains receive enough snow to support and develop skiing and snowboarding. Since Australia is located in the Southern Hemisphere, the skiing season here begins in June.

7. The Great Wall of China is mostly just ruins.

The Great Wall of China is one of the greatest architectural feats in human history. It was built to protect the Chinese Empire from nomadic raids. The Great Wall stretches for several thousand kilometers, covering 11 provinces of China, part of North Korea and Mongolia. Its total length is estimated at 21,196 kilometers. An interesting fact is that when the Great Wall of China is photographed or videotaped, they capture mostly only the part that was restored near Beijing. This makes people think that she is as powerful and strong as she was many centuries ago.

In fact, the Great Wall of China is mostly just ruins. In some places it crumbles under the weight of time, in others it is covered with dense vegetation. There are also such areas, the state of which is very deplorable, and you can’t even say that they were once part of the Great Wall. Many of them are not available to the public.

8. Madagascar is not a rainforest for the most part.

The word "Madagascar" in most people is associated with lemurs and rainforests. Like the other islands on this list, Madagascar actually has a wide range of ecosystems. Most of the tropical forests are located on the east coast of the island. They are home to numerous endemic species, including lemurs, which are found exclusively in Madagascar. However, the best-known species of the lemur family, ring-tailed lemur, lives in the dry forests in the southwest of the island.

The most unique type of dry forest found in Madagascar is called the "spiky desert". Didereaceae grow here - trees and shrubs covered with thorns. They are very similar to cacti, but they are not.

In addition to tropical and dry forests, Madagascar also has grasslands and deserts that were formed under the influence of the human factor. Areas that were once densely vegetated are now dotted with grass and cacti. They are used for agriculture and grazing.

9. The Sistine Chapel is actually very small.

Texas is a US state located in the south of the country and is the second largest in it. For residents of many other states, he is associated with the true image of a typical American. The origin of the name, according to the main version, is due to the fact that the tribe that once lived here called it that way. Translated from the Aboriginal language, the name means "allies, good friends."

Geographical position

The state of Texas (USA) has an area of ​​696.2 thousand square kilometers. As noted above, it is located in the south of the country, where it borders on the northern regions of Mexico. From west to east, it stretches for almost 1600 kilometers. Its western neighbor is New Mexico, its eastern neighbor is Arkansas, and its northern neighbor is Oklahoma. The largest rivers that flow through the state are the Colorado, Trinity, Red River, Rio Grande and Brazos. Much of Texas is on scrub-covered plains. In the west there are numerous deserts and steppes. Due to geological features, a significant part of the earth is covered with cracks. If you travel here in the direction from east to west, you can see how the coastal swamps are replaced by undulating plains with hills, and behind them - desert and mountains.

Population and administration

The largest metropolitan areas located in the state of Texas are the cities of Houston and Dallas. It should be noted that the first of them is in fourth place in terms of size in the entire state. In addition to them, there are 22 large agglomerations. is the city of Austin, which is located in the central region. It consists of 254 counties, each of which is administered by authorized assemblies. The population of the state is about 22 million people.

Economy

Texas is a state that is rightfully considered the world-famous American center of a developed chemical and oil industry, a high educational level and agriculture. In addition, many financial institutions are concentrated on its territory. From ancient times to the present day, agriculture has been a very important sector of the economy in Texas. The locals are now earning fortunes by raising cattle. At the beginning of the last century, the region turned into a key oil production region throughout the state of Texas, which provided the extraction of more than 30 percent of the "black gold", and also controlled the lion's share of the import of this raw material. The level of development of light industry, which is mainly represented by the cultivation of cotton and its processing, is also at the proper level. Companies dealing high technology, are situated in major cities. It should also be noted that it is in Houston that the Mission Control Center (NASA) is based.

