Gulf Coast States

The Gulf States of the United States is the southern region that lies along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. There are a total of five Gulf States. Those states are: Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.

There are many large cities located throughout the Gulf states. Some of the largest cities include Corpus Christi, New Orleans, Pensacola, Tampa, and Baton Rouge. The largest city by population is Houston, while Greater Houston is the largest metro area in the Gulf region. The Houston-Woodlands-Sugar Land Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) has a population of over 6.7 million people. Florida’s Tampa-St.Petersburg-Clearwater MSA has a population of over 3 million, while the New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner MSA in Louisiana has over 1.2 million residents.

The economy of this region primarily revolves around energy, fishing, aerospace, agriculture, and petrochemicals. Because of the beautiful beaches and many attractions, tourism is also an important industry in the Gulf States. The ports of the Gulf States are also significant. Seven of the ten busiest ports in the nation are located along the Gulf Coast. The Port of South Louisiana and the Port of Houston are two of the busiest ports in the entire world.

During the 20th century, the Gulf Coast states have redeveloped, bringing in more businesses and residents. The state of Texas has more Fortune 500 countries than any other state in the nation. Florida has also seen significant growth and is one of the most populous states in the nation.