State of Texas
Flag of Texas Seal of Texas Nickname(s): Lone Star State Motto(s): Friendship Before Statehood Known as The Republic of Texas
Official language(s)	No official language See languages of Texas
Demonym	Texan
Capital	Austin
Largest city	Houston
Largest metro area	Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington[1]
Area	Ranked 2nd in the US
- Total	268,820[2] sq mi (696,241 km²)
- Width	773[3] miles (1,244 km)
- Length	790 miles (1,270 km)
- % water	2. The Flag of Texas is defined by law as follows The state flag consists of a rectangle with a width to length ratio of two to three containing (1 a blue The Seal of Texas was adopted as part of the 1845 Texas State Constitution and was based on the seal of the Republic of Texas adopted on January 25 1839 This is a list of US state nicknames, including officially adopted Nicknames and other traditional nicknames for individual states of the United States. Here is a list of state Mottos for the states of the United States of America. The Republic of Texas was a sovereign Nation in North America between the United States and Mexico that existed from 1836 to The United States does not have an Official language; however the majority of the population speaks English as a native language (about 82% Of the languages spoken in Texas none has been De jure designated the official language although it is largely monolingual with English being the A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place Washington DC has been the capital of the United States since 1800 This is a list of the largest cities of US states by population Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas|Table of United States Core Based Statistical AreasIn the United States, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB has produced The Dallas – Fort Worth – Arlington metropolitan area, a title designated by the U Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. This is a complete list of the states of the United States and its major territories ordered by total area, land area, and water area The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand 5
- Latitude	25° 50′ N to 36° 30′ N
- Longitude	93° 31′ W to 106° 39′ W
Population	Ranked 2nd in the US
- Total	20,851,820
- Density	79. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology This is a list of states of the United States by population (with inhabited non-state jurisdictions included for comparison as of July 1, 2007, according to the This article is a list of the 50 US States ordered by Population density. 6[4]/sq mi  30. 75/km² (28th in the US)
Elevation
- Highest point	Guadalupe Peak[5] 8,749 ft  (2,667 m)
- Mean	1,700 ft  (520 m)
- Lowest point	Gulf of Mexico coast[5] 0 ft  (0 m)
Admission to Union	December 29, 1845 (28th)
Governor	Rick Perry (R)
Lieutenant Governor	David Dewhurst (R)
U.S. Senators	Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) John Cornyn (R)
Congressional Delegation	List
Time zones
- most of state	Central: UTC-6/-5
- tip of West Texas	Mountain: UTC-7/-6
Abbreviations	TX Tex. US-TX
Website	www.texas.gov

Texas (IPA: /ˈtɛksəs/) is a state geographically located in the South Central United States. Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below --> Guadalupe Peak is the highest point in Texas. It is located in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, part of the Guadalupe Mountains range in southeastern The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a list of U Events 1170 - Thomas Becket: Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury is assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government James Richard "Rick" Perry (born March 4, 1950) is a Republican Politician and the current Governor of Texas This is a complete and current List of United States Lieutenant Governors. David Dewhurst (born August 18, 1945) is the Republican Lieutenant Governor of Texas. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Kathryn Ann Bailey Hutchison usually known as Kay Bailey Hutchison (born July 22 1943) is the senior United States Senator from John Cornyn III (born February 2 1952) is the junior United States Senator from Texas. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses These are tables of congressional delegations from Texas to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. This is a list of United States of America States by time zone The Central Time Zone observes Standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC during standard time ( UTC−6) and five hours during Daylight saving Daylight saving time ( DST West Texas is a region in Texas that has more in common geographically with the Southwestern United States than it does with the rest of the state The Mountain Time Zone of North America keeps time by subtracting seven hours from Coordinated Universal Time ( UTC-7) during the shortest days of autumn Daylight saving time ( DST The traditional abbreviations for US states and territories were widely used in mailing addresses prior to the introduction of two-letter U ISO 3166-2US is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to the United States of America. A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government The South Central United States or South Central states is a region of the United States located in the south central part of the country Texas is known as the Lone Star State. Austin is the state capital. In countries with federal Constitutions divided into subnational entities known as states, the state capital is the administrative center Texas is the second largest U. S. state in both area and population, with an area of 268,820 square miles (696,200 km²) and a growing population of 23. 9 million. Houston is the state's largest city. The Dallas/Fort Worth area is the largest metropolitan statistical area. The Dallas – Fort Worth – Arlington metropolitan area, a title designated by the U Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas|Table of United States Core Based Statistical AreasIn the United States, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB has produced

Traveling from east to west, the landscape of Texas gradually evolves from that of the Deep South into that of the desert Southwest, going from piney woods to semi-forests of oak and cross timbers, into rolling plains and prairie, then finally to desert in the Big Bend. The geography of Texas covers a wide and far reaching scope Occupying about 7% of the total water and land area of the U The Deep South is a descriptive category of cultural and geographic subregions in the American South. The Southwestern area of the United States could be defined as the states west of the Mississippi River, with the qualification of a certain northern limit such as the 37 The Piney Woods is a Terrestrial ecoregion in the Southern United States covering 54400 mi² (140900 km²) of East Texas The term Cross Timbers is used to describe a fairly narrow strip of land in the United States that runs from southeastern Kansas across Central Oklahoma Prairie, from the French prairie ("meadow" "grassland" "pasture" refers to an area of land of low topographic relief that historically A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. The Big Bend is a colloquial name of a geographic region in the western part of the state of Texas in the United States along the border with Mexico These wide open spaces of the Texas prairie have lent currency to the phrase that "everything is bigger in Texas". ^[6] Due to its long history as a center of the American cattle industry, Texas is associated throughout much of the world with the image of the cowboy. A cowboy is an animal Herder who tends Cattle on Ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback and often performs a multitude of

Historically and culturally, partly due to settlement patterns and its membership in the Confederacy, Texas has close ties to the American South. The history of Texas as part of the United States began in 1845 but settlement of the region dates back to the end of the Upper Paleolithic Period The culture of Texas has been a Melting pot of "Southern" (Dixie and Southwestern (Mexi-WASPy fusion North American culture with pockets of colonies The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive However, having once been both a Spanish and Mexican possession, it can also be classified as a Southwestern state. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Southwestern area of the United States could be defined as the states west of the Mississippi River, with the qualification of a certain northern limit such as the 37 While residents acknowledge these categories, many claim an independent "Texan" identity superseding regional labels. This list of regions of the United States includes official (governmental and non-official areas within the borders of the United States, not including U

Spain was the first European country to claim Texas, and It was part of Mexico until 1836 when it became the independent Republic of Texas. The Republic of Texas was a sovereign Nation in North America between the United States and Mexico that existed from 1836 to In 1845 it joined the United States as the 28th state. The state's annexation was part of a chain of events that led to the Mexican-American War and the U.S. Civil War. The Texas Annexation of 1845 was the voluntary Annexation of the Republic of Texas by the United States of America as Texas, the The main explanation for the origins of the American Civil War was slavery, especially the issue of the expansion of slavery into the territories. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South The discovery of oil in the early 1900s led to an economic boom in the state. Spindletop is a Salt dome Oil field located in south Beaumont, Texas (approx It has become economically diversified with a growing base in high technology. The economy of Texas is a dominant force in the Economy of the United States.

Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2.1 Colonization 2.2 Independence 2.3 Statehood 2.4 Civil War, Reconstruction, and disfranchisement 2.5 Modern era 3 Geography 3.1 Geology 4 Climate 5 Demographics 5.1 Racial group and ethnic origins 5.2 Religion 5.3 Cities and towns 5.4 Colonias 6 Government and politics 6.1 State government 6.2 Judicial system 6.3 Politics 6.4 Administrative divisions 7 Economy 7.1 Agriculture and mining 7.2 Energy 7.3 Technology 7.4 Commerce 8 Transportation 8.1 Highways 8.2 Airports 8.3 Ports 8.4 Railroads 9 Culture 9.1 Arts 9.2 Sports 10 Healthcare 10.1 Medical research 11 Education 11.1 Colleges and universities 12 See also 13 References 14 Further reading 15 External links

Etymology

The state's name derives from táyshay, a word in the Caddoan language of the Hasinai, which means "friends" or "allies". The Caddoan languages are a family of Native American languages. The Hasinai confederation ( Hasínay in Caddo) was a large confederation of Caddo -speaking Native Americans located between the Sabine ^[2][7][8]

