Rio Grande Valley

This article is about the Lower Rio Grande Valley. For the New Mexico wine region along the Middle Rio Grande Valley, see Middle Rio Grande Valley AVA. For the town, see Panhandle, Texas.
Rio Grande Valley
Region
Country  US
State  Texas
Region South Texas
Lowest point
 - location Gulf of Mexico
 - elevation 0 m (0 ft)
Area 4,872 km2 (1,881 sq mi)
Population 1,336,323 (2014)
Density 259/km2 (671/sq mi)
Timezone Central (UTC-6)
Area code 956
Map of the Rio Grande Valley
Website: Handbook of Texas: Rio Grande Valley

The Rio Grande Valley (RGV), The Valley, is an area located in the southernmost tip of South Texas. It lies along the northern bank of the Rio Grande river, which separates Mexico from the United States. This four-county region is one of the fastest growing places in all of the United States. From having about 325,000 people in 1969, to today a population over 1,300,000 in 2014. Some of the biggest cities in the region are; Brownsville, McAllen, Mission, Edinburg, Pharr, Weslaco, Harlingen, Rio Grande City, and Hidalgo.

Geography and demographics

The Rio Grande Valley is not a true valley, but a floodplain, containing many oxbow lakes or resacas formed from pinched-off meanders in earlier courses of the Rio Grande.[1] Early 20th-century land developers, attempting to capitalize on unclaimed land, utilized the name "Magic Valley" to attract settlers and appeal to investors. The Rio Grande Valley is also called El Valle, the Spanish translation of "the valley", by those who live there.[2] The residents of the Rio Grande Valley occasionally refer to the area as "El Mágico Valle del Río Grande" ("The Magical Valley of the Rio Grande"), and also simply by the initials R.G.V.

The main region is within four Texan counties: Starr County, Hidalgo County, Willacy County, and Cameron County. As of January 1, 2012, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population of the Rio Grande Valley at 1,305,782.[3] According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2008, 86 percent of Cameron County, 90 percent of Hidalgo County, 97 percent of Starr County, and 86 percent of Willacy County are Hispanic.[4]

The largest city is Brownsville (Cameron County), followed by McAllen (Hidalgo County). Other major cities include Harlingen, Edinburg, Mission, Rio Grande City, Raymondville, Weslaco, Hidalgo and Pharr.[5]

Tourism

The Lower Rio Grande Valley encompasses landmarks that attract tourists, and popular destinations include: Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, and Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park; and on the coast: South Padre Island, Brazos Island, and the Port Isabel Lighthouse.

The Valley is a popular waypoint for tourists visiting Northeast Mexico. Popular destinations across the border and Rio Grande include: Matamoros, Nuevo Progreso, Río Bravo, and Reynosa, all located in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.

The Valley also attracts tourists from the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, and Mexico, D.F. (México City).

Places of historical interest

The First Lift Station in Mission, Texas once provided water for irrigating the crops of the early Rio Grande Valley.

Economy

The Valley is historically reliant on agribusiness and tourism. Cotton, grapefruit, sorghum, maize, and sugarcane are its leading crops, and the region is the center of citrus production and the most important area of vegetable production in the State of Texas. Over the last several decades, the emergence of maquiladoras (factories or fabrication plants) has caused a surge of industrial development along the border, while international bridges have allowed Mexican nationals to shop, sell, and do business in the border cities along the Rio Grande. The geographic inclusion of South Padre Island also drives tourism, particularly during the Spring Break season, during which South Padre Island becomes reminiscent of New Orleans during Mardi Gras. During the winter months, many retirees (commonly referred to as "Winter Texans") arrive to enjoy the warm weather, access to pharmaceuticals and health care in Mexican border crossings such as Nuevo Progreso. There is a substantial health-care industry with major hospitals and many clinics and private practices in Brownsville, Harlingen, and McAllen.

Box of Oranges, from the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas (postcard, c. 1912-1924)

Texas is the third largest producer of citrus fruit in United States, the majority of which is grown in the Rio Grande Valley. Grapefruit make up over 70% of the Valley citrus crop, which also includes orange, tangerine, tangelo and Meyer lemon production each Winter.[10]

There are two semi-professional sports teams that play in the Rio Grande Valley: The Rio Grande Valley Vipers (basketball), and The Rio Grande Valley FC Toros (soccer). Previous teams that are now defunct include: the Edinburg Roadrunners (baseball), La Fiera FC (indoor soccer), Rio Grande Valley Ocelots FC,(soccer), Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings (baseball), The Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (ice hockey), and the RGV Sol (indoor football).

