Texas ( /ˈtɛksəs/ (help·info)) is the second-largest U.S. state in both area and population, and the largest state in the contiguous United States. The name had wide usage among native Americans, meaning "friends" or "allies".[7] Located in the South Central United States, Texas is bordered by Mexico to the south, New Mexico to the west, Oklahoma to the north, Arkansas to the northeast, and Louisiana to the east. Texas has an area of 268,820 square miles (696,200 km2), and a growing population of 24.7 million residents.[8] Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States, while Dallas–Fort Worth and Houston are the fourth- and sixth-largest United States metropolitan areas, respectively. Other major cities include San Antonio, El Paso, and Austin—the state capital. Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State to signify Texas as an independent republic and as a reminder of the state's struggle for independence from Mexico. The "Lone Star" can be found on the Texas State Flag and on the Texas State Seal today.[9]
Due to its size and geologic features such as the Balcones Fault, Texas contains diverse landscapes that resemble both the American South and the Southwest.[10] Although Texas is popularly associated with the Southwestern deserts, less than 10% of the land area is desert.[11] Most of the population centers are located in areas of former prairies, grasslands, forests, and the coastline. Traveling from east to west, one can observe terrain that ranges from coastal swamps and piney woods, to rolling plains and rugged hills, and finally the desert and mountains of the Big Bend. Due to its long history as a center of the American cattle industry, Texas is associated with the image of the cowboy.
The term "six flags over Texas" came from the several nations that had rule over the territory. Spain was the first European country to claim the area of Texas. France held a short-lived colony in Texas. Mexico controlled the territory until 1836 when Texas won its independence, becoming an independent Republic. In 1845 it joined the United States as the 28th state. The state's annexation set off a chain of events that caused the Mexican–American War in 1846. Texas declared its secession from the United States in early 1861, joining the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. After the war and its restoration to the Union, Texas entered a long period of economic stagnation.
In the early 1900s, oil discoveries initiated an economic boom in the state. Texas has since economically diversified. Today it has more Fortune 500 companies than any other U.S. state.[12][13] With a growing base of industry, the state is a leader in many, including agriculture, petrochemicals, energy, computers and electronics, aerospace, and biomedical sciences. It leads the nation in export revenue since 2002 and has the second-highest gross state product.
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Bleacher Report
After the *injury* to Colt McCoy's shoulder sidelined him during the BCS Championship game and the moans from Texas faithful afterwards, now seems like a ...
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Texas travels Did this lil painting based on a sketch of the Texas country side One thing about Texas ifn you nain t never bin it sure is flat i grew up in SoCal yes I am an original 909 er
Trips Right
Sat, 20 Feb 2010 19:03:24 GM
Texas. Basketball vs. Nebraska: Post-Mortem. Posted by Trips Right on February 13th, 2010 under Basketball . ... Open Game Thread: . Texas. Tech Red Raiders @ . Texas. Longhorns. By Sailor Ripley on September 19th, 2009 ...
Q. The Governor of Texas is empowered by the Texas Constitution of 1876 to appoint: a. the Texas Attorney General to office. b. the three members of the Texas Railroad Commission to office. c. the Texas Secretary of State to office. d. the Lieutenant Governor of Texas to office.
Asked by keeblenguyen - Sun Nov 2 22:29:32 2008 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments
A. The answer is C. All the other offices are elected by the people of Texas. When people from other states voted for George W. Bush, some were impressed that he was governor of Texas. Under our state constitution - the Constitution of 1876 - the Texas governor has nearly no power at all. My dog could be Texas governor and not mess things up. Heck, even Rick Perry could do the job!
Answered by LovesTheConstitution - Sun Nov 2 22:36:32 2008
