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The
name Texas comes from the word "tejas" meaning "friend"
in the language of the Hasinai Indians of the Caddo Nation.
Texas
declared independence from Mexico on On March 2, 1836. After the
battle of San Jacinto, Texas became a free republic on April 21,
1836. The Republic of Texas was admitted to the US on Dec. 29, 1845.
Texas is the 28th State.
The
Capitol of Texas is Austin.
Texas
is the 2nd largest state and has 268,601 square miles. Only Alaska
is bigger.
The
geographic center of Texas is 15 miles northeast of the town of
Brady in McCulloch County.
Texas
has 254 Counties. Texas has more counties than any other state.
The
population of Texas according to the latest US census is 22,118,509.
Three of the 10 largest United States cities are in Texas: Houston,
Dallas, and San Antonio.
Houston
is the largest city in Texas. Other large cities in Texas would
include Amarillo, Arlington, Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas - Ft.
Worth,
El Paso, Garland, Plano and San Antonio.
The
worlds largest medical complex is the Texas Medical Center in Houston,
Texas.
The Port of Houston is the largest port in Texas,
the 3'rd largest in the US and the 8'th largest port in the world.
The
ships that dock in The Houston Ship Channel carry more cargo than
any other port in the United States.
 The
only natural lake in Texas is Lake Caddo, in North East Texas.
There
are 190 man made lakes and reservoirs in Texas.
Texas
has 80,000 miles of rivers and streams.
The
longest river in Texas is the Rio Grande which is 1,254 miles long.
The
major rivers in Texas are the Brazos River, Canadian River, Colorado
River, Guadalupe, Nueces, Neches, Pecos River, Red River, Rio Grande,
Sabine, Trinity River.
The
Guadalupe Mountains |
The
Western Mountain Region of Texas:
• Guadalupe mountains on the Texas - New Mexico border
• Davis mountains near Fort Davis in Jeff Davis County
• Franklin Mountains to the east of El Paso
• Chisos Mountains in the Big Bend National Park
The
tallest mountain in Texas is Guadalupe Peak which is 8,749
feet above sea level.
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Texas has many beautiful state parks, protected land and wildlife
refuge areas. There are 126 State Parks, 50 wildlife management
areas, 8 state fish hatcheries, 13 National Wildlife Refuges, 4
National Forests and 5 National Grasslands.
Texas
is bordered by 4 states - Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma.
The Rio Grande river separates Texas from the border country of
Mexico.
The Gulf of Mexico is along the "gulf coast" border of
Texas.
The
nickname for Texas is "The Lone Star State"
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The Texas Flag
Red
for bravery
White for purity
Blue for loyalty
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State
motto - Friendship
State
song - “Texas, Our Texas”
Texas
Agriculture: The top exports in Texas agriculture are cattle, cotton,
feed grains, greenhouse plants, poultry and dairy products. (USDA
fact sheet)
The
main food crops grown in Texas in order of volume are:
corn, sorghum, wheat, onions, peanuts, rice, watermelons, pecans,
cantaloups, potatoes, cabbage, sugar cane, soybeans, cucumbers,
honeydews, and grapefruit.
Texas
Industry: chemical industry, petroleum and natural gas, electronic
components, telecommunications, biotechnology, machinery, mining,
tourism.
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