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Texas
State
State of Texas
Flag of Texas
Flag
Official seal of Texas
Seal
Nickname: 
The Lone Star State
Motto: 
Friendship
Anthem: "Texas, Our Texas"
Map of the United States with Texas highlighted
Map of the United States with Texas highlighted
CountryUnited States
Before statehoodRepublic of Texas
Admitted to the UnionDecember 29, 1845 (28th)
CapitalAustin
Largest cityHouston
Largest metro and urban areasDallas–Fort Worth
Government
 • GovernorGreg Abbott (R)
 • Lieutenant GovernorDan Patrick (R)
LegislatureTexas Legislature
 • Upper houseSenate
 • Lower houseHouse of Representatives
JudiciarySupreme Court of Texas (Civil)
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (Criminal)
U.S. senatorsJohn Cornyn (R)
Ted Cruz (R)
U.S. House delegation25 Republicans
12 Democrats
1 vacant (list)
Area
 • Total268,596 sq mi (695,662 km2)
 • Land261,232 sq mi (676,587 km2)
 • Water7,365 sq mi (19,075 km2)  2.7%
 • Rank2nd
Dimensions
 • Length801[1] mi (1,289 km)
 • Width773[1] mi (1,244 km)
Elevation
1,700 ft (520 m)
Highest elevation
(Guadalupe Peak[2][3][4])
8,751 ft (2,667.4 m)
Lowest elevation
(Gulf of Mexico[3])
0 ft (0 m)
Population
 (2022)
 • Total29,183,290[5]
 • Rank2nd
 • Density176/sq mi (67.9/km2)
  • Rank23rd
 • Median household income
$64,034[6]
 • Income rank
23rd
Demonym(s)Texan
Texian (archaic)
Tejano (usually only used for Hispanics)
Language
 • Official languageNo official language
(see Languages spoken in Texas)
 • Spoken languagePredominantly English;
Spanish is spoken by a sizable minority[7]
Time zones
Majority of stateUTC−06:00 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−05:00 (CDT)
El Paso, Hudspeth, and northwestern Culberson countiesUTC−07:00 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−06:00 (MDT)
USPS abbreviation
TX
ISO 3166 codeUS-TX
Traditional abbreviationTex.
Latitude25°50′ N to 36°30′ N
Longitude93°31′ W to 106°39′ W
Websitetexas.gov
Texas state symbols
BERJAYA
Flag of Texas
BERJAYA
Living insignia
BirdNorthern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
FishGuadalupe bass (Micropterus treculii)
FlowerBluebonnet (Lupinus spp., namely Texas bluebonnet, L. texensis)
InsectMonarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
MammalTexas longhorn, nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)
ReptileTexas horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum)
TreePecan (Carya illinoinensis)
Inanimate insignia
FoodChili
InstrumentGuitar
ShellLightning whelk (Busycon perversum pulleyi)
ShipUSS Texas
SloganThe Friendly State
SoilHouston Black
SportRodeo
OtherMolecule: Buckyball (For more, see article)
State route marker
Texas state route marker
State quarter
Texas quarter dollar coin
Released in 2004
Lists of United States state symbols

Texas (/ˈtɛksəs/, also locally /ˈtɛksɪz/ American Spanish: [tejaz][8]), officially the State of Texas, is a state in the South Central Region of the United States. It is the second largest US state by total area (after Alaska) with 268,596 sq mi (695,662 km2) and population (after California) with over 29 million people as of 2020. Its largest cities are Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, El Paso, and Austin, the capital city.

Texas became the 28th state in the United States in 1845. Texas has been controlled by Spain, France, the Confederate States of America, and Mexico. It declared its independence from Mexico in 1836. It was its own country, the Republic of Texas, for almost ten years.[9] It is called the "Lone Star State" and its flag has one star.

There are many tourist attractions in Texas. Fort Worth is known for its stockyards. Amarillo is known for the cattle business and stockyards. In Dallas, industrial technology companies including Texas Instruments and EDS have their home offices. San Antonio has The Alamo. Houston has the Johnson Space Center. Austin has the University of Texas at Austin. Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Baylor University in Waco and the University of North Texas in Denton are other important universities in the state.

Name

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The state's name derives from táyshay, a word in the Caddoan language of the Hasinai (a Native American tribe), which means "allies" or "friends."

