West Texas

West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas.

There is a general lack of consensus regarding the boundaries that separate East Texas and West Texas. Walter Prescott Webb, the American historian and geographer, suggested that the 98th meridian separates East and West Texas. The Texas writer A.C. Greene proposed that West Texas extends west of the Brazos River. Perhaps, the truth is that there is no distinct line that separates East and West Texas. Rather, there are places that are clearly in West Texas and there are places that are clearly in East Texas, and then there are places that fall within a transitional zone between these two regions.

West Texas is often subdivided according to distinct physiographic features. The portion of West Texas that lies west of the Pecos River is often referred to as "Far West Texas" or the "Trans-Pecos," a term first introduced in 1887 by the Texas geologist Robert T. Hill. The Trans-Pecos lies within the Chihuahuan Desert, the most arid portion of the state. Another important subdivision of West Texas is the Llano Estacado, a vast region of level high plains that extends into the Texas Panhandle. To the east of the Llano Estacado lies the “redbed country” of the Rolling Plains and to the south of the Llano Estacado lies the Edwards Plateau. The Rolling Plains and the Edwards Plateau subregions act as transitional zones between East and West Texas.

Population
West Texas has a much lower population density than the rest of the state. It was once mostly inhabited by nomadic Native American tribes such as the Apache, Comanche, and Kiowa until after the Civil War. It does not have as many ties to other parts of the South as does East Texas. However, most of the people who originally settled West Texas migrated from the Southern United States, most of whom can trace their ancestry back to England, and their descendants make up a large part of the residents today. There is a also a very large Hispanic population, especially near the Rio Grande and a significant number of Americans of German ancestry as well. Many Mexicans fled Ojinaga and walked to Stonewall during the Mexican revolution in the early days of the 20th century. Many Mexican-Americans still have close family ties in Mexico.

Climate
West Texas receives much less rainfall than the rest of Texas and has an arid or semi-arid climate, requiring most of its scant agriculture to be heavily dependent on irrigation. This irrigation, and water taken out farther North for the needs of El Paso and Juarez, Mexico, has reduced both the Pecos River and the once mighty Rio Grande to a stream in some places, even dry at times. Much of West Texas has rugged terrain including many small mountain ranges while there are none in other parts of the state. West Texas contains part of the Chihuahuan Desert and also the Southern Great Plains, known as the Llano Estacado.

Politics
The area is known for its conservative politics, except for the El Paso area. Some of the most heavily Republican counties in the United States are located in the region. Former President George W. Bush spent most of his childhood in west Texas. This region was one of the first areas of Texas to abandon its "Solid South" Democratic roots; some counties have not supported a Democrat for president since 1948.

Industry
Major industries include livestock, petroleum and natural gas production, textiles such as cotton, grain and because of its proximity to the Mexican border, the maquiladora industry. West Texas has become notable for its numerous wind turbines producing clean, alternative electricity.

Cities and Towns of West Texas
Major West Texas cities and metropolitan areas include: Abilene, Amarillo, El Paso, Lubbock, Midland, Odessa, and San Angelo.

Some of the smaller West Texas cities and towns include: Alpine, Andrews, Big Spring, Brownfield, Crane, Fort Stockton, Hale Center, Iraan, Kermit, Lamesa, Levelland, Littlefield, Marfa, McCamey, Monahans, Ozona, Pampa, Pecos, Plainview, Post, Rankin, Seminole, Slaton, Snyder, Socorro, Sweetwater, and Van Horn, Texas.