texas

TEXASAdrián Sánchez

Miguel Á. LozanoRoberto Rodríguez

1ºBach

Index-Geography

- Natural Regions-Climate

-Land/Population-Politics

-Cultural Traditions-Food

-Health-Universities

-Sports

Geography-Texas geography is very varied due to its size. Plains,mesetas and hills are the most common relieves. -It represents the 7% of the total area of USA.-It shares frontiers with Mexico, Oklahoma, Lousiana, Arkansas and New Mexico.

Natural Regions-Gulf Coastal Plains, located in the South.-Oriental Pine Woods, next to Lousiana. -Interior Low Lands, in the middle of Texas.-The Great Plains, which can be found in the North.-West Texas, with plenty of natural environments such as deserts, dunes or mountain ranges.-Texas Coast, with many estuaries and bays (Matagorda Bay and Corpus Christi Bay).

ClimateDue to its size, we can find a high diversity of climates.

-In East Texas there is a subtropical wet climate, with many rainfalls during all the year. Summers are hot and humid whereas winters stand out for their cool temperatures.

-West Texas is much more arid, with extreme temperatures (hot in summer, cold in winter) and very few precipitations throughout the year.

Land / PopulationTexas is the second largest state in area of the US (696,241 km2 ,after Alaska) and in population (24 million people, after California).

84% White People12% Black People4% Asian People

The biggest cities of Texas are Houston, San Antonio and Dallas. It is the only state of USA which has 3 cities with more than 1 million people. However, the capital is Austin.

In Texas we can find several metropolitan areas:-Dallas-Fort Worth-Gran Houston-Gran San Antonio-Austin

Besides, Texas has 254 counties, more than any other state of the country.

PoliticsPolitical parties: - Texas political culture and ideology are described by the combination of three main philosophical concepts: • Classical liberalism ideas often form the basis for

opposition to the use of government to attain social objectives. They express instead reliance on private initiatives or the free market to determine the best outcomes.

• Social conservatives tend to support the use of government to reinforce traditional social relations. While socially conservative views are associated primarily with the Republican Party, they dominated the Democratic Party in Texas through much of its history.

• Populism is concerned primarily with the well being of ordinary people. Populism tends to support involvement of the government in regulating society and the economy. But, populism also tends to be socially conservative.

The republican party is popular in Texas.

Cultural traditions• Rodeos: The most important rodeo in Texas is Houston

Livestock Show and Rodeo, which has 2 million of supporters. It is a three week rodeo, founded in 1931. Contestants compete for $1.5 million in events that change from bronco busting to bull riding to team roping. The main rodeo is held in Reliant Stadium, while the fair and other events take place in the parking lot and several nearby buildings.

• Baseball: It is very popular in Texas, the two principal teams are Texas Rangers and Houston Astros.

Food• Breakfast: they are usually hot and hardy. It consists

on typical warm biscuits or muffins with butter, jam or honey also meat and eggs are eaten. They include the traditional fried potatoes, as well as hot cakes with syrup or honey.

• Lunch: it is usually to prepare barbeques with corn bread. It is the more common meal.

• Dinner: It is the most important meal of the day. It includes fried chicken, buttered rice and hot biscuits with gravy, along with green beans, leaf lettuce and sliced tomatoes. Ice tea usually go with

HealthThe Texas Medical Center in Houston, holds the world's largest concentration of research and healthcare institutions, with 47 member institutions.

Universities-University of Houston: it is a public state research university and the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 41,000 students.

-University of Texas at Austin: it is a public research-intensive university located in Austin, Texas, United States. It is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. Founded in 1883. The institution has the fifth-largest single-campus enrollment in the nation.

SportsOne of the most famous sports in Texas is basketball.There are 3 teams in NBA: -Dallas Mavericks: They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference. Since their inaugural 1980–81 season, the Mavericks have won three division titles ,two conference championships and one NBA Championship . -Houston Rockets: The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association. It was founded in 1997.

-San Antonio Spurs: They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Spurs' four NBA championships are the fourth most in NBA history, behind only the Boston Celtics (17), Los Angeles Lakers (16) and Chicago Bulls (6). And it was founded in 1967.