History

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Texas was first explored in 1528 by Spanish explorers on accident (they were shipwrecked on the coast). It did not become a colony until 1685, when France claimed it. In response, Spain started a rival colony in 1691 by setting up a religious outpost in the eastern part of Texas. Spain did not come back to Texas until 1716 to protect its colonies in the west from French forces. Two years later, San Antonio was founded.

The pressure between the Spaniards and Native Americans in East Texas stopped many settlers from coming to Texas. To stop the violence and the increasing Native American raids, Spain called a truce between many tribes in 1745 and 1789.

Tensions rose in Texas after the United States bought a large amount of nearby land from France in 1803. This was the Louisiana Purchase. People began wondering whether Spain or the United States could claim Texas.

Mexico won the Mexican War of Independence in 1821. Mexico, including Texas, was free from the Spanish Empire. Americans and other settlers came into Texas when Mexico allowed non-Spanish settlers to settle here. After many settlers came to Texas, Mexico started taxing non-citizens. This outraged many settlers. Many were already angry because Mexico banned slavery.

Politics in Mexico became violent. Antonio López de Santa Anna became President and several Mexican States declared independence. On March 2, 1836, Texas declared independence from Mexico and soon they were at war. Texas won, but Mexico refused to recognize Texas as an independent sovereign Republic. Texas requested entry to the United States. Years later, in 1845, the US added Texas as a state,[10] and Mexico broke off diplomatic relations. Mexico resisted offers by the U.S. to buy land extending from Texas to the Pacific Ocean. In 1846, a dispute over the border between Texas and Mexico resulted in armed conflict, and the Mexican-American War began. The United States won the war, and by the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, in 1848 won lands that later formed the states of California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, southwestern Colorado, and southwestern Wyoming. Mexico received 15 million dollars and gave up its claims to Texas.

After Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States, Texas joined the newly formed Confederate States of America in 1861 and fought in the American Civil War in an attempt to become independent from the United States. The Confederates lost to the Union (the United States) in 1865. Texas was restored to full representation in Congress on March 30, 1870.

On January 10, 1901, oil was found in Texas, leading to the founding of a richer economy. During a time when the economy was poor, many people left Texas. Texas did not regain the population it had lost until the 1950s and 60s. In recent years, Texas has become a hub for technology and computers.

Geography

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Texas is the second biggest state in the Union (after Alaska) and is bigger than every European country except Russia. It has mountains, forests, deserts, plains, and coasts. The largest river in Texas is the Rio Grande, which forms the border between Mexico and the United States throughout south Texas. The highest mountain in Texas is Guadalupe Peak. Texas borders Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the west, Arkansas to the northeast, and Louisiana to the east. It also borders the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas. Texas has a lot of counties, divided into 254.

Most of Texas is in Central Time, but El Paso in Western Texas is in Mountain Time.[11]

Economy

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Texas has the second largest economy in the United States after the economy of California. It had a gross state product of US$1.887 trillion in 2019.[12] Texas was home to six of the top 50 companies on the Fortune 500 list in 2015 (third most after New York and California).[13] In 2017, Texas grossed more than US$264.5 billion a year in exports—more than the exports of California (US$172 billion) and New York (US$77.9 billion) combined.[14][15][16] As a sovereign country, in 2016, Texas would be the 10th largest economy in the world by gross domestic product (GDP), ahead of South Korea and Canada and behind Brazil.[17]

