Geography of Texas

A Biography of Houston Texas (quick intro)

John. SS

Professor J. SS

November 19, 2019

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The state of Texas is rich with culture and history predating long before we were born, it

is a state that has established itself among many other states in America as a leading economic

and artistic powerhouse. The state of Texas is known for many things such as how it ranks as

the second most populous state in the United States, with a population of 27,469,114 people.

Texas has a wealth of natural resources including oil wells, wind and solar power. But for all this

things Texas is best known for is its cities. Texas has some of the biggest cities in America. For

instance, the city of Houston. With a population estimated around 6,997,384 residents, is known

for its nonexistent land-use zoning laws, space exploration and its busiest Port.

The city of Houston is found within the Gulf Coastal Plains, a region that stretches from

the Gulf of Mexico west to the Balcones Escarpment. A geologic fault of underground strata

which extends eastward from a point on the Rio Grande near Del Rio. It is known as the

Balcones due to it is a steep cliff. The Gulf Coastal region is known for its rolling terrain, pine

and hardwood forests featuring a hot, humid climate for most of the year. This region receives

about about 30 to 55 inches of rain a year and is susceptible to hurricane damage in its coastal

areas. There are three major rivers that can also be found within this region, the Brazos, the

Colorado and the Trinity river have fertile soils along their banks which with agriculture.

Houston was founded on August 30, 1836 by two brothers, Augustus Chapman Allen and

John Kirby Allen on a land near the banks of the Buffalo Bayou. When it first started out the

brothers claimed that the town would become the interior pivotal center of commerce in the state

of Texas, they had envisioned ships from New York and New Orleans sailing up Buffalo Bayou,

calming “the site enjoyed a healthy, cool seabreeze. They noted plans to build a sawmill and

offered lots for sale at moderate prices. In the manner of town boomers the Allens exaggerated a

bit, however. The forty-eight-inch annual rainfall, high relative humidity, and temperatures that
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averaged from a low of 43° F in the winter to 94° in summer later inspired Houston to become

one of the most air-conditioned cities in the world” (McComb, 2010). The regions unpredictable

weather and geographical characteristics were not put in account by the Allen brothers, almost

costing them their dream town. The town was later named after Sam Houston, the hero of the

Texas war.

Today Texas culture is rich and diverse, created by the different many ethnic groups that

live in the state, a prevalent aspect of that culture is Texas Pride. Texans are proud to be called

Texans, the city of Houston is not different, as it has unique cultures of its own. Houstonians are

prod and dedicated, during the storm Hurricane Harvey, Houstonians bonded together in other to

provide for their neighbor with food, shelter and security. Even after the storm people

volunteered to help rebuild the city and show their pride and love for Houston. Everyone in

Houston can agree that BBQ is loved by almost every meat lover who resides here. For decades

Houston has been the home of grilled ribs, pork chops and steak combo that lives you wanting

for more. Everything is Big in Texas, Houston is no exception to this clause as you can look

around and see the big trucks, houses and roads and especially foods. A big part of Houston

African American culture are Slabs, “While they might resemble the lowriders you see cruising

through many American cities, slabs form a cross-section of H-Town music, culture and

community, making them more than mere souped-up rides” (McLaughlin, 2016). Slabs are on of

Houston distinctive African American cultures; the cars showcase a level of art that expresses the

driver and shows their creativity. The music and color style portray beauty.

The States of Texas on average gets approximately 53 inches of rain, per year compared

to the whole of the United States which averages out around 38 inches of rain per year. The city

of Houston has a very interesting climate. Houston is has a humid subtropical type of climate
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with long, hot and humid summers and short, mild winters. The city proximity to large water

bodies, brings warm air for much of the year, having a significant influence on the climate. The

city stands at an average altitude of 32 meters above the sea level. Houston’s topography consists

mainly of temperate grasslands, forests, swamps and marshes. Along with lakes and rivers.

Several waterways, conduits, and shipping channels span across the Houston region to connect

the city with the Gulf of Mexico. Summers in Houston are extremely hot with high temperatures

and a high degree of humidity which leaves you sweating heavily, August is the hottest month in

Houston as temperatures reach their highest.

The Hottest Month in Houston

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Average Rainfall Houston

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Coldest Months in Houston

Noticeable by the graphs are Houston yearly temperatures, the city of Houston and its

surrounding areas are sometimes extremely unpredictable and unusual. The hottest months in

Houston are around July and august while the coldest are around December and January

although January seems a bit much colder than December. Its not uncommon for it to rain all

year round in Houston Tx, but the months which experiences the most amount of rain are May

and June. Snow is very rare in the state of Texas and even more rare in Houston, although there

have been times when snow has indeed fallen for a moment.

The state of Texas is very political, historically Texas has been believed to possess a

political culture that combines those of traditionalistic and individualistic elements. The
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traditionalistic aspects of state politics are illustrated by the long history of one-party dominance

in the state politics, the low level of voter turnout, and social and economic conservatism. The

individualistic nature of state politics can also be seen in the support for private business,

opposition to big government, and faith in individual initiative. Yet, here in Houston, the city

seems to be a more bluish dot on the Texas political map as attitudes are changing fast.

