Texas

(Redirected from Tejas)

Texas (/ˈtɛksəs/, also locally /ˈtɛksɪz/ American Spanish: [tejaz][7]), 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 nearly 29 million people as of 2019. Its largest cities are Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, El Paso, and Austin, the capital city.

State of Texas
 
 
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 metroDallas–Fort Worth
Government
 • GovernorGreg Abbott (R)
 • Lieutenant GovernorDan Patrick (R)
LegislatureTexas Legislature
 • Upper houseSenate
 • Lower houseHouse of Representatives
U.S. senatorsJohn Cornyn (R)
Ted Cruz (R)
U.S. House delegation23 Republicans
13 Democrats (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
Elevation
1,700 ft (520 m)
Highest elevation8,751 ft (2,667.4 m)
Lowest elevation0 ft (0 m)
Population
 (2022)
 • Total29,183,290[4]
 • Rank2nd
 • Density176/sq mi (67.9/km2)
  • Rank23rd
 • Median household income
$64,034[5]
 • Income rank
23rd
Language
 • Official languageNo official language
(see Languages spoken in Texas)
 • Spoken languagePredominantly English;
Spanish is spoken by a sizable minority[6]
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
Trad. abbreviationTex.
Latitude25°50′ N to 36°30′ N
Longitude93°31′ W to 106°39′ W
Websitetexas.gov
Texas state symbols
250px
150px
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 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.[8] 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

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

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,[9] 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

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.[10]

Economy

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.[11] Texas was home to six of the top 50 companies on the Fortune 500 list in 2015 (third most after New York and California).[12] 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.[13][14][15] 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.[16]