The word "Texas" has been incorporated into American English vernacular in many ways. Phonology North American English regional phonology In many ways compared to English English, North American English is conservative in its Phonology. Vernacular refers to the Native language of a country or a locality Due to the state's large geographic size, the term "Texas-sized" is a metaphor for "big". Metaphor (from the Greek: μεταφορά - metaphora, meaning "transfer" is language that directly compares seemingly unrelated subjects ^[9][10] The state's name is used in brands such as Texas Roadhouse and Texas Instruments. Texas Roadhouse is a publicly traded Chain restaurant on the NASDAQ that specializes in steaks and promotes a western theme Texas Instruments ( better known in the electronics industry (and popularly as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, USA The abbreviated form of "Texas", "Tex", is used as a nickname for someone born and/or raised in the state, such as country music singer Tex Ritter. TeX (ˈtɛx as in Greek, often /ˈtɛk/ in English; written with a lowercase 'e' in imitation of the logo is a Typesetting system designed and mostly A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. Tex Ritter (January 12 1905 &ndash January 2 1974 was an American country Singer and Actor and the father of actor John Ritter "Tex" is also a prefix for Texas related words including Tex-Mex or the restaurant chain, Texadelphia. A prefix is a type of Affix attached to a stem which modifies the meaning of that stem Texadelphia is a chain of more than thirty restaurants specializing in unique Cheesesteaks Established on The drag near The University of Texas in

The nickname, The Lone Star State, comes from the single star of the former Republic of Texas. The Republic of Texas was a sovereign Nation in North America between the United States and Mexico that existed from 1836 to ^[11]

History

Main article: History of Texas

Colonization

History of Texas
French Texas
Spanish Texas
Mexican Texas
Republic of Texas
Texas in the Civil War
State of Texas

Main articles: Spanish Texas and Mexican Texas

Alonso Álvarez de Pineda, creator of the first map of the northern Gulf Coast, made the first documented European sighting of Texas in 1519. The history of Texas as part of the United States began in 1845 but settlement of the region dates back to the end of the Upper Paleolithic Period French Texas was the period of Texas history from 1685 until 1689 Spanish Texas was one of the interior provinces of New Spain from 1690 until 1821 Mexican Texas is the given name by Texas history scholars to the period between 1821 and 1836 when Texas was governed by Mexico. The Republic of Texas was a sovereign Nation in North America between the United States and Mexico that existed from 1836 to The state of Texas seceded from the United States on February 1, 1861, and joined the Confederate States of America on March Spanish Texas was one of the interior provinces of New Spain from 1690 until 1821 Mexican Texas is the given name by Texas history scholars to the period between 1821 and 1836 when Texas was governed by Mexico. -- 20723515122 ( talk) 1536 10 October 2008 (UTC Alonso Álvarez de Pineda' (d The Gulf Coast region of the United States comprises the coasts of states which border the Gulf of Mexico. ^[13][14] On 6 November 1528, shipwrecked Spanish conquistador Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca became the first known European in Texas. Events 355 - Roman Emperor Constantius II promotes his cousin Julian to the rank of Caesar, entrusting him with This article is about the Spanish explorer soldiers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuriesfor other uses see Conquistador (disambiguation A Conquistador Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca ( Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz, ca ^[15] Texas was claimed as part of New Spain but was not settled immediately. The Viceroyalty of New Spain (Virreinato de Nueva España was a name given to the Viceroy -ruled territories of the Spanish Empire in North America, ^[16] In 1685 La Salle established the first European community in Texas, the French colony of Fort Saint Louis. The European peoples are the various Nations and Ethnic groups of Europe. ^[17] The colony, located along Matagorda Bay, lasted only four years before succumbing to harsh conditions and hostile natives. TresPalaciosBayFromPorchjpg|thumb|200px|right|Matagorda Bay (Tres Palacios Bay as viewed from a porch in Palacios. ^[18]

Due to the perceived French encroachment, Spain established its first presence in Texas in 1691 constructing of missions in East Texas. The Spanish Missions in Texas comprise a series of Religious outposts established by Spanish Catholic Dominicans Jesuits and East Texas is a distinct geographic and ecological area in the U ^[19] The missions failed quickly, and Spain did not resettle Texas until two decades had passed. ^[20] Spain returned to East Texas in 1716, establishing missions and a presidio to maintain a buffer between New Spain and the territory of Louisiana. The Viceroyalty of New Spain (Virreinato de Nueva España was a name given to the Viceroy -ruled territories of the Spanish Empire in North America, Louisiana (La celina+mario) was the name of an administrative district of New France. ^[21][22] Two years later, the first civilian settlement in Texas, San Antonio, was established as a way station between the missions and the rest of New Spain. ^[23]

