Population |
36,643 |
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Physical Features: Gulf Coastal Plain; flat, broken by bays; many different soils; drains to Colorado River, creeks, coast; South Texas Project Reservoir.
Economy: Agribusiness, oil and gas fields, refinery.
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History: Karankawa tribal area, Tonkawas in the area later. Anglo-Americans arrived in 1822. Mexican immigration increased after 1920. An original county, created in 1836 from a Spanish municipality, named for canebrake; organized in 1837; settled by Austin colonists.
Race/Ethnicity: (In percent) Anglo, 43.3; Black, 11.3; Hispanic, 43.3; Asian, 1.9; Other, 1.5; Two or more races, 1.7.
Vital Statistics, annual: Births, 533; deaths, 407; marriages, 304; divorces, 89.
Recreation: Big Boggy National Wildlife Refuge, San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge, Mad Island Wildlife Management Area, hunting and viewing, fishing (fresh and salt water), beaches, sailing, historic sites, museums; Bay City rice festival in October.
Minerals: Oil and gas.
Agriculture: Corn, cotton, grain sorgrum, rice, soybeans; some 26,000 acres of crops irrigated; cattle, turf, aquaculture (first in sales). Market value $124.2 million.
BAY CITY (17,444) county seat; government/services, education, nuclear power plant; petrochemicals; agribusiness; hospital, junior college branch.
Palacios (4,547) tourism, seafood industry; hospital; Marine Education Center; public fishing piers; Bay Festival on Labor Day.
Other towns include: Blessing (992) historic sites; Cedar Lane (300); Collegeport (80); Elmaton (160); Markham (1,140); Matagorda (462); Midfield (305); Pledger (265); Sargent (900) retirement community, fishing, birding, commercial fishing, barbecue cookoff in April; Van Vleck (2,218); Wadsworth (160).
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The South Texas Nuclear Power Plant east of Collegeport. Photo by Robert Plocheck. |