List of counties in Texas

Further information: List of counties in Texas

A

Counties Seat Image Map
A
Anderson Palestine 190px 190px
Andrews Andrews 190px 190px
Angelina Lufkin 190px 190px
Aransas Rockport 190px 190px
Archer Archer City 190px 190px
Armstrong Claude 190px 190px
Austin Bellville 190px 190px
B
Bailey Muleshoe 190px 190px
Bandera Bandera 190px TXMap-doton-Bandera.PNG
Bastrop Bastrop File:Ascension Catholic Church in Bastrop, TX IMG 0517.JPG 190px
Baylor Seymour 190px 190px
Bee Beeville File:Downtown Beeville IMG 0983.JPG File:Bee Beeville.svg
Bell Belton 190px 190px
Bexar San Antonio Downtown San Antonio 2021.jpg 190px
Blanco Johnson City 190px TXMap-doton-JohnsonCity.PNG
Borden Gail Borden County Texas Courthouse 2010.jpg
Bosque Meridian File:Downtown Meridian Texas2 (1 of 1).jpg 190px
Bowie New Boston 190px
Brazoria Angleton Angleton TX City Hall.jpg 190px
Brewster Alpine Alpine, Texas from atop Hancock Hill.JPG 190px
Briscoe Silverton 190px 190px
Brooks Falfurrias 190px 190px
Brown Brownwood 190px 190px
Burleson Caldwell 190px 190px
Burnet Burnet 190px 190px
C
Caldwell Lockhart 190px 190px
Calhoun Port Lavaca 190px 190px
Callahan Baird 190px 190px
Cameron Brownsville File:Brownsville-Harlingen, TX, TX, USA - panoramio (6).jpg 190px
Camp Pittsburg 190px 190px
Carson Pandhandle 190px 190px
Cass Linden 190px 190px
Castro Dimmit 190px 190px
Chambers Anahauc 190px File:Chambers County Anahuac.svg
Cherokee Rusk 190px 190px
Childress Childress 190px Childress County Childress.svg
Clay Henrietta A glimpse of Henrietta, TX IMG 6841.JPG 190px
Cochran Morton Morton Texas City Hall.jpg
Coke Robert Lee Coke County, TX, Courthouse IMG 4500.JPG File:Coke County RobertLee.svg
Coleman Coleman 190px 190px
Collin McKinney 190px 190px
Collingsworth Wellington 190px File:TXMap-doton-Wellington.PNG
Colorado Columbus 190px 190px
Comal New Braunfels 190px 190px
Comanche Comanche 190px
Concho Paint Rock 190px 190px
Cooke Gainesville File:Downtown Gainesville 8 Wiki (1 of 1).jpg 190px
Coryell Gatesville 190px 190px
Cottle Paducah 190px 190px
Crance Crane 190px 190px
Crockett Ozona 190px 190px
Crosby Crosbyton 190px 190px
Culberson Van Horn 190px 190px
D
Dallam Dalhart 190px 190px
Dallas Dallas 190px 190px
Dawson Lamesa 190px 190px
Deaf Smith Hereford 190px 190px
Delta Cooper 190px TXMap-doton-Cooper.PNG
Denton Denton File:Denton, Texas town square.jpg Denton County Texas Incorporated Areas Denton highlighted.svg
DeWitt Cuero Cuero Commercial Historic District2.JPG TXMap-doton-Cuero.PNG
Dickens Dickens File:2019 Dickens County Courthouse.jpg 190px
Dimmit Carrizo Springs 190px 190px
Donley Clarendon 190px 190px
Duval San Diego 190px 190px
E
Eastland Eastland File:DowntownEastlandTexas.jpg 190px
Ector Odessa 190px Ector County Odessa.svg
Edwards Rocksprings 190px 190px
Ellis Waxahachie File:Ellis County Courthouse (1 of 1).jpg 190px
El Paso El Paso File:EP Public libray.jpg 190px
Erath Stephenville 190px 190px
F
Falls Marlin 190px 190px
Fannin Bonham 190px 190px
Fayette La Grange 190px TXMap-doton-LaGrange.PNG
Fisher Roby 190px 190px
Floyd Floydada 190px
Foard Crowell 190px 190px
Fort Bend Richmond 190px 190px
Franklin Mt. Vernon 190px 190px
Freestone Fairfield File:Downtown Farfield 1.jpg 190px
Frio Pearsall 190px 190px
G
Gaines Seminole File:Seminole courhouse.JPG 190px
Galveston Galveston Galveston (Texas).jpg 190px
Garza Post Downtown Post, TX IMG 4623.JPG 190px
Gillespie Fredericksburg Main Street at Fredericksburg.JPG TXMap-doton-Fredericksburg.PNG
Glasscock Garden City File:Glasscock County courthouse May 2020.jpg
Goliad Goliad 190px 190px
Gonzales Gonzales 190px
Gray Pampa Pampa Texas 10-3-2013.jpg Gray County Pampa.svg
Grayson Sherman AdminAC.JPG 190px
Gregg Longview 190px 190px
Grimes Anderson 190px 190px
Guadalupe Seguin 190px
H
Hale Plainview 190px 190px
Hall Memphis 190px 190px
Hamilton Hamilton 190px 190px
Hansford Spearman Spearman Texas Oct 2015 City Hall.jpg TXMap-doton-Spearman.PNG
Hardeman Quanah Downtown Quanah, TX Picture 2194.jpg TXMap-doton-Quanah.PNG
Hardin Kountze Kirby hill house kountze texas 2014.jpg TXMap-doton-Kountze.PNG
Harris Houston Texas medical center.jpg File:Harris County Texas incorporated and unincorporated areas Houston highlighted.svg
Harrison Marshall Downtown Marshall, TX IMG 2336.JPG Harrison County Marshall.svg
Hartley Channing Revised XIT Ranch office, Channing, TX IMG 4935.JPG TXMap-doton-Channing.PNG
