Texas

Texas (,  American Spanish: 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.), 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 over 29 million people as of 2020. Its largest cities are Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, El Paso, and Austin, the capital city.

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. 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, 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.

 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. Texas was home to six of the top 50 companies on the Fortune 500 list in 2015 (third most after New York and California). 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. 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.

List of counties in Texas

CountiesSeat ImageMap 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  190px Bastrop  Bastrop  190px  190px Baylor  Seymour  190px  190px Bee  Beeville  190px  190px  Bell  Belton  190px  190px Bexar  San Antonio  190px  190px Blanco  Johnson City  190px  190px Borden  Gail  190px  Bosque  Meridian  190px  190px Bowie  New Boston  190px Brazoria  Angleton  190px  190px Brewster  Alpine  190px  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  190px  190px Camp  Pittsburg  190px  190px Carson  Pandhandle  190px  190px Cass  Linden  190px  190px Castro  Dimmit  190px  190px Chambers  Anahauc  190px  190px Cherokee  Rusk  190px  190px Childress  Childress  190px  190px Clay  Henrietta  190px  190px Cochran  Morton  190px Coke  Robert Lee  190px  190px Coleman  Coleman  190px  190px Collin  McKinney  190px  190px  Collingsworth  Wellington  190px   190px Colorado  Columbus  190px  190px Comal  New Braunfels  190px  190px Comanche Comanche  190px  Concho  Paint Rock  190px  190px Cooke  Gainesville  190px  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 || 190px 
|-
| Denton || Denton || 190px || 190px
|-
| DeWitt || Cuero || 190px || 190px
|-
| Dickens || Dickens || 190px || 190px
|-
| Dimmit  Carrizo Springs  190px  190px Donley  Clarendon  190px  190px Duval  San Diego  190px  190px E Eastland  Eastland  190px  190px Ector  Odessa  190px  190px Edwards  Rocksprings  190px  190px Ellis  Waxahachie  190px  190px El Paso  El Paso  190px  190px Erath  Stephenville  190px  190px F Falls   Marlin  190px  190px Fannin  Bonham  190px  190px Fayette  La Grange  190px  190px Fisher  Roby  190px  190px Floyd  Floydada  190px   Foard  Crowell  190px  190px Fort Bend  Richmond  190px  190px Franklin  Mt. Vernon  190px  190px Freestone  Fairfield  190px  190px Frio  Pearsall  190px  190px G Gaines  Seminole  190px  190px Galveston  Galveston  190px  190px Garza  Post  190px  190px Gillespie  Fredericksburg  190px  190px Glasscock  Garden City  190px Goliad  Goliad  190px  190px Gonzales  Gonzales  190px  Gray  Pampa  190px  190px Grayson  Sherman  190px  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  190px  190px Hardeman  Quanah  190px  190px Hardin  Kountze  190px  190px  Harris   Houston  190px  190px Harrison  Marshall  190px  190px Hartley  Channing  190px  190px Haskell  Haskell  190px  190px Hays  San Marcos  190px  190px Hemphill  Canadian  190px  190px Henderson  Athens  190px  190px Hidalgo  Edinburg  190px  190px Hill  Hillsboro  190px  190px Hockley  Levelland  190px  Hood  Granbury  190px  190px Hopkins  Sulphur Springs  190px  190px Houston  Crockett  190px  190px Howard  Big Spring  190px   Hudspeth  Sierra Blanca  190px  190px Hunt  Greenville  190px  190px Hutchinson  Stinnett  190px  190px I Irion  Mertzon  190px J Jack  Jacksboro  190px  190px Jackson  Edna  190px   Jasper  Jasper  190px  190px Jeff  Fort Davis  190px  190px  Jefferson  Beaumont  190px  190px Jim Hogg  Hebbronville  190px  190px Jim Wells  Alice  190px  190px  Johnson  Cleburne  190px  190px Jones  Anson  190px  190px K Karnes  Karnes City  190px  190px Kaufman  Kaufman  190px  190px Kendall Boerne  190px  190px Kenedy  Sarita  190px  190px Kent  Jayton  190px  190px Kerr  Kerrville  190px  190px Kimble  Junction  190px  190px King  Guthrie  190px   Kinney  Brackettville  190px  190px Kleberg  Kingsville  190px  190px Knox  Benjamin  190px  190px L Lamar  Paris  190px  190px Lamb  Littlefield  190px   Lampasas  Lampasas  190px  190px La Salle  Cotulla  190px  190px Lavaca  Hallettsville  190px  190px Lee  Giddings  190px  190px Leon  Centerville  190px  190px Liberty  Liberty    Limestone  Groesbeck  190px  190px Lipscomb  Lipscomb  190px  190px Live Oak  George West  190px  190px Llano  Llano  190px  190px Loving  Mentone  190px   Lubbock  Lubbock  190px Lynn  Tahoka  190px  190px M McCulloch Brady  190px  190px McLennan  Waco  190px  190px McMullen  Tilden  190px  190px  Madison  Madisonville  190px  190px Marion  Jefferson  190px  190px Martin  Stanton  190px  190px Mason  Mason  190px  190px Matagorda  Bay City  190px  190px Maverick  Eagle Pass  190px  190px Medina  Hondo  190px  190px Menard  Menard  190px  190px Midland  Midland  190px  190px Milam  Cameroon  190px  190px Mills  Goldthwaite  190px  190px Mitchell  Colorado City  190px  Montague  Montague  190px   Montgomery  Conroe  190px  190px Moore  Dumas  190px  190px Morris  Daingerfield  190px   Motley  Matador  190px  190px N Nacogdoches  Nacogdoches  190px  190px Navarro  Corsicana  190px  190px Newton  Newton  190px  190px   Nolan  Sweetwater  190px  190px Nueces  Corpus Christi  190px  190px O Ochiltree  Perryton  190px  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  190px  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  190px  190px Real  Leakey  190px  190px Red  Clarksville  190px  190px Reeves  Pecos  190px  190px Refugio  Refugio  190px  190px Roberts  Miami  190px  190px Robertson  Franklin  190px  190px Rockwall  Rockwall  190px  190px Runnels  Ballinger  190px  190px Rusk  Henderson  190px  190px S Sabine  Hemphill  190px  190px 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  190px Starr  Rio Grande  190px   Stephens  Breckenridge  190px  190px Sterling  Sterling City  190px  190px Stonewall  Aspermont  190px  190px Sutton  Sonora  190px  190px Swisher  Tulia  190px  190px T Tarrant  Fort Worth  190px Taylor  Abilene  190px Terrell  Sanderson  190px  190px Terry  Brownfield  190px  190px Throckmorton  Throckmorton  190px  190px Titus  Mt. Pleasant  190px  190px Tom Green  San Angelo  190px  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  190px Wharton  Wharton  190px  Wheeler  Wheeler  190px  190px Wichita  Wichita Falls  190px  190px Wilbarger  Vernon  190px  190px Willacy  Raymondville  190px  190px Williamson  Georgestown  190px  190px Wilson  Floresville  190px  190px Winkler  Kermit  190px  190px Wise  Decatur  190px  190px Wood  Quitman  190px  190px Y Yoakum  Plains  190px  190px Young  Graham  190px  190px Z Zapata  Zapata  190px  190px Zavala  Crystal City  190px

Related pages
 Colleges and universities in Texas
 List of cities in Texas
 List of towns in Texas

References


Category:1845 establishments in the United States