| Amarillo Texas is a regional economic center | | | | at the rim is 3,500 feet above sea level. |
| in the Texas panhandle and adjoining areas of | | | | Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon |
| New Mexico and Oklahoma. Its population is | | | | in the United States after the Grand Canyon. |
| about 183,000 and its metropolitan area in | | | | The Canyon was formed by water erosion from |
| the surrounding four counties has about | | | | the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River. |
| 236,000 people. In downtown Amarillo, the | | | | |
| tallest buildings are the 31-story Chase | | | | The city has events and attractions honoring |
| Tower, and the Amarillo National Bank Plaza | | | | the cowboy and rodeo. During the third week |
| One building. These may be the most | | | | of September, the Tri-State Fair & Rodeo |
| outstanding pieces of Amarillo real estate. | | | | brings participants mostly from Oklahoma, New |
| | | | Mexico and Texas to Amarillo. The World |
| The city's largest employer in 2005 is Tyson | | | | Championship Ranch Rodeo sponsored by the |
| Foods with 3,700 employees. Other large | | | | Working Ranch Cowboys Association is held |
| employers are the Amarillo Independent School | | | | every November in the Amarillo Civic Center. |
| District, BWXT Pantex, which is in the | | | | The Amarillo Art Center, opened in 1972, is a |
| nuclear weapons assembly business, Baptist | | | | building complex with an art museum and |
| St. Anthony Health Care, and the City of | | | | concert hall located on the Washington Street |
| Amarillo. Regional industry includes copper | | | | Campus of Amarillo College. Don Harrington |
| refining and the meat packing industry with | | | | Discovery Center, located in the city's |
| as much as one quarter of United States beef | | | | hospital district, is an interactive science |
| is processed in the region. The surrounding | | | | center and space theater with over 60 |
| area is rich in the raising of cattle, milk | | | | hands-on exhibits. Near the proximity of the |
| production and other agricultural goods, and | | | | Discovery Center, the Amarillo Botanical |
| there are still major oil fields. The | | | | Gardens has gardens, indoor exhibits, and a |
| Amarillo Economic Development Corporation | | | | library for visitation throughout the year. |
| (AEDC) is funded by a city sales tax, and has | | | | |
| worked aggressively to provide incentives to | | | | The colleges in the city are Amarillo |
| prospective employers, such as Bell | | | | College, a two-year community college with |
| Helicopter. This is how Bell Helicopter | | | | over 10,000 students; Wayland Baptist |
| Textron's development of the V-22 Osprey | | | | University in Amarillo; and Texas Tech |
| hybrid was brought into the city. | | | | University at Amarillo, a branch campus of |
| | | | Texas Tech University that offers selected |
| Amarillo has a number of natural attractions | | | | master's degree programs. West Texas A&M |
| near the city, the most outstanding one being | | | | University, in nearby Canyon, is the regional |
| Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Palo Duro | | | | university in the Amarillo area and the Texas |
| Canyon is 120 miles long, as much as 20 miles | | | | Panhandle. |
| wide, with a depth of 800 feet. Its elevation | | | | |