Haskell Haskell Downtown Haskell Texas 2015.jpg TXMap-doton-Haskell.PNG
Hays San Marcos 190px Hays County SanMarcos.svg
Hemphill Canadian City Hall, Canadian, TX IMG 6061.JPG TXMap-doton-Canadian.PNG
Henderson Athens Downtown Athens, TX IMG 0587.JPG 190px
Hidalgo Edinburg Hidalgo County Courthouse.jpg Hidalgo County Edinburg.svg
Hill Hillsboro A look at downtown Hillsboro, Texas, April 2013.jpg TXMap-doton-Hillsboro.PNG
Hockley Levelland Mallet Event Center and Rodeo Arena.jpg
Hood Granbury 190px TXMap-doton-Granbury.PNG
Hopkins Sulphur Springs Sulphur Springs September 2015 1 (Courthouse Square).jpg TXMap-doton-SulphurSprings.PNG
Houston Crockett Downtown Crockett, TX IMG 1000.JPG Houston County Crockett.svg
Howard Big Spring Big Spring Texas Settles Hotel 2013.jpg
Hudspeth Sierra Blanca Sierra Blanca TX.jpg Hudspeth County SierraBlanca.svg
Hunt Greenville Greenville August 2015 28 (Lee Street).jpg 190px
Hutchinson Stinnett Hutchinson County Texas Courthouse.jpg TXMap-doton-Stinnett.PNG
I
Irion Mertzon Irion county courthouse 2014.jpg
J
Jack Jacksboro Jacksboro3 (1 of 1).jpg TXMap-doton-Jacksboro.PNG
Jackson Edna 190px
Jasper Jasper Downtown Jasper corner of Lamar & Zavalla.JPG Jasper County Jasper.svg
Jeff Fort Davis DirksAndersonElementary.JPG JeffDavis County FortDavis.svg
Jefferson Beaumont 190px 190px
Jim Hogg Hebbronville 190px 190px
Jim Wells Alice 190px File:Jim Wells Alice.svg
Johnson Cleburne 190px 190px
Jones Anson 190px File:TXMap-doton-Anson.PNG
K
Karnes Karnes City 190px 190px
Kaufman Kaufman 190px 190px
Kendall Boerne 190px 190px
Kenedy Sarita 190px 190px
Kent Jayton File:Jayton, Texas in August 2012.jpg 190px
Kerr Kerrville 190px Kerr County Kerrville.svg
Kimble Junction Downtown Junction, TX IMG 4330.JPG Kimble County Junction.svg
King Guthrie 190px
Kinney Brackettville Alamo replica.jpg TXMap-doton-Brackettville.PNG
Kleberg Kingsville John B. Ragland Mercantile Company Building, Kingsville, Texas.JPG 190px
Knox Benjamin File:Knox County Courthouse, Benjamin, Texas.jpg 190px
L
Lamar Paris Paris July 2015 25 (City Hall).jpg File:Lamar County Paris.svg
Lamb Littlefield 190px
Lampasas Lampasas File:Lampasas County Courthouse.JPG 190px
La Salle Cotulla Downtown Cotulla2 (1 of 1).jpg 190px
Lavaca Hallettsville Hallettsville TX Lavaca Co Courthouse.jpg TXMap-doton-Hallettsville.PNG
Lee Giddings File:PumpJack.jpg File:Lee County Giddings.svg
Leon Centerville 190px File:TXMap-doton-CentervilleLeon.PNG
Liberty Liberty
Limestone Groesbeck 190px 190px
Lipscomb Lipscomb 190px 190px
Live Oak George West 190px 190px
Llano Llano File:Llano courthouse 2010.jpg 190px
Loving Mentone 190px
Lubbock Lubbock 190px
Lynn Tahoka 190px TXMap-doton-Tahoka.PNG
M
McCulloch Brady 190px McCulloch County Brady.svg
McLennan Waco Downtown Waco from I-35-cropped.jpg 190px
McMullen Tilden 190px 190px
Madison Madisonville 190px 190px
Marion Jefferson 190px Marion County Jefferson.svg
Martin Stanton Welcome to Stanton Texas sign Martin County.jpg 190px
Mason Mason 190px 190px
Matagorda Bay City 190px 190px
Maverick Eagle Pass 190px 190px
Medina Hondo 190px 190px
Menard Menard File:Menard, TX, welcome sign IMG 4375.JPG 190px
Midland Midland 190px Midland County Midland.svg
Milam Cameroon Cameron, Texas CIMG7552.JPG File:TXMap-doton-Cameron.PNG
Mills Goldthwaite 190px 190px
Mitchell Colorado City 190px
Montague Montague File:Old montague county jail.jpg
Montgomery Conroe 190px 190px
Moore Dumas 190px 190px
Morris Daingerfield 190px
Motley Matador MatadorTexas (1 of 1).jpg TXMap-doton-Matador.PNG
N
Nacogdoches Nacogdoches 190px Nacogdoches County Nacogdoches.svg
Navarro Corsicana File:Cook Center, Navarro College, Corsicana, TX IMG 0658.JPG 190px
Newton Newton 190px File:TXMap-doton-Newton.PNG
Nolan Sweetwater 190px 190px
Nueces Corpus Christi Bayfront-1.jpg Nueces CorpusChristi.svg
O
Ochiltree Perryton File:Downtown Perryton, TX IMG 6044.JPG 190px
Oldham Vega 190px 190px
Orange Orange 190px 190px
P
Palo Pinto Palo Pinto 190px
Panola Carthage 190px 190px
Parker Weatherford 190px 190px
Parmer Farwell 190px 190px
Pecos Fort Stockton File:Fort Stockton parade ground and barracks as seen from the guard house.jpg 190px
Polk Livingston 190px 190px
Potter Amarillo 190px 190px
Presidio Marfa 190px 190px
R
Rains Emory 190px 190px
Randall Canyon 190px 190px
Reagan Big Lake Reagan County courthouse May 2020-2.jpg 190px
