From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Texas Coastal Bend refers to the flat area of land along the Texas coast. It is home to many cities including Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Kingsville, Port Lavaca, Galveston, Victoria, Beaumont, and Houston. The Coastal Bend includes the barrier islands of Texas and the Laguna Madre. According to the United States 2000 Census the Texas Coastal Bend had a population of 6,332,801.
Culture
The Texas Coastal Bend enjoys a rich culture with a mix of Hispanic and Anglo traditions, with an increasing number of Asian/Pacific Islander population and traditions. The centers of this area are focused around the main population centers in Brownsville, Texas; Corpus Christi, Texas; and Houston, Texas.
Counties
Most populous cities
City | 2000 Census Population[1] | County |
| Houston | 1,953,631 | Harris County |
| Corpus Christi | 277,454 | Nueces County |
| Pasadena | 141,674 | Harris County |
| Brownsville | 139,722 | Cameron County |
| Beaumont | 113,866 | Jefferson County |
| McAllen | 106,414 | Hidalgo County |
| Baytown | 66,430 | Harris County |
| Sugar Land | 63,328 | Fort Bend County |
| Victoria | 60,603 | Victoria County |
| Harlingen | 57,564 | Cameron County |
| Edinburg | 48,465 | Hidalgo County |
| Pharr | 46,660 | Hidalgo County |
| Mission | 45,408 | Hidalgo County |
Flora and fauna
The Whooping Crane
The Coastal Bend is a habitat for many types of vegetation[2] and wildlife. Aransas National Wildlife Refuge is among the most prominent centers for wildlife. Wildlife found in the area includes the rare Whooping Crane, American Alligators, Nine-banded Armadillos, West Indian Manatees, and numerous other species of wildlife.
The Texas Coastal Bend is also an area of demarcation between ranges of various vegetative species. For example, the California Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera) is found only west of the Texas Coastal Bend, or more specifically the Balcones Fault.[3]
Bays
Two fisherman stand on a shoal in Laguna Madre
The Bays included in the area:
- Baffin Bay
- Laguna Madre
- Corpus Christi Bay
- Aransas Bay
- Copano Bay
- Matagorda Bay
- San Antonio Bay
- Galveston Bay
- Nueces Bay
- Oso Bay
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