<P> The geographic center of Texas is about 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Brady in northern McCulloch County . Guadalupe Peak, at 8,749 feet (2,666.7 m) above sea level, is the highest point in Texas, the lowest being sea level where Texas meets the Gulf of Mexico . Texas has five state forests and 120 state parks for a total over 605,000 acres (2,450 km). There are 3,700 named streams and 15 major river systems flowing through 191,000 miles (307,000 km) of Texas . Eventually emptying into seven major estuaries, these rivers support over 212 reservoirs . </P> <P> With 10 climatic regions, 14 soil regions, and 11 distinct ecological regions, regional classification becomes problematic with differences in soils, topography, geology, rainfall, and plant and animal communities . </P> <P> The Gulf Coastal Plains extends from the Gulf of Mexico inland to the Balcones Fault and the Eastern Cross Timbers . This large area, including the Texas barrier islands, stretches from the cities of Paris to San Antonio to Del Rio but shows a large variety in vegetation . With about 20 to over 58 inches (508--1,480 mm) annual rainfall, this is a nearly level, drained plain dissected by streams and rivers flowing into estuaries and marshes . Windblown sands and dunes, grasslands, oak mottes and salt marshes make up the seaward areas . National Parks include Big Thicket National Preserve, Padre Island National Seashore and the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site . </P> <P> The North Central Plains are bounded by the Caprock Escarpment to the west, the Edwards Plateau to the south, and the Eastern Cross Timbers to the east . This area includes the North Central Plains around the cities of Abilene and Wichita Falls, the Western Cross Timbers to the west of Fort Worth, the Grand Prairie, and the Eastern Cross Timbers to the east of Dallas . With about 35 to 50 inches (890 to 1,270 mm) annual rainfall, gently rolling to hilly forested land is part of a larger pine - hardwood forest of oaks, hickories, elm and gum trees . Soils vary from coarse sands to tight clays or shet rock clays and shales . </P>

Economic cultural political basis for each region of texas