West South Central | |
---|---|
Left to right from top: Downtown Houston, San Antonio, Downtown Dallas, Austin, Oklahoma City, El Paso, Tulsa and New Orleans skyline | |
States | |
Largest metropolitan areas | |
Largest city | Houston |
Area | |
• Total | 444,052.01 sq mi (1,150,089.4 km2) |
• Land | 425,066.01 sq mi (1,100,915.9 km2) |
• Water | 18,986.00 sq mi (49,173.5 km2) |
Population (2019) [2] | |
• Total | 40,619,450 |
• Density | 91/sq mi (35/km2) |
The West South Central states, colloquially known as the South Central states, is a region of the United States defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as covering four states: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. The West South Central or South Central region is located within the Southern United States and Gulf Coast regions, [3] bordering the Mountain states and Midwestern U.S. regions to its north and west. The Gulf of Mexico is to the south of the region. Houston is the South Central's largest city, and the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area is the region's largest metropolis.
A geographically diverse region, the southern portion of the states are covered by coastal plains and swamps, [4] [5] [6] [7] while the remainder is covered by forests such as the Cross Timbers, [8] [9] [10] hills and mountains, [11] [12] [13] and deserts near the Texas–Mexico border.
With European colonization of the Americas, this region of the U.S. has been heavily influenced by the French and Spanish. [14] [15] [16] [17] With American settlement, Anglo-American culture began to influence the states covering the region. Distinct from New England and the Mid-Atlantic states, and in common with the Western U.S. and South Atlantic states, the majority of its non-Anglo culture descends from the Spanish Empire and Mexico; [14] [18] within Louisiana, there is a significant French influence preserved through its Cajun and Louisiana Creole populations. [19] [20] [21] In Oklahoma, Native American culture is prevalent through tribes such as the Cherokee and Seminole nations among others. [22]
Within the region, Christianity is the prevalent religion as part of the Bible Belt; southern and southeastern Texas; [23] and southern Louisiana are predominantly Roman Catholic and non- or inter-denominational Protestant, with Baptists constituting a great majority. [24] From central and northern Texas, and central and northern Louisiana to the states of Oklahoma and Arkansas, Baptists, Methodists, and non- or inter-denominational Protestants constituted the majority. [24]
The history of the West South Central states is dominated by the conflict and interaction between three cultural-linguistic groups: the Anglosphere (first Great Britain and then the United States), the Hispanidad (first Spain then Mexico), and the Francophonie (France).
In the 17th and 18th centuries, Spain and France maneuvered for control of Texas, [25] with the Spanish based in Mexico and the French in Louisiana. During the War of the Quadruple Alliance hostilities spread to the New World and the French troops from Natchitoches briefly captured the capital of Spanish Texas, Los Adaes, in what is now western Louisiana. The French were not able to wrest control of Texas from Spain, and by the early 19th century sold their North American holdings to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase, [26] [27] which comprised slightly less than half of what is today the West South Central United States.
During the Texas Revolution (1835–1836), a rebellion of United States immigrants and Tejanos (Texas Mexicans), put up armed resistance against the Centralist Republic of Mexico. [28] The Battle of the Alamo was a major turning point during the Texas Revolution. [29] This battle would lead to many Texians deciding to join the Texian Army. Texians would defeat the Mexican Army at the Battle of San Jacinto later on, [30] [31] leading to Texas declaring themselves an independent country in 1836, however Mexico viewed them as a rebellious province. Texas would eventually be admitted as a U.S. state in 1845. [32]
The official West and East South Central states of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee would secede from the Union and join the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Kentucky was a border state that remained with the Union. Oklahoma, although Indian Territory at the time, was home to five major Native American tribes (the Five Civilized Tribes), of which the majority allied themselves with the Confederacy. [33] [34] Oklahoma territory and Indian Territory would merge into the state of Oklahoma when it became the 46th U.S. state in 1907. [35] All of these states are usually considered to make up a larger part of the American South, both historically and culturally, as well as classified by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The climate varies from the semi-tropical in the Mississippi Delta, south Louisiana, and southeast Texas, to the dry Chihuahuan desert in West Texas. [7] [6] [13] A large portion of the northeastern quarter of the region is mountainous, with the Ozark and Ouachita mountains of Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. The northwest quarter of the region is dominated by the Great Plains which become progressively drier west of 100° W, forming the North American Llano Estacado. The southwestern portions border the Rio Grande and are generally drier than other areas of the West South Central United States.
