GULF COAST

geographic area in the extreme southern United States along the Gulf of Mexico. Stretching for more than 1,200 miles (1,900 km) from the coast of Florida, it extends about 100 miles (160 km) inland and runs west along southern Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. Land elevations are nowhere more than 500 feet (150 m) in the region. Precipitation is more than 60 inches (1,500 mm) in the southeastern and south-central parts and diminishes to about 20 inches (510 mm) in the lower Rio Grande valley in Texas. Cyclonic storms move across the area during autumn (when they sometimes reach hurricane force) and winter. In the southern tip of Florida are mangrove swamp forests, while in the coastal sections of Texas, Georgia, and Louisiana are marsh, broom, saw, and water grasses. The region's major crops are rice, grown in southwestern Louisiana and southeastern Texas; sugarcane, in southern Louisiana and the Florida Everglades; and citrus fruits, in central Florida and the lower Rio Grande valley in Texas. Offshore oil and gas exploration and production are of great economic importance along the coast of Louisiana and Texas. The Gulf Coast also has reserves of sulfur, magnesium, and phosphates. Manufacturing centres are widespread, and the location of important ports at Houston and Galveston in Texas and at New Orleans has contributed to the tremendous economic growth of the hinterland. The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway extends along nearly the entire Gulf Coast. Both commercial and sport fishing are widespread. Tourism, attracted by the excellent beaches of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas, and by such cities as New Orleans, is a major industry of the region.