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Escape To The Rio Grande Valley in Texas
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Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville, Texas

Brownsville, Texas, on the Río Grande, near the Gulf of Mexico. It is the seat of Cameron County. Brownsville is a port of entry across the river from Matamoros, Mexico, to which it is linked by two bridges. It is also a commercial, processing, and distribution center for the irrigated lower Río Grande Valley. Major industries include electronics, apparel, metal fabrication, and food processing; shrimp fishing also contributes to the economy. The city serves as a tourist gateway to Mexico and South Padre Island. Brownsville's deepwater port is at the head of a channel that is the southern terminus of the Intracoastal Waterway, and the city is served by the Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport.

Brownsville is home to a campus (established in 1973) of the University of Texas and a community college. Near the city are the Sabal Palm Grove Wildlife Sanctuary of the National Audubon Society and three national wildlife refuges: the Laguna Atascosa, Santa Ana, and Río Grande Valley. Every February Brownsville and Matamoros celebrate international goodwill with Charros Days.

Fort Texas, later renamed Fort Brown for Major Jacob Brown who died defending it, was established at the site by General Zachary Taylor in 1846 to confirm the Río Grande as the national border. The first major battle of the Mexican War (1846-1848), which was a bombardment of Fort Brown by Mexican troops and a drive to relieve it, is detailed at the nearby Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site. Brownsville incorporated as a city in 1853. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), it was a major port for the Confederacy. Trade and industrial links with Mexico have led to the city's growth in recent years. Brownsville covers a land area of 72.0 sq km (27.8 sq mi), with a mean elevation of 10 m (33 ft). According to the 1990 census, whites are 84.6 percent of the population, Asians and Pacific Islanders 0.3 percent, blacks 0.2 percent, and Native Americans 0.1 percent. The remainder are of mixed heritage or did not report ethnicity. Hispanics, who may be of any race, are 90.1 percent of the people.

McAllen, city, Hidalgo County, southern Texas, near the Río Grande; incorporated as a city 1927. It is a winter resort and retirement hub and is the processing and shipping center of an irrigated farm area producing citrus fruit, vegetables, and cotton. Besides processed food, manufactures include medical equipment, clothing, refined petroleum, and rubber products. Due to its proximity to the Mexican border, the city also benefits from joint manufacturing ventures with Mexico. A junior college is here. The community, founded in 1909, is named for John McAllen, a ranch owner who sold land for the town site after the railroad came through in 1905. It grew rapidly after the arrival of some 12,000 U.S. troops during border disputes in 1916.

Harlingen, city, Cameron County, southern Texas, a busy port on a channel connected to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, near Brownsville; incorporated 1910. It is a distribution and manufacturing center situated in the agricultural lower Río Grande Valley; industries include shrimp farming and the manufacture of processed food, aerospace equipment, metal items, clothing, and chemicals. Tourism is also important to the city's economy. Harlingen is the site of a junior college and the Río Grande Valley Museum, with displays on regional history. Two national wildlife refuges and South Padre Island National Seashore are nearby. The community, settled about 1900, is named after the town of Harlingen in the Netherlands.

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