Southern US
The Gulf Coast is comprised of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas all touching the Gulf of Mexico. Stretching in a large, flattened U shape for more than 1,200 miles (1,900 km), it extends about 100 miles (160 km) inland and runs north-northwest along western Florida; west along southern Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana; and southwest and south along southeastern Texas.
Major Cities: Houston, TX, Tampa, FL, New Orleans, LA, Mobile, AL and Petersburg, FL
Population: The coastal population of the five states of the Gulf of Mexico is projected by the Census Bureau to increase from a total of 44.2 million in 1995 to an estimated 61.4 million in 2025, nearly a 40% increase. Texas and Florida are the most rapidly growing states.
Economy: The Port of South Louisiana (New Orleans) and the Port of Houston are two of the ten busiest ports in the world by cargo volume. Out of the top ten sea ports in the United States 7 are located on the Gulf of Mexico. Agricultural production (crops, livestock, and associated products) in the Gulf States totaled nearly $29 billion in 2001 according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Information courtesy of:
Britannica
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/249150/Gulf-Coast
United States Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov/gmpo/about/facts.html
Contact cabrinicomdept@cabrini.edu with questions and feedback.