Climate

Due to the fact that Texas is a state with quite large area, its territory is dominated by two at once. Thus, the weather in different regions can differ significantly. If the central and northern parts are characterized by a continental climate with cool winters and warm summers, then a subtropical hot climate prevails in the south. The amount of precipitation is also not uniform. It greatly decreases in the direction from east to west. In the first case, they fall on average 1300 mm per year, and in the second - about 300 mm. In the central regions, strong ones that cause catastrophic damage often occur. The ideal months to visit Texas are October and November. It is at this time that the temperature here is not very high, and the weather is calm and stable, so tourists do not have to be afraid of adverse weather conditions.

sights

Based on the number of attractions, one of the most interesting cities is Dallas. In spite of a large number of skyscrapers and modern buildings, many that date back to the nineteenth century have been preserved here (it was then that the future metropolis was founded). It is also associated with one of the most mysterious and tragic events in American history. This is where John F. Kennedy was assassinated. The site where the shot was fired is now a museum. one more most interesting city considered Fort Worth.

Be that as it may, the Americans themselves believe that Texas is a state whose main attraction is its diverse nature. Anyone who wants to learn more about the local flora and fauna is recommended to visit national park"Big Bend". Quite a popular place among tourists has recently become the Royal Ranch, which is located on the coast.

Lubbock, Amarillo, Odessa, Midland, Big Spring Pecos, Presidio, Barstow, Pyote, Mentone

Houston

The climate in Houston is warm and temperate. The is a great deal of rainfall in Houston, even in the driest month. This climate is considered Cfa according to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification. The temperature here averages 20.5 °C. About 1145 mm of precipitation falls annually.

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San Antonio

The climate in San Antonio is generally warm and temperate. There is a great deal of rainfall in San Antonio, even in the driest month. This climate is considered Cfa according to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification. The average temperature in San Antonio is 20.7 °C. The average annual rainfall is 680 mm.

diagrams

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Dallas

Dallas has a warm temperate climate. The is a great deal of rainfall in Dallas, even in the driest month. This place is classified as Cfa by Koeppen and Geiger. The average temperature in Dallas is 18.7 °C. In a year, the average rainfall is 919 mm.

diagrams

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Austin

Austin has a warm temperate climate. The rainfall in Austin is significant, with precipitation even during the driest month. The climate here is classified as Cfa by the Köppen-Geiger system. The average annual temperature in Austin is 20.1 °C. The average annual rainfall is 811 mm.

diagrams

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Fort Worth

Fort Worth has a warm temperate climate. Fort Worth is a city with a significant rainfall. Even in the driest month there is a lot of rain. This place is classified as Cfa by Koeppen and Geiger. The average air temperature in Fort Worth is 18.5 °C. About 836 mm of precipitation falls annually.