One of the Valley's major tourist attractions is the semi-tropical wildlife. Birds and butterflies attract a large amount of visitors every year all throughout the entire valley. Ecotourism is a major economic force in the Rio Grande Valley.

Politics

As of 2006, officeholders tend to be Democrat. It is common for voters to be influenced by members of their own extended families and by prominent families in their towns, so politicians often try to make friends with family groups to increase their chances of getting elected. As of 2006, about 20,000 to 30,000 people in Cameron County habitually vote in primary elections, and Presidential elections have higher turnouts. Politiqueras, women hired to help elderly people vote, are crucial in South Texas elections. Cecilia Ballí of Texas Monthly wrote that voters expect to get favors from politicians they vote for, and if they do not get these favors they become resentful of politicians as a whole.[11]

Education

Colleges and universities located in the Rio Grande Valley include:

Hospitals

Media

Magazines

Newspapers

Local Blogs

Television

Radio

  • KBFM Wild 104 (Hip Hop/Top 40)
  • XEEW-FM Los 40 Principales 97.7 (Top 40 Spanish/English)
  • KBTQ 96.1 Exitos (Spanish Oldies)Univision
  • KCAS 91.5 FM (Christian, Teaching/Preaching/Music)
  • KESO Digital 92.7 (Internacional, Spanish Top 40)
  • KFRQ Q94.5 The Rock Station (Classic/Modern/Hard Rock)
  • KGBT 1530 La Tremenda (Univision)
  • KGBT-FM 98.5 FM (Regional Mexican) Univision
  • KHKZ Kiss FM 105.5 & 106.3 (Hot Adult Contemporary)
  • KIRT 1580 AM Radio Imagen (Variety, Spanish contemporary)
  • KIWW (Spanish)
  • KJAV 104.9 Jack FM
  • KKPS La Nueva 99.5 (Regional Mexican)
  • KJJF/KHID 88.9/88.1 NPR (Classical/Public Radio)
  • KNVO-FM Super Estrella (Super Star) 101.1
  • KQXX Kiss FM 105.5 & 106.3 (Hot Adult Contemporary, simulcast of KHKZ)
  • KTEX 100.3 (Country)
  • KURV 710 AM Heritage Talk Radio (part of the BMP family of stations)
  • KVLY 107.9 Mix FM (Top 40)
  • KVMV 96.9 FM (Christian, Contemporary Music) World Radio Network
  • XHRYA-FM 90.9 Mas Music (Spanish/English Mix)
  • KBUC Super Tejano102.1 (Tejano)

Notable people

A list of notable people who were born, lived, or died in the Rio Grande Valley includes:

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1981 to 2010.

References

  1. ↑ Texas State Historical Association — Lower Rio Grande Valley
  2. ↑ Winter Texan Resources for South Padre Island, Brownsville, Harlingen, and the Rio Grande Valley
  3. ↑ 2012 Census Estimates
  4. ↑ Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley Fact Sheet
  5. ↑ Population Estimates for Rio Grande Valley Cities 2000-2004
  6. ↑ "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Station Name: TX Brownsville". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  8. ↑ "WMO climate normals for Brownsville/INTL, TX 1961−1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
  9. ↑ National Park Service: Rancho de Carricitos
  10. ↑ Rootstock and Scion Varieties by Julian W. Sauls, Professor & Extension Horticulturist, Texas AgriLife Extension
  11. ↑ Ballí, Cecilia. "The Bad Guy With the Badge" (Archive). Texas Monthly. August 2006. Retrieved on May 25, 2016.
  12. ↑ RAHC Vision Statement
  13. ↑ http://www.vivasouthtexas.com/about-us.html
  14. ↑ http://ouchmyego.com/about-ouch-my-ego/
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Rio Grande Valley.

Coordinates: 26°13′N 98°07′W / 26.22°N 98.12°W / 26.22; -98.12

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/2/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.