Fear of attacks from native tribes and remoteness from New Spain discouraged settlers from moving to Texas; it remained one of New Spain's least populated provinces. ^[24] San Antonio was a target for raids by the Lipan Apache. Lipan Apache are Southern Athabascan ( Apachean people who are aboriginal to present-day Texas, New Mexico Colorado and the northern Mexican states ^[25] In 1749, the Spanish signed a peace treaty with the Apache,^[26] which angered the enemies of the Apache and resulted in raids by the Comanche, Tonkawa, and Hasinai tribes. The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose range (the Comancheria) consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado The Tonkawa are a people native to central Texas, speaking the Tonkawa language. The Hasinai confederation ( Hasínay in Caddo) was a large confederation of Caddo -speaking Native Americans located between the Sabine ^[27] The Comanche signed a treaty with Spain in 1785^[28] and later assisted in defeating the Lipan Apache and Karankawa tribes which had continued to cause difficulties for Spanish settlers. The Karankawa (also Karankawan, Clamcoëhs, and called in their language Auia) were a group of Native American peoples now Extinct ^[29][30] An increased number of missions in the province allowed for a peaceful conversion of other tribes, and by the end of the 1700s only a few nomadic tribes had not been "Christianized". Nomadic people, (from the νομάδες nomádes, "those who let pasture herds" also known as nomads, are communities of people that The historical phenomenon of Christianization (or Christianisation &mdash see spelling differences) the conversion of individuals to Christianity ^[31]

The Louisiana Purchase by the United States from Napoleon led to a border dispute over Texas. For the film see Louisiana Purchase (film. The Louisiana Purchase (French Vente de la Louisiane "Louisiana Sale" Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. A territorial dispute is a disagreement over the possession/control of land between two or more States or over the possession or control of land by one state after it has conquered ^[32] U. S. President Thomas Jefferson insisted that the purchase included land to the east of the Rocky Mountains and to the north of the Rio Grande. Thomas Jefferson (April 13 1743 – July 4 1826 was the third President of the United States (1801–1809 the principal author of the Declaration of Independence Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a Mountain range in western North America. ^[33] The dispute was resolved in 1819, with the signing of the Adams-Onís Treaty recognizing the Sabine River as Texas's eastern boundary. The Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819 settled a border dispute in North America between the United States and Spain. The Sabine River (səˈbiːn is a River, 555 miles (893 km long in the U ^[34]

In 1821, the state became a province of Mexico after the Mexican War of Independence. Stephen Fuller Austin (November 3 1793 &ndash December 27 1836 known as the "Father of Texas " led the second and ultimately successful colonization of the The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Mexican War of Independence (1810 - 1821 was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and Spanish colonial authorities which started on September 16 1810 ^[35] Texas became the northern section of Coahuila y Tejas in 1824. Coahuila y Tejas (or Coahuila and Texas) was one of the constituent states of the newly established United Mexican States under its 1824 Constitution Spain's policy of allowing only full-blooded Spaniards to settle Texas also ended with Mexico's independence. On 3 January 1823, Stephen F. Austin began a colony of 297 Anglo-American families known as the "Old Three Hundred" along the Brazos River, after he was authorized to do so by Governor Antonio María Martínez. Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 1823 ( MDCCCXXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Stephen Fuller Austin (November 3 1793 &ndash December 27 1836 known as the "Father of Texas " led the second and ultimately successful colonization of the The Old Three Hundred is a term used to describe the 297 grantees made up of families and some partnerships of unmarried men who purchased 307 parcels of land from Stephen Fuller The Brazos River, called the Rio de los Brazos de Dios by early Spanish explorers (translated as "The River of the Arms of God" is the 11th longest river in the Antonio María Martínez (?-1823 was a Colonel in the Infantry Regiment of Zamora and the last Governor of Spanish Texas ^[36] By 1830, the 30,000 Anglo settlers in Texas outnumbered Tejanos six to one. Tejano or Tex-Mex music is also a kind of music originating in Texas ^[37]