Real Leakey 190px 190px
Red Clarksville Clarksville June 2018 19 (Broadway Street).jpg 190px
Reeves Pecos 190px 190px
Refugio Refugio 190px 190px
Roberts Miami 190px 190px
Robertson Franklin 190px 190px
Rockwall Rockwall Rockwall November 2015 08 (Rusk Street).jpg Rockwall County Texas Incorporated Areas Rockwall highlighted.svg
Runnels Ballinger Ballinger Texas City Hall 2016.jpg 190px
Rusk Henderson Another look at downtown Henderson, TX IMG 2975.JPG 190px
S
Sabine Hemphill HemphillTexas1 (1 of 1).jpg TXMap-doton-Hemphill.PNG
San Augustine San Augustine 190px 190px
San Jacinto Coldspring 190px 190px
San Patricio Sinton 190px 190px
San Saba San Saba 190px 190px
Schleicher Eldorado 190px 190px
Scurry Snyder 190px 190px
Shackelford Albany 190px 190px
Shelby Center 190px 190px
Sherman Stratford 190px 190px
Smith Tyler 190px 190px
Sowervell Glen Rose 190px File:TXMap-doton-GlenRose.PNG
Starr Rio Grande 190px
Stephens Breckenridge 190px 190px
Sterling Sterling City Sterling City, TX downtown IMG 1415.JPG 190px
Stonewall Aspermont 190px 190px
Sutton Sonora 190px 190px
Swisher Tulia 190px 190px
T
Tarrant Fort Worth 190px
Taylor Abilene 190px
Terrell Sanderson 190px File:Kaufman County Texas Incorporated Areas Terrell highlighted.svg
Terry Brownfield 190px 190px
Throckmorton Throckmorton 190px File:TXMap-doton-Throckmorton.PNG
Titus Mt. Pleasant 190px 190px
Tom Green San Angelo San Angelo September 2019 03 (San Angelo City Hall).jpg 190px
Travis Austin 200px 190px
Trinity Groveton 190px 190px
Tyler Woodville 190px 190px
U
Upshur Gilmer 190px 190px
Upton Rankin 190px 190px
Uvalde Uvalde 190px 190px
V
Val Verde Del Rio 190px 190px
Van Zandt Canton 190px 190px
Victoria Victoria 190px 190px
W
Walker Huntsville 190px 190px
Waller Hempstead 190px 190px
Ward Monahans 190px 190px
Washington Brenham 190px 190px
Webb Laredo 190px Webb County Laredo.svg
Wharton Wharton 190px
Wheeler Wheeler 190px 190px
Wichita Wichita Falls 190px 190px
Wilbarger Vernon 190px 190px
Willacy Raymondville 190px 190px
Williamson Georgestown Downtown Georgetown.jpg 190px
Wilson Floresville 190px 190px
Winkler Kermit 190px 190px
Wise Decatur 190px 190px
Wood Quitman 190px 190px
Y
Yoakum Plains 190px File:TXMap-doton-Plains.PNG
Young Graham 190px 190px
Z
Zapata Zapata 190px 190px
Zavala Crystal City 190px

Texas Media

Related pages

References

  1. "El Capitan". NGS data sheet. U.S. National Geodetic Survey. http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds_mark.prl?PidBox=CD0994. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Elevations and Distances in the United States". United States Geological Survey. 2001. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
  3. Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988.
  4. Bureau, US Census (April 26, 2021). "2020 Census Apportionment Results". The United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  5. "Median Annual Household Income". The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. 2019. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  6. Texas—Languages. MLA. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
  7. 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.
  8. "Texas Facts". The Story of Texas. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  9. "Resolutions" (PDF). Twenty-ninth Congress. 1845. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 25, 2017. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  10. "Mountain Time Zone Boundary". www.timetemperature.com. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  11. "Gross domestic product (GDP) by state (millions of current dollars)". Bureau of Economic Analysis. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  12. "FORTUNE 500 2011: States". CNN. https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2011/states/TX.html. 
  13. "State Exports for TEXAS". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
  14. "State Exports for CALIFORNIA". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
  15. "State Exports for NEW YORK". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
  16. "In Opinion: If states were countries by economic output, California would be France" (in en). Newsweek. June 11, 2016. http://www.newsweek.com/economic-output-if-states-were-countries-california-would-be-france-467614. Retrieved June 30, 2017.