Brownsville, Texas, the seat of Cameron County. It lies on the Rio Grande near the Gulf of Mexico, opposite Matamoros, Mexico. Brownsville is the commercial, industrial, and financial center of the Rio Grande delta, an irrigated area that produces cotton, citrus fruit, and vegetables. It is also a thriving winter resort, a shrimp-fishing center, a gateway to Mexico, and a sizable Gulf port.
Brownsville developed around a United States fort built in 1846. The first battle of the Mexican War and the last battle of the Civil War were fought near Brownsville.
Population: 139,722.