diagrams

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Places

Agua Dulce Climate: Cfa Average temperature 22.2°C Precipitation: 716 mm

Alamo Climate: BSh Average temperature 23.1°C Precipitation: 576 mm

Allen Climate: Cfa Average temperature 17.9°C Precipitation: 994 mm

The North American Chihuahua Desert is the third largest in the entire Western Hemisphere and the second in North America, second in size only to the desert highlands.
The desert landscape is an arid plain, crossed over its entire length by numerous discontinuous mountain ranges. These are the pages geological history deserts of Chihuahua. Previously, it was a highland formed by tectonic movements. earth's crust. Wide rivers flowed along it, leaving powerful layers of soft sedimentary rocks.
The desert was formed as a result of erosion processes, the conditions for which created an arid climate and strong daily temperature fluctuations. For a long time, the layers of soft sedimentary rocks were destroyed, but the ledges of hard rocks formed by magma flows that had broken through to the surface of the earth remained intact.
This is how the “Chihuahua landscape” so familiar to everyone from films about the Wild West turned out: wide flat-bottomed canyons, along the edges of which stood alone mountains with flat tops. Such mountains are called "heavenly islands" here.
It is very hot here in summer, when the daytime temperature rises to +35-40°C. In winter it can be lower, but only if the north wind is strong enough. Compared to other North American deserts, which are even further from the sea coast, there is more rainfall - almost 250 mm per year, and even then at the end of summer, when the monsoons are rampant.
In the vegetation of the Chihuahua desert, the three-toothed larreya, or simply the creosote bush, reigns supreme: the plant is surprisingly unpretentious, thanks to an incredibly deep root system that sucks water from a hundred meters deep. Other plants that are similarly adapted to low water are acacia, tar bush and varieties of cactus. Of the animals, the pronghorn is the most famous, feeding on all the plants of the desert, including the most poisonous.
Before the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus in 1492, the territories adjacent to the Chihuahua desert were inhabited by Indian tribes who spoke the Aztec languages. They were engaged in hunting and gathering, and also grew vegetables in vegetable gardens.
Ethnographers are sure that the name Chihuahua comes from the language of the natives and means “dried field”, or “land between two rivers”: in the latter version, two large rivers in the desert region are meant - and its tributary Pecos.
V late XVI v. the Spaniards appeared here, and for a long time these sands were the property of the Spanish crown. After the independence of Mexico in 1810, a series of wars began with the inhabitants western territories that became part of the USA. This was caused primarily by the uncertainty of the boundaries. The American-Mexican War of 1846-1848 put an end to this issue, which deprived Mexico of almost half of its territory and finally approved the location of the American-Mexican border.
The Chihuahua Desert is located in North America, in the area of ​​the US-Mexican border in the US states of New Mexico, Texas (west of the Pecos River) and Arizona (southeast), also the Mexican states, Coahuila, Durango (northwest), Zacatecas (north) and Nuevo Aeon (west).
Big Bend National Park in Texas was created in the place where the Rio Grande describes the famous Big Bend - "the big turn".
The borders of the Chihuahua Desert are several protected areas and national parks, the most famous of which is the American Big Bend National Park, on the US-Mexican border. It is separated from Mexico by the Rio Grande, which in this place describes a huge arc (big bend), which gave the name to the park itself.
Although the park is part of the desert, a significant part of its territory is occupied by the Chisos mountain range with Emory peak 2385 m high. The Rio Grande, meandering between the mountains, forms a series of green valleys and small canyons of Santa Elena, Mariscal and Boquillas.
Since the elevation difference here is very large, a sharp difference in the nature of individual areas is noticeable, even at a distance of only a few kilometers. These features have also affected wildlife. national park: for example, a tree such as chisos oak grows only in this corner of the United States.
And today there are unique representatives of the North American fauna here: the cougar, or cougar, of which there are only a couple of dozen individuals left, the black-tailed hare, the kangaroo jumper, the California running cuckoo.
Big Bend Park is known not only as a land with an unusually rich flora and fauna (affects the proximity of the river), but also as a place where experts managed to find the sites of the ancient inhabitants of these places, who settled down in the Big Bend area 9 thousand years ago. Later, the Chisos, Mescapero and Comanche Indians settled here.
Within the Chihuahua Desert are several major cities, mainly in Mexico, on the border with the United States. The largest is the Mexican Ciudad Juarez, which is developing rapidly despite adverse climatic conditions and the proximity of the desert. This is due to the extraordinary cheapness of labor in Mexico: large international industrial corporations, such as Electrolux, Bosch, Siemens, Lexmark and Boeing, are moving production here, building so-called maquiladoras - assembly and assembly lines. Masses of unemployed from all over Mexico and Central America flock to the city. For the same reason, the Mexican border cities were overwhelmed by a wave of crime, mainly related to the activity of drug cartels.
Not far from Ciudad Juarez is the American city of El Paso, surrounded on all sides by the Chihuahua desert - famous in American folklore of the times of the Wild West as a city of complete lawlessness. Those days are gone, and today's El Paso is a major center of international trade on the US-Mexico border. El Paso is also home to the area's largest annual classic Southwest International Rodeo.
Currently, the nature of the Chihuahua Desert is under threat, and the main danger is the use of heavy SUVs when moving through its territories, as well as the appearance of plants and animals unusual for this region, especially rats and some insect species. The excessive pumping of water from underground horizons for the needs of growing cities and agriculture also affects.

general information

Location: southwestern North America, Rio Grande region.

Administrative affiliation: US states (New Mexico, Texas and Arizona), Mexican states (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Zacatecas and Nuevo Leon).

