El Paso in Texas

Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument

Sun City on the border with Mexico

According to ehuacom, El Paso is located on the western border of the state of Texas with the neighboring state of Mexico, with the neighboring city of Ciudad Juarez on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande. El Paso is the sixth largest city in Texas and is nicknamed the ” Sun City ” for averaging more than 300 days of sunshine a year. The Texan city and is located on the banks of the border river Rio Grandeand had about 680,000 inhabitants in 2020. El Paso is a commercial metropolis and university town. El Paso can also be described as an American-Spanish-Mexican multi-cultural city. A US Army base is located in the Texas border town. Due to its close proximity to the border, El Paso is subject to pressure from illegal immigrants to the United States. The Mexican city of Ciudad Juárez on the southern opposite bank of the Rio Grande is referred to as the sister city of El Paso. The Rio Grande draws a green band in the otherwise barren desert landscape. Near the city is El Paso International Airport..

View of the Mexican side with the Franklin Mountains from El Paso

Place of settlement on the Rio Grande

El Paso can get very hot in the summer. 40°C are not uncommon. In late summer, the west Texas city is often hit by storms with sometimes very large amounts of rain. Winter temperatures in El Paso are usually quite mild. But sometimes it also snows in the desert city. Now and then sandstorms sweep over the border town. More than 70% of El Paso residents can be classified as Hispanics, meaning people with Latin American roots. The region in western Texas was settled long before the arrival of the first whites. Settlement finds suggest that the area was settled thousands of years ago. Native American peoples lived when the Spaniards first arrivedin the region. Regular cultural festivals bring some life to the city of El Paso, and year-round festivities take place in the Texas border town.

Military brings economic power

The first Spanish mission was built in the mid-17th century, but on what is now the Mexican side of the border. In 1881, El Paso was connected to the American railroad network. As a result, the city was doing noticeably better economically and the population grew. Overall, El Paso has never had it easy economically. Now the existing military complexes are to be extended and expanded, which promises a reasonably secure economic future.

Fairground folk festival in a neighborhood of El Paso

An den Franklin Mountains

El Paso is located in the arid region of the Chihuahua Desert and at the southernmost foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the Franklin Mountains. The Franklins Mountains are a popular hiking and climbing region. In addition, some American national parks can be reached within a few hours by car from El Paso. Numerous industrial groups have settled in the West Texas city, including the armaments industry.

Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument – Texas

Sensitive area protected from destruction

The Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument is located in northern Texas, United States . The nearest large town is Amarillo. The National Monument was designated in 1965. The sanctuary is a prehistoric flint quarry. It is in the hills above the Canadian River. There are over 700 pits, crevices in the earth, varying in width from 1.5 meters to 7.5 meters.

Alibates Flint Quarries – Earth fissures with flints

The flint is found at depths of about 1 meter to 3 meters below the surface. The Plains-Village Native Americans lived in the area for a period of nearly 500 years approximately 1,500 years ago. Settlement remains from that time can be discovered in the protected area.

Flint – the important material for hunting

Flint was a very important material in Native American times . The better the flint weapon, the greater the hunting success, which ensured sufficient food supplies. Weapons such as arrowheads were made from it. But art and everyday objects were also made from it to a lesser extent.

Flint from Texas – coveted throughout North America

The flint from the Alibates Flint Quarries is one of the most beautiful in color and quality in the whole USA. Evidence is provided by the many prehistoric finds of this flint scattered throughout the United States.

Prehistoric arrowheads from Texas

Strictly protected area

The Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument Lake is managed by the US National Park Service as part of the Meredith National Recreation Area. The area on the Canadien River is not open to the public. Only guided tours by park rangers allow you to visit the historic flint quarries. Around 4,500 visitors come to enjoy this every year.

Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument