BIG is probably the first word most people think of when they hear the word Texas. Before Alaska was admitted to the Union, Texas was our largest state. And just before Texas became a state, it was briefly an independent republic.
Perhaps it started with the legend of Pecos Bill, a mythical Texan who some people say was the first cowboy. Pecos Bill rode a mountain lion and used a rattlesnake as a whip.
Texas similarly has a Pecos Bill-sized fossil reputation, especially relating to fossil fuels (oil). Boasting four great geologic regions, Texas may be America’s premier fossil crossroads. The Great Plains and Central Lowlands represent the interior of North America. The Coastal Plain that stretches from New England to Florida continues west into Texas. From the west, the Basin and Range province extends into western Texas.
Great Plains
Texas longhorn country is that portion of Texas lying within the Great Plains region. It’s shaped something like a giant L. The vertical portion of the L lies within the High Plains, while the horizontal part constitutes the Edwards Plateau. Early Spanish explorers called this region, which extends west into New Mexico, the Llano estacado, or “Staked Plains.” This name may have been inspired by the tall stalks of saber-leaved yuccas, which resemble stakes.
Central Lowlands
North-central Texas lies within the Central Lowlands geologic region. This area is commonly called the North-Central Plains, or Rolling Plains.
Coastal Plain
Some of Texas’ most fertile soils are in the southeast, the most heavily forested part of the state. This is the best area to see Texas’ state bird and tree, the mockingbird and pecan. It’s fronted by Texas’ beautiful Gulf Coast, with its sandy beaches and barrier islands.
The Coastal Plain is also famous for the vast oil reserves that lie under the ground. Some of Texas’ most important cities, including Dallas, Waco, Austin, and San Antonio are built along the Balcones Fault Zone.
Basin & Range: The Trans-Pecos
The Rio Grande River marks the boundary between Texas and Mexico. Walking upriver, one travels from the Gulf of Mexico to the city of El Paso, which is near the borders of both Mexico and the state of New Mexico, Texas’ western neighbor.
Another famous Texas river is the Pecos, which enters Texas from near New Mexico’s southeastern corner. The region west of the Pecos River is called the Trans-Pecos.
This westernmost chunk of Texas is Pecos Bill country, with deserts, cacti, mountains, rugged lava flows, and bigger-than-life fossils, including prehistoric reefs. You can see these wonders along the New Mexico border in Guadalupe Mountains National Park or in Big Bend National Park, tucked in a bend in the Rio Grande River near the Mexican border.
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism - Paperback