Independence

Main articles: Texas Revolution and Republic of Texas

The Convention of 1832 and the Convention of 1833 were responses to rising unrest at policies of the Mexican government. The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was fought from October 2 1835 to April 21 1836 between Mexico and the Texas (Tejas portion of the Mexican The Republic of Texas was a sovereign Nation in North America between the United States and Mexico that existed from 1836 to The Convention of 1832 was a political gathering of Texas colonists where delegates met to seek reforms from Mexico. The Convention of 1833 was a gathering of politicians and leaders of the state of Coahuila y Tejas (then part of Mexico) in San Felipe on April The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Delegates feared the end of duty-free imports from the United States and the threat of ending slavery. ^[38] In 1835, Antonio López de Santa Anna, President of Mexico, created a unified constitution for Mexico. Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón ( February 21, 1794 &ndash June 21, 1876) often known as Santa Mexico 's so-called 1835 Constitution was not a formal fully-fledged constitution but two documents that amended the 1824 Constitution in a way that substantially ^[38] The new constitution, imposed a central style of government with power concentrated in the President, and turned states into provinces with governors appointed from Mexico City. States around Mexico rebelled against this imposition, including Chihuahua, Zacatecas and Yucatan. Zacatecas is one of the 31 constituent states of Mexico. It is located in the north-central region and it is bounded to the northwest by Durango Yucatán is one of the 31 states of Mexico, located on the north of the Yucatán Peninsula. Centralista forces' suppression of dissidents in Zacatecas also inspired fear of the Mexican government. Zacatecas is one of the 31 constituent states of Mexico. It is located in the north-central region and it is bounded to the northwest by Durango ^[39] Texans also resented policies such as, the forcible disarmament of settlers, and the expulsion of immigrants and legal landowners originally from the United States.

On 2 March 1836, the Convention of 1836 signed a Declaration of Independence. Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good Year 1836 ( MDCCCXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap The Convention of 1836 was a meeting of elected Delegates in Washington-on-the-Brazos Texas in March 1836 The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. ^[40][41] On 21 April 1836, the Texans—led by General Sam Houston—won their independence at the Battle of San Jacinto. Events 753 BC - Romulus and Remus found Rome ( traditional date) Year 1836 ( MDCCCXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap Samuel Houston ( March 2, 1793 July 26, 1863) was a 19th century American statesman politician and soldier The Battle of San Jacinto, fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day Harris County Texas, was the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Santa Anna's capture led to the Treaties of Velasco, which gave Texas firm boundaries. The Treaties of Velasco were two documents signed at Velasco Texas, (which is now Surfside Beach Texas) on 14 May 1836 between Antonio Mexico repudiated the treaties, considered Texas a breakaway province, and vowed to reconquer it. Later in 1836, the Texans adopted a constitution that formally legalized slavery. The Republic of Texas included the area of the present state of Texas, and additional unoccupied territory to the west and northwest. The Republic of Texas was a sovereign Nation in North America between the United States and Mexico that existed from 1836 to ^[39]

Statehood

Main article: Texas Annexation

Most Texans wanted their Republic to be annexed into the United States because of the Republic's defensive and financial difficulties. The Texas Annexation of 1845 was the voluntary Annexation of the Republic of Texas by the United States of America as Texas, the The Texas Annexation of 1845 was the voluntary Annexation of the Republic of Texas by the United States of America as Texas, the The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events such as the Dawson Massacre and two recaptures of Béxar in Texas of 1842 added momentum to the desire for statehood. The Dawson Massacre was an event in the history of the Republic of Texas, in which 36 Texans were killed by Mexican soldiers and Texas Cherokee Indians with cannon ^[42] However, strong Northern opposition to adding another slave state blocked Texas's admission until pro-annexation James K. Polk won the election of 1844. A slave state was a US state in which Slavery of African Americans was legal James Knox Polk ( November 2 1795&ndashJune 15 1849 was the eleventh President of the United States, serving from March 4 1845 to March 4 1849 The United States presidential election of 1844 saw Democrat James Knox Polk defeat Whig Henry Clay in a close contest that turned on foreign On December 29, 1845, Texas was admitted to the U. Events 1170 - Thomas Becket: Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury is assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common S. as a constituent state of the Union. A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government ^[43] The Mexican–American War followed, with decisive victories by the U. S. ^[44] Texas's boundaries were set at their present form after the Compromise of 1850. The Compromise of 1850 was a series of bills aimed at resolving the territorial and slavery controversies arising from the Mexican-American War (1846&ndash1848 Land which later became half of present day New Mexico, a third of Colorado, and small portions of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming, was ceded for the federal government's assumption of $10 million of the old republic's debt. New Mexico ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America. The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. Kansas ( is a Midwestern state in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American " Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. The State of Wyoming ( is a sparsely populated state in the western region of the United States. ^[45]

