Texas being excluded from the South (Austin, El Paso: house, building, island)

[kemahkami]

Originally Posted by Treasurevalley92

And Montana is Montana and Idaho is Idaho. Do all large states that are unique and have mixed influences get to be their own region?

Texas is part of the South.

Originally Posted by CookieSkoon

Right? I get tired of that angle.

There isn't a single state in the Union that is exactly the same on one end as it is on the other. Not even Rhode Island.

Texas is not special in this. All states are part of something greater.

The difference is that most of those states aren't nearly as large or diverse as Texas is. The only competitors are California and, to a lesser extent, Florida.

[Treasurevalley92]

Originally Posted by ScrappyJoe

The difference is that most of those states aren't nearly as large or diverse in their ends as Texas is.

The difference between the high desert of southern Idaho and the lush lakes of Northern Idaho is as wide as any difference in Texas. Culturally the Difference between mormons in the SE and libertarians in the pan handle too.

Montana may be even more so.

You need to travel more Florida is great but the topography and climate doesn't really vary that much within the state.

[kemahkami]

Originally Posted by Treasurevalley92

The difference between the high desert of southern Idaho and the lush lakes of Northern Idaho is as wide as any difference in Texas. Culturally the Difference between mormons in the SE and libertarians in the pan handle too.

Montana may be even more so.

Nope, not even close. Those differences are minor compared to the contrasts seen in Texas. Even individual cities in Texas have more contrasts within their area than just Mormons vs Libertarians, lmao!

You need to travel more Florida is great but the topography and climate doesn't really vary that much within the state.

Take your own advice, you need it more than I do. And learn proper punctuation while you're at it.

[Treasurevalley92]

Originally Posted by ScrappyJoe

Nope, not even close. Those differences are minor compared to the contrasts seen in Texas. Even individual cities in Texas have more contrasts within their area than just Mormons vs Libertarians, lmao!

Take your own advice, you need it more than I do. And learn proper punctuation while you're at it.

Have you ever been to Montana or Idaho? Have you been across either state?


While it is true that in Texas you will get

This: https://www.google.com/maps/@31.2258...!7i6324!8i3162

As well as This: https://www.google.com/maps/@29.0166...!7i8704!8i4352

Most of the state looks like some version of This: https://www.google.com/maps/@32.5149...!7i8704!8i4352

(With various levels of hills, less trees out west more back east)


Texas has some impressive diversity, but it's a long slow burn and the scenery changes slowly across vast spaces.


Parts of Montana looks like this: https://www.google.com/maps/@45.3213...!7i3328!8i1664

Other parts like this: https://www.google.com/maps/@48.6847...7i10240!8i5120

One of the best ways to have a drastic change of scenery, plants and animals is with elevation change which you get out west.

One part of Idaho:
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6006...7i13312!8i6656


Another
https://www.google.com/maps/@48.0487...!7i5376!8i2688

Different part:

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.5543...!7i8704!8i4352

And again.

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.0396...!7i8704!8i4352

Lots of states have just as much geographical change as Texas, most over less area.

And yeah, there are some pretty big cultural differences between mormons who want to restrict booze and ban weed and libertarians in the pan handle. There are plenty of people who want to split the state over it. The Time zone is already split between the "PNW part" and the "Mountain West Part."

The point being Texas isn't unique for having different parts of the state being vastly different. Go back and look at eastern and Western Montana again.

[CookieSkoon]

Originally Posted by ScrappyJoe

The difference is that most of those states aren't nearly as large or diverse as Texas is. The only competitors are California and, to a lesser extent, Florida.

You are sorely misinformed and I urge you to do some research before making such astoundingly ignorant claims in the future.

First of all Texas is not the largest state and many other states are also quite massive, nor is it exclusively diverse.

Second of all, Florida is no larger than most states and is one of the few with lesser immediate diversity in landscape. Where exactly did that come from in your mind?

Every state west of the frontier strip is huge (except for Hawaii). I believe Washington is the smallest and it is roughly the size of the larger-average eastern states. Alaska puts Texas to shame.

As for landscape diversity and size in the east you have severely under-estimated many states. If you're going for population and cultural diversity as well, you left out NY state (which is also much larger than you likely think it is).

I do not understand your argument.

[kemahkami]

Originally Posted by Treasurevalley92

The point being Texas isn't unique for having different parts of the state being vastly different. Go back and look at eastern and Western Montana again.

It's interesting that in trying to argue against the uniqueness of Texas, you also manage to list precisely factors that lead to why people view the state as its own region. That's on top of you missing the entire point altogether:

Originally Posted by Treasurevalley92

Have you ever been to Montana or Idaho? Have you been across either state?