Two megaregions exist within this region:
State | Population (2020 census) | Land area (sq mi) |
---|---|---|
Arkansas | 3,011,524 | 53,179 |
Louisiana | 4,657,757 | 51,843 |
Oklahoma | 3,986,639 | 69,898 |
Texas | 29,527,941 | 268,581 |
Texas is the largest West South Central state by both area and population; Texas is still home to over half the region's population. The largest city in the region, Houston, is located in Texas. New Orleans was tied with Oklahoma City in population but, after Hurricane Katrina, the population of the New Orleans metro area declined to approximately 1 million. [36] By 2017, the population of the New Orleans metropolitan area had bounced back to almost 1.3 million; [37] overall, Louisiana and Arkansas are the two-slowest growing states of the region in contrast with Texas and Oklahoma. [38] [39] In contrast with the population growth of Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, Louisiana has experienced the fifth highest population loss in the U.S. according to 2021 census estimates (making it the second-slowest growing state along the entire Gulf Coast megaregion, yet still experiencing more natural births than Mississippi in the East South Central states). [40]
City | 2020 pop. | |
---|---|---|
1 | Houston, Texas | 2,288,250 |
2 | San Antonio, Texas | 1,451,853 |
3 | Dallas, Texas | 1,288,457 |
4 | Austin, Texas | 964,177 |
5 | Fort Worth, Texas | 935,508 |
6 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 687,725 |
7 | El Paso, Texas | 678,415 |
8 | Tulsa, Oklahoma | 411,401 |
9 | Arlington, Texas | 392,786 |
10 | New Orleans, Louisiana | 376,971 |
MSA | 2021 pop. | |
---|---|---|
1 | Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington, TX MSA | 7,759,615 |
2 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX MSA | 7,206,845 |
3 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX MSA | 2,601,795 |
4 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA | 2,352,435 |
5 | Oklahoma City, OK MSA | 1,441,655 |
6 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA MSA | 1,261,735 |
7 | Tulsa, OK MSA | 1,142,906 |
8 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA | 868,707 |
9 | Baton Rouge, LA MSA | 854,757 |
10 | El Paso, TX MSA | 844,124 |
Parties | |||||
Democratic-Republican | Democratic | Whig | Republican | Dixiecrat | American Independent |
Within the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada, the first team in the region were founded in 1960: the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League and the Houston Oilers of the American Football League. The Oilers relocated after 1996, whereas two more teams in the region joined the NFL: the Houston Texans (2002) and New Orleans Saints (1967). [41]
Two Major League Baseball teams are based in the region: Houston Astros (1962) and Texas Rangers (1972). [42] The region has five NBA teams: San Antonio Spurs (1967), Houston Rockets (1971), Dallas Mavericks (1980), New Orleans Pelicans (2002) and Oklahoma City Thunder (2008). [43] National Hockey League features the Dallas Stars since 1993. [44]
Texas also has three Major League Soccer teams: FC Dallas (1996), Houston Dynamo (2006), and Austin FC (2021), whereas the Dallas Tornado played in the North American Soccer League from 1968 to 1981. [45]
Collegiate athletics have deep significance in the region's culture, especially football. The Southwest Conference was based in the region from 1914 to 1996. Currently the Big 12 Conference has four teams from Texas and one from Oklahoma, whereas the Southeastern Conference has two teams from Texas, one from Oklahoma, one from Arkansas, and one from Louisiana.
According to a survey of Division I-A coaches, the Red River Shootout, the rivalry between the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns, ranks the third best in the nation. [46] The Bedlam Series is the rivalry between the Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys. The TCU Horned Frogs and SMU Mustangs also share a rivalry and compete annually in the Battle for the Iron Skillet.
The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South or the South Coast, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, and these are known as the Gulf States.
Texas is the most populous state in the South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the west, and an international border with the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the south and southwest. Texas has a coastline on the Gulf of Mexico to the southeast. Covering 268,596 square miles (695,660 km2), and with some 30.5 million residents as of 2023, it is the second-largest state by both area and population. Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State for its former status as an independent republic.