Large cities: Ciudad Juarez (Mexico) - 1,321,004 people. (2010), Chihuahua (Mexico) - 809,232 people. (2010), El Paso (USA) - 674,433 people. (2013), Torreon (Mexico) - 639,629 people (2010).
Languages: English, Spanish.
Ethnic composition: White, Hispanic (all races), Mestizo, African American, Asian
Religions: Catholicism, Protestantism, atheism.

Monetary units: US dollar, Mexican peso.

Major rivers: Rio Grande, Pecos, Rio Conchos.

Major airports: Abraham Gonzalez International Airport (Ciudad Juarez, Mexico), Northeast International Airport (El Paso, Mexico).

Numbers

Desert area: 362,600 km2.
Desert length: 1285 km.

Desert width: 440 km.

Big Bend National Park area: 3242 km2.

lowest point: 600 m a.s.l.

highest point: 3700 m a.s.l.

Climate and weather

Hot desert.

January average temperature: +7°С.

July average temperature: +28°С.

Average annual rainfall: 250 mm.
Relative humidity: 60%.

Economy

Minerals: zinc, silver.

Industry (in cities): oil refining and petrochemical, mechanical engineering, light (textile), assembly of automobiles and household appliances, food.

international trade(American-Mexican).
Agriculture: plant growing (maize, cassava, yams, gourds), animal husbandry (large and small cattle, pig breeding).
traditional crafts: products made of precious wood, clay, cotton, basket weaving.
Service sector: tourism, transport, trade.

sights

■ Natural: Chihuahua Desert, White Sands Wilderness Reserve (White Sands, New Mexico, USA), Franklin Mountains, Big Bend National Park, Mount Guadapupe National Park, Rio Grande Wildlife Landscape Complex, Bosque del Wildlife Sanctuary -Appachians, Carlsbad caves.
■ City of Ciudad Juarez(Mexico): Bridges over the Rio Grande (Paso del Norte or Santa Festrit Bridge, Bridge of the Americas, Stanton Street Bridge, Islet, or Zaragossa), Museum of the Mexican Revolution, Art Museum, Archaeological Museum, Frontier Gallery , Municipal Arts Center, Cathedral of Ciudad Juarez.
■ City of El Paso(USA): Museum of Archeology, El Paso City Historical Museum, Centenary Museum of Local History, Franklin Mountains cable car.
■ Chihuahua city(Mexico): Cathedral (XVIII century), Government Palace (late XIX century), National Palace, Museum of the History of the Mexican Revolution, Quinta Gameros Art Nouveau mansion.

Curious facts

■ According to travelers, as early as 150 years ago, in some areas of the present-day Chihuahua Desert, the grass "raised up to the horse's belly."
■ Due to the proximity of the desert and low humidity in El Paso, not only houses, but even buses are equipped with air conditioning.
■ Big Bend National Park is recognized as one of the few places on earth where the nights are so dark that you can see thousands of stars, planets and clear outlines in the sky Milky Way.
■ The creosote bush is one of the longest-living plants on earth: an estimated 11,700-year-old colony of these plants has been found in the Mojave Desert. One colony of creosote bush grows up to 20 m in diameter. Indians treat them with many diseases - from tuberculosis to snakebite.
■ In terms of running speed, the pronghorn is second only to the cheetah: it reaches speeds of up to 67 km / h, while making jumps up to 6 m long. The speed record for a pronghorn is 88.5 km / h, but with such speed it can move no further than 5- 6 km.
■ The total length of the US-Mexican border is 1,600 km, of which 190 km are in Big Bend National Park.
■ The total number of plant species in the Chihuahua Desert is close to 3,500, of which a third - up to 29% - are endemic, but the number of plants of each species is small.
■ Mount Emory, the highest peak of Big Bend National Park, is named after William Hemsley Emory (1811-1887), who served as the chief surveyor of the expedition that drew the precise border between the United States and Mexico under the Guadapupe-Hidalgo Peace Treaty of 1848 following Mexican-American War 1846-1848