Post-war Texas grew rapidly as migrants poured into the cotton lands of the state. ^[46] German immigrants started to arrive in the early 1840s because of economic, social and political conditions in their states. In 1842, German nobles organized the Adelsverein, banding together to buy land in central Texas to enable German settlement. Adelsverein, the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, organized on April 20, 1842, was a colonial attempt to establish a new Germany The Revolutions of 1848 acted as another catalyst for so many immigrants that they became known as the "48ers". " Germany " at the time of the Revolutions of 1848 had been a collection of 39 States loosely bound together in the German Confederation. Many were educated artisans and businessmen. Germans continued to arrive in considerable numbers until 1890. ^[47] With their investments in cotton cultivation, Texas planters imported enslaved blacks. They established plantations mostly in the eastern part of the state. The central area was settled more by subsistence farmers. By 1860, the population of Texas totaled 604,215 and was 30 percent enslaved African Americans. ^[48]

Civil War, Reconstruction, and disfranchisement

Main article: Texas in the American Civil War

On 1 February 1861, elected delegates met in convention and authorized secession from the United States, which voters later approved in state-wide referendum. The state of Texas seceded from the United States on February 1, 1861, and joined the Confederate States of America on March "Galveston" redirects here For the town in the US state of Indiana see Galveston Indiana. Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Secession (derived from the Latin term secessio is the act of withdrawing from an organization union or especially a political entity The state was accepted as a charter member of the Confederate States of America on 1 March 1861. The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common ^[49][2] During the American Civil War, Texas was a "supply state" for the Confederate forces due to its distance from the front lines, contributing men, especially cavalry. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South Texan regiments fought in every major battle throughout the war. ^[50] Texas was cut off from the rest of the Confederacy mid-1863 when the Union capture of the Mississippi River made large movements of men or cattle impossible. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to The last battle of the Civil War was fought in Texas at Palmito Ranch on 13 May 1865. The Battle of Palmito Ranch, also known as the Battle of Palmito Hill and the Battle of Palmeto Ranch, was fought on May 12 &ndash May 13 Events 1497 - Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola. Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year ^[51]

Texas descended into anarchy two months between the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia and the assumption of authority by Union General Gordon Granger. Background On April 1, 1865, Maj Gen Philip Sheridan 's Cavalry turned Lee's flank at the Battle of Five Forks. The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. Gordon Granger ( November 6, 1822 &ndash January 10, 1876) was a career U Violence also marked the early months of Reconstruction, as people paid off old grudges and struggled for power. ^[52] Juneteenth commemorates the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation on 19 June 1865 in Galveston by General Gordon Granger, over 2-1/2 years after the original announcement. Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is an official annual holiday in 29 Twelve other states list it as an official holiday including The Emancipation Proclamation consists of two executive orders issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War. Events 1179 - The Norwegian Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros. Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year ^[53][54] President Johnson, on 20 August 1866, declared that civilian government had been restored to Texas. Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine Year 1866 ( MDCCCLXVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common ^[55] Despite not meeting reconstruction requirements, on 30 March 1870 the Congress readmitted Texas into the Union. Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. Year 1870 ( MDCCCLXX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^[56] Social volatility continued as Texas struggled with agricultural depression and labor issues.

Like other Southern states, by the late 1870s white Democrats regained control, often with a mix of intimidation and terrorism. They passed a new constitution in 1876 that segregated schools and established a poll tax to support them, but it was not originally required for voting. The Constitution of the State of Texas is the document that describes the structure and function of the government of the U A poll tax, head tax, or capitation is a Tax of a uniform fixed amount per individual (as opposed to a percentage of income ^[57] In 1901 the legislature passed a poll tax as a prerequisite for voter registration. Given the economic difficulties of the times, the poll tax caused participation by poor whites, African Americans and Mexican Americans to drop sharply. By the early 20th century, the Democratic Party in Texas started using a "white primary", which the state legislature authorized in 1923. White primaries were Primary elections in the Southern States of the United States of America in which any non-White voter was prohibited from participating ^[53] Since the Democratic Party dominated the state after 1900 for decades, the "white primary" provision reduced what little minority participation there was as the primaries were the true competitive contest. These provisions extended deep into the 20th century. ^[53]

