Now, let's look at an example of different types of boundary lines.

Percent Speaking Spanish at Home in Counties in the State of Texas, 2000.

Map of Texas divided by counties and shaded by the percent of Spanish speaking homes

Source: Percent Speaking Spanish at Home in counties in the State of Texas, 2000, Texas State Data Center

Activity

Answer the following questions about the map above.

  1. Why might the largest population of Spanish speakers be located in the southwestern region of the state?
  2. Where is the lowest percentage of Spanish speakers in the home located in Texas?
  3. Are the cultural boundaries of an area the same as the political boundaries? Why or why not?
  4. The basic function of boundaries is to determine where one territory, neighborhood, or country, etc. ends and another begins. Write a brief essay that explains how the natural, political, and cultural boundaries of Texas have changed over time.