While it is true that in Texas you will get

This: https://www.google.com/maps/@31.2258...!7i6324!8i3162

As well as This: https://www.google.com/maps/@29.0166...!7i8704!8i4352

Most of the state looks like some version of This: https://www.google.com/maps/@32.5149...!7i8704!8i4352

(With various levels of hills, less trees out west more back east)


Texas has some impressive diversity, but it's a long slow burn and the scenery changes slowly across vast spaces.

Parts of Montana looks like this: https://www.google.com/maps/@45.3213...!7i3328!8i1664

Other parts like this: https://www.google.com/maps/@48.6847...7i10240!8i5120

One of the best ways to have a drastic change of scenery, plants and animals is with elevation change which you get out west.

One part of Idaho:
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6006...7i13312!8i6656


Another
https://www.google.com/maps/@48.0487...!7i5376!8i2688

Different part:

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.5543...!7i8704!8i4352

And again.

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.0396...!7i8704!8i4352

Lots of states have just as much geographical change as Texas, most over less area.

Actually, the large area and gradual nature of the Texas geographic change work in favor of classifying the state as its own region. The seamless form of transition is key in maintaining commonality amongst the drastic end to end differences: exactly what entails a region. Also remember that such seamless transition across Texas encapsulates the spiritual divide between the East and the West as it pertains to the US as a whole. The end result is that you go from thick forests festooned with moss to open desert vistas, and from high plains to subtropical beaches, all infused under a Texas state of mind. And with the large areal coverage of the change, the different sections of the state each play a significant role in defining the culture.

If such differences in Texas were abrupt over a smaller area like with Western states, then it would be far easier to sectionalize the state, and, thus, not view it as one united region as many have done. Also note that most of those dramatic changes in the Western states pertain to topography, which can be very localized: they are less likely to encompass wide swaths of land as with Texas, and, therefore, are easier to generalize as a whole even with intact differences. Plus, the varied environments of those Western states all still fall into what people think of regarding the West: it's nothing like the spiritual divide between East and West that you get in Texas.

And yeah, there are some pretty big cultural differences between mormons who want to restrict booze and ban weed and libertarians in the pan handle. There are plenty of people who want to split the state over it. The Time zone is already split between the "PNW part" and the "Mountain West Part."

Yeah, that's still pretty tame compared to what is seen even within individual metros of Texas, let alone the entire state. Both in the variety of differences, as well as the level of contrast.

[kemahkami]

Originally Posted by CookieSkoon

You are sorely misinformed and I urge you to do some research before making such astoundingly ignorant claims in the future.

Work on your reading comprehension first:

First of all Texas is not the largest state and many other states are also quite massive, nor is it exclusively diverse.

I never said that diversity was exclusive to Texas, nor that it was the largest state. But when it comes to the seamless combination of size and varying types of diversity, Texas is nearly without equal: only California can compare.

Second of all, Florida is no larger than most states and is one of the few with lesser immediate diversity in landscape. Where exactly did that come from in your mind?

Never said that Florida was the best candidate (hence the "lesser extent").

Every state west of the frontier strip is huge (except for Hawaii). I believe Washington is the smallest and it is roughly the size of the larger-average eastern states. Alaska puts Texas to shame.

As for landscape diversity and size in the east you have severely under-estimated many states. If you're going for population and cultural diversity as well, you left out NY state (which is also much larger than you likely think it is).

None of this refutes the point meaningfully. Plus, you (and others) are arguing as if those that see Texas as its own region aren't feeling the same for other states as well.

I do not understand your argument.

Read my response above to Treasurevalley for full detail.

[Treasurevalley92]

Scrappy, you never answered the question if you have ever been to Montana or Idaho before lol. If you have, where?

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by ScrappyJoe

Nope, not even close. Those differences are minor compared to the contrasts seen in Texas. Even individual cities in Texas have more contrasts within their area than just Mormons vs Libertarians, lmao!



Take your own advice, you need it more than I do. And learn proper punctuation while you're at it.

A state is not a region. A region is a wide grouping of states. Texas is south. Southern. That's where the government, the census bureau and any other combining factor places it. Yes It touches Mexico. Yes, portions of it are further west than much of New Mexico. But as a whole, it is a southern state in the south and not just on a map but culturally and historically. You have lost this debate. Cookie and Treasure have decimated you. Own it.

And picking out punctuation misses doesn't gain you any extra points.

[kemahkami]

Originally Posted by Treasurevalley92

Scrappy, you never answered the question if you have ever been to Montana or Idaho before lol. If you have, where?

The question is irrelevant to regarding the points at hand, so there is no need to answer it.