Texarkana is a city in Bowie County, Texas, United States, in the Ark-La-Tex region. Located approximately 180 miles (290 km) from Dallas, Texarkana is a twin city with neighboring Texarkana, Arkansas. The Texas city's population was 36,193 at the 2020 census.
Ennis is a city in eastern Ellis County, Texas, United States. The population is 20,159 according to the 2020 census, with an estimated population of 23,686 in 2023. Ennis is home to the annual National Polka Festival.
Rosenberg is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area and Fort Bend County. Rosenberg was named for Henry Von Rosenberg, who emigrated to Texas from Switzerland in 1843. Von Rosenberg was an important figure in the settlement of Fort Bend County and the Gulf Coast region. The population was 38,282 at the 2020 census, up from 30,618 at the 2010 census. The community holds the Fort Bend County fair in October. Rosenberg is adjacent to the city of Richmond, the Fort Bend County seat.
Crosby is a census-designated place in Harris County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,417 at the 2020 census.
Greenville is a city in Hunt County, Texas, United States, located in Northeast Texas approximately 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Dallas, Texas and 52 miles (84 km) northwest of Canton, Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Hunt County. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 28,164.
The Southern United States is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It is between the Atlantic Ocean and the Western United States, with the Midwestern and Northeastern United States to its north and the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico to its south.
The Ark-La-Tex is a socio-economic tri-state region where the Southern U.S. states of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas join together. The region contains portions of Northwest Louisiana, Northeast Texas, and South Arkansas as well as the extreme southeastern tip of Oklahoma, in McCurtain County, partly centered upon the Red River, which flows along the Texas–Oklahoma state line into Southwestern Arkansas and Northwest Louisiana.
East Texas is a broadly defined cultural, geographic, and ecological region in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas that comprises most of 41 counties. It is primarily divided into Northeast and Southeast Texas. Most of the region consists of the Piney Woods ecoregion. East Texas can sometimes be defined only as the Piney Woods. At the fringes, towards Central Texas, the forests expand outward toward sparser trees and eventually into open plains.
North Texas is a term used primarily by residents of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex to refer to a geographic area of Texas, generally considered to include the area south of Oklahoma, east of Abilene, west of Paris, and north of Waco. Definitions of the region usually don't include the sparsely populated Panhandle of Texas, which is the northernmost region of Texas bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east.
The Sun Belt is a region of the United States generally considered stretching across the Southeast and Southwest. Another rough definition of the region is the area south of the 36th parallel. Several climates can be found in the region—desert/semi-desert, Mediterranean (California), humid subtropical, and tropical.
The North American Central Time Zone (CT) is a time zone in parts of Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central America, and some Caribbean islands.
Northeast Texas is a cultural and geographic region in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Texas. Geographically centered on two metropolitan areas strung along Interstate 20—Tyler in the west and Kilgore, Longview, Marshall to the east, the areas of Greenville, Mount Pleasant, Sulphur Springs, Paris, and Texarkana in the north primarily along Interstate 30, and Jacksonville and Palestine to the south are also major cities within the region. Most of Northeast Texas is included in the interstate region of the Ark-La-Tex.
The Central United States is sometimes conceived as between the Eastern and Western as part of a three-region model, roughly coincident with the U.S. Census Bureau's definition of the Midwestern United States plus the western and central portions of the U.S. Census's definition of the Southern United States. The Central States are typically considered to consist of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Mississippi and Alabama.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2023, Texas was the second largest state in population after California, with a population of 30,503,301, an increase of more than 1.3 million people, or 4.7%, since the 29,145,505 of the 2020 census. Its apportioned population in 2020 was 29,183,290. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the state of Texas has experienced strong population growth. Texas has many major cities and metropolitan areas, along with many towns and rural areas. Much of the population is concentrated in the major cities of Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, McAllen, and El Paso and their corresponding metropolitan areas. The first four aforementioned main urban centers are also referred to as the Texas Triangle megaregion.
African American Texans or Black Texans are residents of the state of Texas who are of African ancestry and people that have origins as African-American slaves. African Americans formed a unique ethnic identity in Texas while facing the problems of societal and institutional discrimination as well as colorism for many years. The first person of African heritage to arrive in Texas was Estevanico, who came to Texas in 1528.
The Consulate General of the Philippines in Houston is a diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines in the United States, representing the country's interests in Texas. It is located at the first floor of 9990 Richmond Avenue in the Westchase neighborhood of west Houston.