A map showing which counties voted for Democrat and republican in the 2016 election

For a decade now many citizens of Harris County have identified themselves as

being closer to the Democratic Party than the Republican Party manly due to several reasons, this

has led to a change in culture and attitudes as many break away from Texas conservative

tradition. Optimism and career opportunities has played a part in this as according to the kinder

Institute, despite the drop in oil prices and loss of jobs in that sector Houstonians are still
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generally positively content with their cities. “Eighty-one percent of residents rate Houston as a

good or excellent place to live, up from 70 percent a decade ago” (Holeywell, 2016). Diversity

has also played a huge aspect in the change of attitudes; it is arguably the biggest factor

contributing to why the city of Houston has become more tolerable and democratic. Houstonians

acceptance of different types of communities and “Area residents' attitudes toward Muslims,

illegal immigrants, and gay people continue to improve annually. (Holeywell, 2016) has created

a more positive view, allowing them to integrate properly in society.

Houston economy has relieved primarily on Energy since oil was first discovered in the

region back in 1901. During the oil and gas recession of the early 2000s most of the expertise,

technology, and resources remained in the Houston area, contributing to the groundwork for

future growth. The city of Houston is also home to many major U.S. energy firms, including

exploration, production, oil field service, supply and development. There about an estimated

3,000 energy-related companies within Houston and the surrounding area. This has led to the

believe that the city of Houston will no doubt remain the energy center in the United States.

Houston's dependence on the upstream energy industry made it vulnerable to economic

declines determined by energy prices and the national economy. For the city to protect itself the

city decided to diversify into downstream energy to refining and chemicals manufacturing and

other energy sector jobs unrelating to oil and gas production. The city of Houston is also a world

leader in the chemical industry, holding up to 40 percent of Americas capacity for producing

basic chemicals used by downstream chemical operations. The also has almost every major

company that produces these chemicals working within the cities area.

Another Economic advantage the city of Houston offers is a Tax incentive programs

designed to attract new businesses to the area. The city of Houston has several types of tax
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abatements such as the Economic development tax abatements are offered to certain types of

businesses to encourage investment and job creation, Redevelopment abatements and Brownfield

abatements which encourage the redevelopment of brownfields, areas where environmental

contamination exists in the soil, surface water, or ground water. This incentive attracts businesses

into the city of Houston, promoting the creation of jobs for people and developing expertise.

Another major contribution to Houston Economical success would be the port of

Houston. It is one of the world’s busiest waterways estimating to have brought about 1,350,695

jobs throughout Houston and the state of Texas, Generating more than $339 billion in statewide

economic value. Although a lot of this jobs are a result to Houston’s energy sector the port

provides the backbones of transportation and opportunities which help facilitate the economic

growth seen in the city of Houston.

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References

Chicago Tribune. (2018, August 26). 21 things you should know about Houston*. Retrieved

from https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2005-10-25-0510250014-story.html.

Crystal, M. (2019, March 2). About the Four Natural Regions of Texas. Retrieved from

https://sciencing.com/four-natural-regions-texas-4567476.html.

Egan, J. (2019, April 24). Houston's big population boom continues with this many new

residents each day. Retrieved from http://houston.culturemap.com/news/city-life/04-23-

19-houston-the-woodlands-sugar-land-population-growth-us-census/.

Holeywell, R. (n.d.). Greater Houston is Becoming Increasingly Democratic, and Other

Highlights From Our 2016 Survey. Retrieved from

https://kinder.rice.edu/2016/04/25/greater-houston-is-becoming-increasingly-democratic-

and-other-highlights-from-our-2016-survey

Houston: Economy. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-

South/Houston-Economy.html.

McComb, D. G. (2010, June 15). HOUSTON, TX. Retrieved from

https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hdh03.

McLaughlin, E. C. (2016, November 2). Candy paint and elbows: Houston's slab scene.

Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/houston-slab-cars-music/index.html.

Port Houston 2019 State of the Port. (2019, November 22). Retrieved from

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191121006073/en/Port-Houston-2019-

State-Port

Ramsey, R. (2016, November 11). Analysis: The blue dots in Texas' red political sea. Retrieved

from https://www.texastribune.org/2016/11/11/analysis-blue-dots-texas-red-political-sea/.
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Sawe, B. E. (2016, September 13). Biggest Cities In Texas. Retrieved from

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/biggest-cities-in-texas.html.

The Gulf Coast Region2018 Regional Report. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://comptroller.texas.gov/economy/economic-data/regions/gulf-coast.php.

Kreneck, T. H. (2010, June 15). HOUSTON, SAMUEL. Retrieved from

https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fho73.

Port Houston 2019 State of the Port. (2019, November 22). Retrieved from

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191121006073/en/Port-Houston-2019-

State-Port.