Modern era

The first major oil well in Texas was Spindletop, south of Beaumont, on 10 January 1901. Spindletop is a Salt dome Oil field located in south Beaumont, Texas (approx Spindletop is a Salt dome Oil field located in south Beaumont, Texas (approx Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. Year 1901 ( MCMI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Other fields were later discovered nearby in East Texas, West Texas, and under the Gulf of Mexico. East Texas is a distinct geographic and ecological area in the U West Texas is a region in Texas that has more in common geographically with the Southwestern United States than it does with the rest of the state The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world The resulting “Oil Boom” permanently transformed the economy of Texas. ^[58] Oil production eventually averaged three million barrels of oil per day at its peak in 1972. ^[59]

The economy, significantly improved since the civil war, was dealt a double blow by the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. The Dust Bowl, or the dirty thirties, was a period of severe Dust storms causing major ecological and agricultural damage to American and Migrants abandoned the worst hit sections of Texas during the Dust Bowl years. Especially from this period on, blacks left Texas in the Great Migration to get work in the North or California and to escape the oppression of segregation. See also Second Great Migration (African American The Great Migration was the movement of approximately seven million African-Americans out of the The Northern United States is a large geographic region of the United States of America. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. ^[60] With increased immigration, although the numbers of African Americans increased, their proportion of population decreased from 20. 4 percent in 1900 to 12. 4 percent in 1960. ^[60]

From 1950 through the 1960s, Texas modernized and expanded its system of higher education. Under the leadership of Governor John B. Connally, the state created a long-range plan for higher education, a more rational distribution of resources, and a central state apparatus designed to manage state institutions more efficiently. John Bowden Connally Jr ( February 27 1917 June 15 1993) was a powerful American politician, serving as Governor These changes helped Texas universities receive federal research funds during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29 1917&ndashNovember 22 1963 often referred to by his initials JFK, was the thirty-fifth President of ^[61]

Geography

Main article: Geography of Texas

See also: List of Texas state parks

Texas is located at the southernmost part of the Great Plains, which ends in the south against the folded Sierra Madre Oriental of Mexico. The geography of Texas covers a wide and far reaching scope Occupying about 7% of the total water and land area of the U This is a list of State parks State natural areas and State historic sites in Texas, United States under the jurisdiction of the Texas Parks El Capitan is a peak in Texas, USA. It lies within the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. The Great Plains are the broad expanse of Prairie and Steppe which lie east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada The Sierra Madre Oriental is a Mountain range in northeastern Mexico, spanning 1000 km from Coahuila south through Nuevo León, southwest It is in the south-central part of the United States of America. The South Central United States or South Central states is a region of the United States located in the south central part of the country The state has been categorized as part of the U.S. South and also part of the U.S. Southwest. The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive The Southwestern area of the United States could be defined as the states west of the Mississippi River, with the qualification of a certain northern limit such as the 37

The Rio Grande, Red River and Sabine River are natural state borders, Oklahoma on the north, Louisiana and Arkansas on the east, & the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the south. For other uses see Red River. The Red River is one of several rivers with that name. The Sabine River (səˈbiːn is a River, 555 miles (893 km long in the U Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions such as Governments States or subnational administrative Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America Arkansas ( is a state located in the southern region of the United States. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of Mexico 's 31 component states. Nuevo León ( Spanish for "New León " after the former kingdom in Spain) is a state located in northeastern Mexico. Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states of Mexico, it is located in the northeast To the west, its borders with New Mexico & Oklahoma are not based on natural features of terrain. The state's Texas Panhandle has a western border with New Mexico at 100° W, a northern one at 36°30' N and a western one at 103° W. The Texas Panhandle is a region of the US state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state The parallel 36°30' north is a Circle of latitude that is 36 The state's western tip is located on the 32th parallel extending from the Rio Grande to the Panhandle. ^[45]

Because of its size and unique history, the regional affiliation of Texas is debatable. Depending on the source, it can be fairly considered either or both a Southern or Southwestern state. The vast geographic, economic, and cultural diversity within the state itself prohibits easy categorization of the whole state into a recognized region of the United States. This list of regions of the United States includes official (governmental and non-official areas within the borders of the United States, not including U The East, Central, and North Texas, regions have a stronger association with the American South than with the Southwest. Others, such as far West Texas and South Texas share more similarities with the latter. The upper Texas Panhandle is similar to the Midwestern United States and the South Plains parts of West Texas, is a blend of South and Southwest. The Texas Panhandle is a region of the US state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state The South Plains is a region in West Texas comprising the area north of the Caprock Escarpment on the Llano Estacado, and extending north into the

