 | ||
The West South Central States form one of the nine Census Bureau Divisions of the United States that are officially designated by the United States Census Bureau.
Contents
Four states compose the division: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and the state that dominates the region, Texas, which contains around 80% of the population of the entire region, and is larger in area than the three others combined. The division is one of the three that together make up the broader Census Bureau Region known as the South (the other two being the South Atlantic States and the East South Central States).
The unofficial term South Central States refers to approximately the same area.
Demographics
As of 2013, the West South Central States had a combined population of 37,849,785. The West South Central region covers 443,501 square miles.
Politics in the West South Central States
Sports
Within the Major North American professional sports leagues, the first team in the region were founded in 1960: the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League and the Houston Oilers of the American Football League. The Oilers relocated after 1996, whereas two more teams in the region joined the NFL: the Houston Texans (2002) and New Orleans Saints (1967).
Two Major League Baseball teams are based in the region: Houston Astros (1962) and Texas Rangers (1972). The region has five NBA teams: San Antonio Spurs (1967), Houston Rockets (1971), Dallas Mavericks (1980), New Orleans Pelicans (2002) and Oklahoma City Thunder (2008).
National Hockey League features the Dallas Stars since 1993. Texas also has two Major League Soccer teams: FC Dallas (1996) and Houston Dynamo (2006), whereas the Dallas Tornado played the North American Soccer League from 1968 to 1981.
Collegiate athletics have deep significance in the region's culture, especially football. The Southwest Conference was based in the region from 1914 to 1996. Currently the Big 12 Conference has four teams from Texas and two from Oklahoma, whereas the Southeastern Conference has one team from Texas, one from Arkansas and one from Louisiana.
According to a survey of Division I-A coaches, the Red River Shootout, the rivalry between the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns, ranks the third best in the nation. The Bedlam Series is the rivalry between the Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys. The TCU Horned Frogs and SMU Mustangs also share a rivalry and compete annually in the Battle for the Iron Skillet.