South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of and including San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande River, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 4.5 million. The southern portion of this region is often referred to as the Rio Grande Valley. The eastern portion along the Gulf of Mexico is also referred to as the Coastal Bend.
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There is no defined northern boundary, although it is believed to be at the city of San Antonio and from an east to west line extending from the Rio Grande near Maverick County to the Gulf of Mexico, but turning southeast at or near Lavaca County, and continuing towards the Gulf of Mexico to separate it from East Texas and Southeast Texas. The Rio Grande serves as the western and southern boundaries and separates Texas from Mexico. The eastern portion of South Texas is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico.
| City | 2010 Census Population[1] | County |
| San Antonio | 1,327,407 | Bexar County |
| Corpus Christi | 305,215 | Nueces County |
| Laredo | 236,091 | Webb County |
| Brownsville | 175,023 | Cameron County |
| McAllen | 129,877 | Hidalgo County |
| Edinburg | 77,100 | Hidalgo County |
| Mission | 77,058 | Hidalgo County |
| Pharr | 70,400 | Hidalgo County |
| Harlingen | 66,849 | Cameron County |
| Victoria | 62,592 | Victoria County |
| Weslaco | 35,670 | Hidalgo County |
| San Juan | 33,856 | Hidalgo County |
| Schertz | 31,465 | Bexas County |
| Eagle Pass | 26,248 | Maverick County |
| Kingsville | 26,213 | Kleberg County |
| Seguin | 25,175 | Guadalupe County |
| San Benito | 24,250 | Cameron County |
Some people consider Houston to be in South Texas for several reasons. Numerous businesses in the Houston region contain 'South Texas' in their titles.[2] The South Texas College of Law is located in downtown Houston. The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas includes the Houston division. And like South Texas, the city has a large Hispanic population. However, Houston is most accurately classified as being within Southeast Texas, a subregion of East Texas.
South Texas is well-known for a strong Hispanic, primarily Mexican American and Tejano (the Spanish term for Texan) influence, due to its proximity to Mexico. Many Tejanos and Mexicans living in South Texas are descended from the Spanish and Sephardic Jewish-Converso settlers of Mexico. These families have resided in North America for hundreds of years. This migration occurred and has been ongoing since the late 16th century in New Mexico and the early 18th century in South Texas. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in the 1840s, failed to secure land belonging to the Hispanic settlers. The disputed area was between the Nueces River south of San Antonio and Corpus Christi, the King Ranch, and the Rio Grande River. Not recognized by Mexico nor the United States, The Republic of the Rio Grande was established in this region in 1840, lasting less than a year. Laredo, Texas served as its capital.
The Rio Grande Valley area played a significant role in the Mexican War of Independence, Civil War, Texas Independence, Mexican-American War with many historical battle sites around the area. General Robert E. Lee made residence in Fort Ringold (Rio Grande City) during this time as a Colonel. President Zachary Taylor was a General of the Army at Fort Brown (Brownsville) during the Mexican-American War.
The Texas Rangers gained popularity for their actions in South Texas during the Mexican bandit raids and the late 19th century and early 20th century. On May 25, 1876, a band of forty Texas Rangers rode out of Laredo and headed north to the infamous Nueces Strip. Their mission was to find, kill or capture John King Fisher, leader of a band of cattle rustlers and cut-throats that had been terrorizing the area. The Rangers were members of a select group known as the Special Force. Led by the legendary Leander McNelly, the Special Force was tasked with bringing law and order to an area of South Texas that lay between Corpus Christi and the Mexican border.
Laredo
Eagle Pass
Brownsville
Los Indios
Falcon Heights
Hidalgo McAllen
Pharr
Progreso
Rio Grande City
Roma
San Antonio
Corpus Christi
Laredo
Rio Grande Valley
Other
The only major professional sports team in South Texas is the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA.
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