Texasis thesecond most populous(afterCalifornia) and thesecond largestof the50 U.S.
states(afterAlaska) in theUnited States of America
, and the largest state in the48 contiguous United States. Geographically located in thesouth centralpart of the country, Texas shares an
international borderwith theMexicanstatesofChihuahua,Coahuila,Nuevo Len, andTamaulipasto the south and borders theU.S. statesof
New Mexicoto the west,Oklahomato the north,Arkansasto the northeast, andLouisianato the east. Texas has an area of 268,820 square
miles (696,200km2) and a growing population of over 26.9 million residents (July 2014).[8]
Houstonis the largest city in Texas and thefourth-largestin the United States, whileSan Antoniois the second largest in the state and
seventh largest in the United States.DallasFort WorthandGreater Houstonare the fourth and fifth largestUnited States metropolitan areas,
respectively. Other major cities includeEl PasoandAustinthestate capital. Texas is nicknamed theLone Star Stateto signify Texas as a
former 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] The origin of the state name, Texas, is from the word, "Tejas", which means 'friends' in
theCaddolanguage.[10]
Due to its size and geologic features such as theBalcones Fault, Texas contains diverselandscapesthat resemble both the AmericanSouth
andSouthwest.[11] Although Texas is popularly associated with theSouthwestern deserts, less than 10 percent of the land area isdesert.[12]
Most of the population centers are located in areas of formerprairies,grasslands,forests, and thecoastline. Traveling from east to west, one
can observe terrain that ranges from coastalswampsandpiney woods, to rolling plains and rugged hills, and finally thedesertand mountains
of theBig Bend.
The term "six flags over Texas", as can be seen in theGrand Prairie-based large national and international amusement park operatorSix Flags,
came from the several nations that had ruled over the territory.Spainwas the first European country to claim the area of Texas. France held a
short-lived colonyin Texas.Mexicocontrolled the territory until 1836 when Texas won its independence, becoming an independentRepublic. In
1845 it joined the United States as the 28th state. The state'sannexationset off a chain of events that caused theMexicanAmerican Warin
1846. Aslave state, Texas declared its secession from the United States in early 1861, and officially joined theConfederate States of America
on March 2 of the same year. After the consequent Civil War and the restoration of its representation in the federal government, Texas
entered a long period of economic stagnation.
One Texas industry that thrived after the Civil War wascattle. Due to its long history as a center of the industry, Texas is associated with the
image of thecowboy. The state's economic fortunes changed in the early 20th century, whenoildiscoveriesinitiated aneconomic boomin
the state. With strong investments in universities, Texas developed a diversifiedeconomyandhigh techindustry in the mid-20th century. As
of 2010 it shares the top of the list of the mostFortune 500companies with California at 57.[13] With a growing base of industry, the state
leads in many industries, including agriculture,petrochemicals,energy,computersandelectronics,aerospace, andbiomedical sciences. Texas
has led the nation in export revenue since 2002 and has thesecond-highestgross state product.
source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas
