Trans-Pecos
| Trans-Pecos | |
| Arid Region | |
Ocotillo in the Chihuahuan Desert of the Trans-Pecos
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| Country |  United States |
|---|---|
| State |  Texas |
| Highest point | |
| - location | Guadalupe Peak |
| - elevation | 2,667 m (8,750 ft) |
| - coordinates | 31°53′29.26″N 104°51′38.56″W / 31.8914611°N 104.8607111°W |
| Lowest point | |
| - location | Pecos - Rio Grande Confluence |
| - elevation | 300 m (984 ft) |
| - coordinates | 29°26′59″N 101°3′30″W / 29.44972°N 101.05833°W |
| Area | 31,479 sq mi (81,530 km2) |
| Population | 856,187 (2010) |
| Density | 27/sq mi (10/km2) |
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| Website: Handbook of Texas: Trans-Pecos | |
The Trans-Pecos, as originally defined in 1887 by the Texas geologist Robert T. Hill, is the portion of Texas that lies west of the Pecos River. The term is considered synonymous with "Far West Texas", a subdivision of West Texas. The Trans-Pecos is part of the Chihuahuan Desert, the largest desert in North America. It is the most mountainous and arid portion of the state, and most of its area (outside the city of El Paso) is vast and sparsely populated, comprising seven of the ten largest counties by area in Texas. The area is well known for the natural beauty of the Big Bend and the gorge of the Rio Grande, part of which has been designated a National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. With the notable exceptions of Big Bend Ranch State Park and Big Bend National Park, the vast majority of the Trans-Pecos region consists of privately owned ranchland. The vast majority of the region's population reside in the El Paso metropolitan area.
The Trans-Pecos region consists of nine counties: Brewster, Culberson, El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Pecos, Presidio, Reeves, and Terrell (See table below). Brewster County, the largest, has a land area of 6,193 sq mi (16,040 km2). To put this figure in perspective, the land area of Brewster County is about 10% larger than the entire state of Connecticut, yet it has a population density of only 1.4 persons per square mile compared to the 723 persons per square mile who reside in Connecticut. However, Brewster County is not the least-populated of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos. Terrell County, which borders both the Pecos River and the Rio Grande, is the least-populated county in the Trans-Pecos region. According to the United States Census of 2000, Terrell County had a total population of 984 residents occupying a land area of 2,358 sq mi (6,107 km2), resulting in a population density less than 0.5 persons per square mile.
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Wikipedia