List of counties in Texas

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Counties Seat Image Map
A
AndersonPalestineBERJAYABERJAYA
AndrewsAndrewsBERJAYABERJAYA
AngelinaLufkinBERJAYABERJAYA
AransasRockportBERJAYABERJAYA
ArcherArcher CityBERJAYABERJAYA
ArmstrongClaudeBERJAYABERJAYA
AustinBellvilleBERJAYABERJAYA
B
BaileyMuleshoeBERJAYABERJAYA
BanderaBanderaBERJAYABERJAYA
BastropBastropBERJAYABERJAYA
BaylorSeymourBERJAYABERJAYA
BeeBeevilleBERJAYABERJAYA
BellBeltonBERJAYABERJAYA
BexarSan AntonioBERJAYABERJAYA
BlancoJohnson CityBERJAYABERJAYA
BordenGailBERJAYA
BosqueMeridianBERJAYABERJAYA
BowieNew BostonBERJAYA
BrazoriaAngletonBERJAYABERJAYA
BrewsterAlpineBERJAYABERJAYA
BriscoeSilvertonBERJAYABERJAYA
BrooksFalfurriasBERJAYABERJAYA
BrownBrownwoodBERJAYABERJAYA
BurlesonCaldwellBERJAYABERJAYA
BurnetBurnetBERJAYABERJAYA
C
CaldwellLockhartBERJAYABERJAYA
CalhounPort LavacaBERJAYABERJAYA
CallahanBairdBERJAYABERJAYA
CameronBrownsvilleBERJAYABERJAYA
CampPittsburgBERJAYABERJAYA
CarsonPandhandleBERJAYABERJAYA
CassLindenBERJAYABERJAYA
CastroDimmitBERJAYABERJAYA
ChambersAnahaucBERJAYABERJAYA
CherokeeRuskBERJAYABERJAYA
ChildressChildressBERJAYABERJAYA
ClayHenriettaBERJAYABERJAYA
CochranMortonBERJAYA
CokeRobert LeeBERJAYABERJAYA
ColemanColemanBERJAYABERJAYA
CollinMcKinneyBERJAYABERJAYA
CollingsworthWellingtonBERJAYABERJAYA
ColoradoColumbusBERJAYABERJAYA
ComalNew BraunfelsBERJAYABERJAYA
ComancheComancheBERJAYA
ConchoPaint RockBERJAYABERJAYA
CookeGainesvilleBERJAYABERJAYA
CoryellGatesvilleBERJAYABERJAYA
CottlePaducahBERJAYABERJAYA
CranceCraneBERJAYABERJAYA
CrockettOzonaBERJAYABERJAYA
CrosbyCrosbytonBERJAYABERJAYA
CulbersonVan HornBERJAYABERJAYA
D
DallamDalhartBERJAYABERJAYA
DallasDallasBERJAYABERJAYA
DawsonLamesaBERJAYABERJAYA
Deaf Smith HerefordBERJAYABERJAYA
DeltaCooperBERJAYABERJAYA
DentonDentonBERJAYABERJAYA
DeWittCueroBERJAYABERJAYA
DickensDickensBERJAYABERJAYA
Dimmit Carrizo SpringsBERJAYABERJAYA
DonleyClarendonBERJAYABERJAYA
DuvalSan DiegoBERJAYABERJAYA
E
EastlandEastlandBERJAYABERJAYA
EctorOdessaBERJAYABERJAYA
EdwardsRockspringsBERJAYABERJAYA
EllisWaxahachieBERJAYABERJAYA
El PasoEl PasoBERJAYABERJAYA
ErathStephenvilleBERJAYABERJAYA
F
FallsMarlinBERJAYABERJAYA
FanninBonhamBERJAYABERJAYA
FayetteLa GrangeBERJAYABERJAYA
FisherRobyBERJAYABERJAYA
FloydFloydadaBERJAYA
FoardCrowellBERJAYABERJAYA
Fort BendRichmondBERJAYABERJAYA
FranklinMt. VernonBERJAYABERJAYA
FreestoneFairfieldBERJAYABERJAYA
FrioPearsallBERJAYABERJAYA
G
GainesSeminoleBERJAYABERJAYA
GalvestonGalvestonBERJAYABERJAYA
GarzaPostBERJAYABERJAYA
GillespieFredericksburgBERJAYABERJAYA
GlasscockGarden CityBERJAYA
GoliadGoliadBERJAYABERJAYA
GonzalesGonzalesBERJAYA
GrayPampaBERJAYABERJAYA
GraysonShermanBERJAYABERJAYA
GreggLongviewBERJAYABERJAYA
GrimesAndersonBERJAYABERJAYA
GuadalupeSeguinBERJAYA
H
HalePlainviewBERJAYABERJAYA
HallMemphisBERJAYABERJAYA
HamiltonHamiltonBERJAYABERJAYA
HansfordSpearmanBERJAYABERJAYA
HardemanQuanahBERJAYABERJAYA
HardinKountzeBERJAYABERJAYA
HarrisHoustonBERJAYABERJAYA
HarrisonMarshallBERJAYABERJAYA
HartleyChanningBERJAYABERJAYA
HaskellHaskellBERJAYABERJAYA
HaysSan MarcosBERJAYABERJAYA
HemphillCanadianBERJAYABERJAYA
HendersonAthensBERJAYABERJAYA
HidalgoEdinburgBERJAYABERJAYA
HillHillsboroBERJAYABERJAYA
HockleyLevellandBERJAYA
HoodGranburyBERJAYABERJAYA
HopkinsSulphur SpringsBERJAYABERJAYA
HoustonCrockettBERJAYABERJAYA
HowardBig SpringBERJAYA
HudspethSierra BlancaBERJAYABERJAYA
HuntGreenvilleBERJAYABERJAYA
HutchinsonStinnettBERJAYABERJAYA
I
IrionMertzonBERJAYA
J
JackJacksboroBERJAYABERJAYA
JacksonEdnaBERJAYA
JasperJasperBERJAYABERJAYA
JeffFort DavisBERJAYABERJAYA
JeffersonBeaumontBERJAYABERJAYA
Jim HoggHebbronvilleBERJAYABERJAYA
Jim WellsAliceBERJAYABERJAYA
JohnsonCleburneBERJAYABERJAYA
JonesAnsonBERJAYABERJAYA
