The Republic of Texas achieved its independence from Mexico in 1836, the same year as the famous siege of the Alamo in which pioneers Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett were slain. The "Lone Star State" was the 28th state to join the Union, admitted in 1845. The name Texas is a Spanish name, which comes from an Indian word meaning "friends" or "allies." Texas is the second-largest state in the Union in area, after Alaska. Although it has a wild, frontier history, today Texas is a major producer of oil and has important centers of industry and finance. A Texas state historian has said that the state flower, the bluebonnet, "is to Texas what the shamrock is to Ireland."
State Flower: Bluebonnet
State Motto: Friendship
State Nickname: Lone Star State
State Bird: Mockingbird
Land area, 2000 (square miles): 261,797
Length: 790 miles
Width: 660 miles
10 largest cities, 2000:
Houston, 1,953,631
Dallas, 1,188,580
San Antonio, 1,144,646
Austin, 656,562
El Paso, 563,662
Fort Worth, 534,694
Arlington, 332,969
Corpus Christi, 277,454
Plano, 222,030
Garland, 215,768
Geographic Center: 15 miles northeast of Brady
Geographic Center County: McCulloch
Highest Point: 8,749 ft. — Guadelupe Peak
Lowest Point: sea level — Gulf of Mexico
Number of counties: 254
State forests: 5 (7,609 ac.)
State parks: 120
Persons per square mile, 2000: 80
This page last updated July 10, 2007
GDP Data — Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
Population and Economic Data — US Census Bureau
Government Data — Congress.Org
|
