Eastern New Mexico is a physiographic subregion within the
U.S. state of
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex
, Offi ...
. The region is sometimes called the "
High Plains High Plains refers to one of two distinct land regions:
* High Plains (United States), land region of the western Great Plains
*High Plains (Australia)
The High Plains of south-eastern Australia are a sub-region, or more strictly a string of adja ...
," or "Eastern Plains (of New Mexico)," and was historically referred to as part of the "
Great American Desert". The region is largely coterminous with the portion of the
Llano Estacado
The Llano Estacado (), sometimes translated into English as the Staked Plains, is a region in the Southwestern United States that encompasses parts of eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas. One of the largest mesas or tablelands on the Nort ...
in New Mexico. Portions of Eastern New Mexico's elevation extends to over . The region is characterized by flat, largely-featureless terrain with the exception of the
Pecos River
The Pecos River ( es, Río Pecos) originates in north-central New Mexico and flows into Texas, emptying into the Rio Grande. Its headwaters are on the eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Mora County north of Pecos, New Mexic ...
valley and the abrupt breaks along the
Mescalero Ridge
The Mescalero Ridge forms the western edge of the great Llano Estacado, a vast plateau or tableland in the southwestern United States in New Mexico and Texas. It is the western equivalent of the Caprock Escarpment, which defines the eastern edge of ...
and northern
caprock escarpments of the
Llano Estacado
The Llano Estacado (), sometimes translated into English as the Staked Plains, is a region in the Southwestern United States that encompasses parts of eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas. One of the largest mesas or tablelands on the Nort ...
. The region typically lacks the high relief of central and northern New Mexico, such as that in the
Sangre de Cristo and
Sandia mountain ranges. The climate is semi-arid with hot summers and is characterized by significant wind and dust storms in the springtime.
Like much of the Llano Estacado region, Eastern New Mexico is largely rural and agricultural, and resembles
West Texas
West Texas is a loosely defined region in the U.S. state of Texas, generally encompassing the arid and semiarid lands west of a line drawn between the cities of Wichita Falls, Abilene, and Del Rio.
No consensus exists on the boundary betw ...
in geography, economy, and demographics. Population is sparse as compared to the rest of the country. The region includes portions of the counties of
Curry
A curry is a dish with a sauce seasoned with spices, mainly associated with South Asian cuisine. In southern India, leaves from the curry tree may be included.
There are many varieties of curry. The choice of spices for each dish in trad ...
,
De Baca,
Guadalupe,
Lea,
Quay, and
Roosevelt. It is served by
Eastern New Mexico University
Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU or Eastern) is a public university with a main campus in Portales, New Mexico, and two associate degree-granting branches, one at Ruidoso and one at Roswell. ENMU is New Mexico's largest regional comprehensi ...
, a
state university located in
Portales, and the
Blackwater Draw archaeological site is located there.
Cities in Eastern New Mexico
The largest cities in Eastern New Mexico are:
Gallery
File:Great Plains Eastern New Mexico 2004.jpg, West of Hobbs, Lea County, New Mexico.
File:Kenna New Mexico Ranch Gate.jpg, Gate leading to fenced pastureland in the wide open spaces south of Kenna
Kenna Zemedkun, known professionally as Kenna, is an Ethiopian-born American musician, philanthropist and technology creative. His track "Say Goodbye to Love" was nominated for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in the 2009 Grammy Awards. Kenna ...
, Roosevelt County, New Mexico.
File:Bellview New Mexico Post Office 2010.jpg, Abandoned post office in Bellview, Curry County, New Mexico.
See also
*
Caprock Escarpment
*
Llano Estacado
The Llano Estacado (), sometimes translated into English as the Staked Plains, is a region in the Southwestern United States that encompasses parts of eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas. One of the largest mesas or tablelands on the Nort ...
*
Lucianosaurus
*
Mescalero Ridge
The Mescalero Ridge forms the western edge of the great Llano Estacado, a vast plateau or tableland in the southwestern United States in New Mexico and Texas. It is the western equivalent of the Caprock Escarpment, which defines the eastern edge of ...
*
Pecos River
The Pecos River ( es, Río Pecos) originates in north-central New Mexico and flows into Texas, emptying into the Rio Grande. Its headwaters are on the eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Mora County north of Pecos, New Mexic ...
*
West Texas
West Texas is a loosely defined region in the U.S. state of Texas, generally encompassing the arid and semiarid lands west of a line drawn between the cities of Wichita Falls, Abilene, and Del Rio.
No consensus exists on the boundary betw ...
External links
High Plains Historical FoundationPublic domain images of the Llano Estacado and Eastern New Mexico
Regions of New Mexico
{{NewMexico-geo-stub