K
KarnesKarnes CityBERJAYABERJAYA
KaufmanKaufmanBERJAYABERJAYA
KendallBoerneBERJAYABERJAYA
KenedySaritaBERJAYA190px
KentJaytonBERJAYABERJAYA
KerrKerrvilleBERJAYABERJAYA
KimbleJunctionBERJAYABERJAYA
KingGuthrieBERJAYA
KinneyBrackettvilleBERJAYABERJAYA
KlebergKingsvilleBERJAYABERJAYA
KnoxBenjaminBERJAYABERJAYA
L
LamarParisBERJAYABERJAYA
LambLittlefieldBERJAYA
LampasasLampasasBERJAYABERJAYA
La SalleCotullaBERJAYABERJAYA
LavacaHallettsvilleBERJAYABERJAYA
LeeGiddingsBERJAYABERJAYA
LeonCentervilleBERJAYABERJAYA
LibertyLiberty
LimestoneGroesbeckBERJAYABERJAYA
LipscombLipscombBERJAYABERJAYA
Live OakGeorge WestBERJAYABERJAYA
LlanoLlanoBERJAYABERJAYA
LovingMentoneBERJAYA
LubbockLubbockBERJAYA
LynnTahokaBERJAYABERJAYA
M
McCullochBradyBERJAYABERJAYA
McLennanWacoBERJAYABERJAYA
McMullenTildenBERJAYABERJAYA
MadisonMadisonvilleBERJAYABERJAYA
MarionJeffersonBERJAYABERJAYA
MartinStantonBERJAYABERJAYA
MasonMasonBERJAYABERJAYA
MatagordaBay CityBERJAYABERJAYA
MaverickEagle PassBERJAYABERJAYA
MedinaHondoBERJAYABERJAYA
MenardMenardBERJAYABERJAYA
MidlandMidlandBERJAYABERJAYA
MilamCameroonBERJAYABERJAYA
MillsGoldthwaiteBERJAYABERJAYA
MitchellColorado CityBERJAYA
MontagueMontagueBERJAYA
MontgomeryConroeBERJAYABERJAYA
MooreDumasBERJAYABERJAYA
MorrisDaingerfieldBERJAYA
MotleyMatadorBERJAYABERJAYA
N
NacogdochesNacogdochesBERJAYABERJAYA
NavarroCorsicanaBERJAYABERJAYA
NewtonNewtonBERJAYABERJAYA
NolanSweetwaterBERJAYABERJAYA
NuecesCorpus ChristiBERJAYABERJAYA
O
OchiltreePerrytonBERJAYABERJAYA
OldhamVegaBERJAYABERJAYA
OrangeOrangeBERJAYABERJAYA
P
Palo PintoPalo PintoBERJAYA
PanolaCarthageBERJAYABERJAYA
ParkerWeatherfordBERJAYABERJAYA
ParmerFarwellBERJAYABERJAYA
PecosFort StocktonBERJAYABERJAYA
PolkLivingstonBERJAYABERJAYA
PotterAmarilloBERJAYABERJAYA
PresidioMarfaBERJAYABERJAYA
R
RainsEmoryBERJAYABERJAYA
RandallCanyonBERJAYABERJAYA
ReaganBig LakeBERJAYABERJAYA
RealLeakeyBERJAYABERJAYA
RedClarksvilleBERJAYABERJAYA
ReevesPecosBERJAYABERJAYA
RefugioRefugioBERJAYABERJAYA
RobertsMiamiBERJAYABERJAYA
RobertsonFranklinBERJAYABERJAYA
RockwallRockwallBERJAYABERJAYA
RunnelsBallingerBERJAYABERJAYA
RuskHendersonBERJAYABERJAYA
S
SabineHemphillBERJAYABERJAYA
San AugustineSan AugustineBERJAYABERJAYA
San JacintoColdspringBERJAYABERJAYA
San PatricioSintonBERJAYABERJAYA
San SabaSan SabaBERJAYABERJAYA
SchleicherEldoradoBERJAYABERJAYA
ScurrySnyderBERJAYABERJAYA
ShackelfordAlbanyBERJAYABERJAYA
ShelbyCenterBERJAYABERJAYA
ShermanStratfordBERJAYABERJAYA
SmithTylerBERJAYABERJAYA
SowervellGlen RoseBERJAYABERJAYA
StarrRio GrandeBERJAYA
StephensBreckenridgeBERJAYABERJAYA
SterlingSterling CityBERJAYABERJAYA
StonewallAspermontBERJAYABERJAYA
SuttonSonoraBERJAYABERJAYA
SwisherTuliaBERJAYABERJAYA
T
TarrantFort WorthBERJAYA
TaylorAbileneBERJAYA
TerrellSandersonBERJAYABERJAYA
TerryBrownfieldBERJAYABERJAYA
ThrockmortonThrockmortonBERJAYABERJAYA
TitusMt. PleasantBERJAYABERJAYA
Tom GreenSan AngeloBERJAYABERJAYA
TravisAustinBERJAYABERJAYA
TrinityGrovetonBERJAYABERJAYA
TylerWoodvilleBERJAYABERJAYA
U
UpshurGilmerBERJAYABERJAYA
UptonRankinBERJAYABERJAYA
UvaldeUvaldeBERJAYABERJAYA
V
Val VerdeDel RioBERJAYABERJAYA
Van ZandtCantonBERJAYABERJAYA
VictoriaVictoriaBERJAYABERJAYA
W
WalkerHuntsvilleBERJAYABERJAYA
WallerHempsteadBERJAYABERJAYA
WardMonahansBERJAYABERJAYA
WashingtonBrenhamBERJAYABERJAYA
WebbLaredoBERJAYABERJAYA
WhartonWhartonBERJAYA
WheelerWheelerBERJAYABERJAYA
WichitaWichita FallsBERJAYABERJAYA
WilbargerVernonBERJAYABERJAYA
WillacyRaymondvilleBERJAYABERJAYA
WilliamsonGeorgestownBERJAYABERJAYA
WilsonFloresvilleBERJAYABERJAYA
WinklerKermitBERJAYABERJAYA
WiseDecaturBERJAYABERJAYA
WoodQuitmanBERJAYABERJAYA
Y
YoakumPlainsBERJAYABERJAYA
YoungGrahamBERJAYABERJAYA
Z
ZapataZapataBERJAYABERJAYA
ZavalaCrystal CityBERJAYA
[change | change source]

