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Physical Features: Grassy, coastal prairie draining to Aransas, Nueces rivers and to bays; sandy loam, clay, black loam soils; Lake Corpus Christi.

Economy: Oil, petrochemicals, agribusiness, manufacturing, tourism, in Corpus Christi metropolitan area.

History: Karankawa area. Mexican sheep herders in the area before colonization. Settled by Irish families in 1830 (name is Spanish for St. Patrick). Created, named for municipality in 1836; organized in 1837, reorganized in 1847.

Race/Ethnicity: (In percent) Anglo, 38.3; Black, 2.0; Hispanic, 57.9; Asian, 1.1; Other, 1.1; Two or more races, 1.5.

Vital Statistics, annual: Births, 1,021; deaths, 642; marriages, 251; divorces, 207.

Recreation: Water activities, hunting, Corpus Christi Bay, state park, Welder Wildlife Foundation and Park, birdwatching.

Minerals: Oil, gas, gravel, caliche.

Agriculture: Cotton, grain sorghum, beef cattle, corn. Market value $86.2 million. Fisheries income significant.

SINTON (5,666) county seat; oil, agribusiness, tourism; Go Texan Days in October.

ARANSAS PASS (8,952, part [724] in Aransas County) deepwater port, shrimping, tourism, offshore oil-well servicing, aluminum and chemical plants; hospital; Shrimporee in May.

PORTLAND (15,841) retail center, petrochemicals, commuters to Corpus Christi; Indian Point pier; Windfest in April.

Other towns include: Edroy (312); Gregory (1,967); Ingleside (9,748) offshore well servicing, chemical and manufacturing plants, commuters, birding, Round Up Days in April; Ingleside-on-the-Bay (622); Lake City (515); Lakeside (306); Mathis (4,821); Odem (2,423); St. Paul (593); San Patricio (412); Taft (2,999) agriculture, drug rehabilitation center, commuters, wind farm, blackland museum, barbecue, tamale and hot sauce cook-off in December; Taft Southwest (1,454).

A ship docked at Ingleside. Photo by Robert Plocheck.