References

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  1. 1 2 Environment. Texas Almanac. 2008. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  2. ↑ "El Capitan". NGS data sheet. U.S. National Geodetic Survey.
  3. 1 2 "Elevations and Distances in the United States". United States Geological Survey. 2001. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
  4. ↑ Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988.
  5. ↑ Bureau, US Census (April 26, 2021). "2020 Census Apportionment Results". The United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 27, 2021. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  6. ↑ "Median Annual Household Income". The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. 2019. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  7. ↑ Texas—Languages. MLA. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
  8. ↑ Wells, John C. (1982). Accents of English. Volume 3: Beyond the British Isles (pp. i–xx, 467–674). Cambridge University Press. p. 551. ISBN 0-52128541-0.
  9. ↑ "Texas Facts". The Story of Texas. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Resolutions" (PDF). Twenty-ninth Congress. 1845. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 25, 2017. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Mountain Time Zone Boundary". www.timetemperature.com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Gross domestic product (GDP) by state (millions of current dollars)". Bureau of Economic Analysis. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  13. ↑ "FORTUNE 500 2011: States". CNN.
  14. ↑ "State Exports for TEXAS". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
  15. ↑ "State Exports for CALIFORNIA". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
  16. ↑ "State Exports for NEW YORK". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
  17. ↑ "In Opinion: If states were countries by economic output, California would be France". Newsweek. June 11, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
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