Texas can be divided into five human geographical regions: North, East, Central, South, and West. Human geography is a branch of Geography that focuses on the study of patterns and processes that shape human interaction with the environment with particular reference to This is an article about a region of Texas For the university in Denton see University of North Texas. East Texas is a distinct geographic and ecological area in the U Central Texas (a part of which is Texas Hill Country) is a region (and a physiographic section as it pertains to geography in the U South Texas is a region of the US state of Texas that lies roughly south of or beginning at San Antonio. West Texas is a region in Texas that has more in common geographically with the Southwestern United States than it does with the rest of the state Texas Almanac divides Texas into four physical geographical regions: Gulf Coastal Plains, Interior Lowlands, Great Plains, and The Basin and Range Province. Physical geography (also known as geosystems or physiography) is one of the three major subfields of Geography. The geography of Texas covers a wide and far reaching scope Occupying about 7% of the total water and land area of the U The geography of Texas covers a wide and far reaching scope Occupying about 7% of the total water and land area of the U The geography of Texas covers a wide and far reaching scope Occupying about 7% of the total water and land area of the U The geography of Texas covers a wide and far reaching scope Occupying about 7% of the total water and land area of the U

Geology

Main article: Geology of Texas

Texas is the southernmost part of the Great Plains, which ends in the south against the folded Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico. Texas contains a great variety of geologic settings The state's Stratigraphy has been largely influenced by marine trangressive-regressive cycles during the Llano Estacado ( Sp /ˈʎano ˌestəˈkado/ " Palisaded Plains" is a region in the southwestern United States that encompasses parts of Eastern New The Great Plains are the broad expanse of Prairie and Steppe which lie east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada The Sierra Madre Occidental is a mountain range in western Mexico and the extreme southwest of the United States, extending 1500 km from southeast Arizona The continental crust here is a stable Mesoproterozoic craton which changes across a broad continental margin and transitional crust into true oceanic crust of the Gulf of Mexico. The continental crust is the layer of granitic, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic rocks which form the Continents and the areas of shallow seabed The Mesoproterozoic Era is a geologic era that occurred between 1600 Ma and 1000 Ma (million years ago A craton ( Greek kratos / κρἀτος ( neut. "strength" is an old and stable part of the Continental crust that has survived Oceanic crust is the part of Earth's Lithosphere that surfaces in the Ocean basins The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world The oldest rocks in Texas date from the Mesoproterozoic and are about 1,600 million years old. These Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks underlie most of the state, and are exposed in three places: Llano uplift, Van Horn, and the Franklin Mountains, near El Paso. The Precambrian ( Pre-Cambrian) is an informal name for the supereon comprising the eons of the Geologic timescale that came before the current Igneous rocks (etymology from Latin ignis, fire are rocks formed by solidification of cooled Magma (molten rock Llano is a city in Llano County, Texas, in the United States. Van Horn is a town in Culberson County, Texas, United States. The Franklin Mountains of Texas are a small range (23 miles long wide that extend from El Paso Texas north into New Mexico. This is overlain by mostly sedimentary rocks. Sedimentary rock is one of the three main rock types (the others being igneous and Metamorphic rock) The oldest sediments were deposited on the flanks of a rifted continental margin, or passive margin that developed during Cambrian time. A Passive margin is the transition between oceanic and Continental crust which is not an active plate margin The Cambrian is a geologic period and system that began about Ma (million years ago at the end of the Proterozoic eon and ended about Ma with This margin existed until Laurasia and Gondwana collided in the Pennsylvanian era to form Pangea. Laurasia (lɔˈreɪʃiə lɔˈreɪʒə was a Supercontinent that most recently existed as a part of the split of the Pangaean supercontinent in the late Mesozoic Gondwana (ɡɒnˈdwɑːnə originally Gondwanaland) was a southern Supercontinent that existed about 500 to 200 Ma ago The Pennsylvanian is a subperiod of the Carboniferous period lasting from roughly   to  Ma (million years ago Pangaea, Pangæa or Pangea (pænˈdʒiːə from παν pan, meaning entire, and Γαῖα Gaea, meaning Earth in This is the buried crest of the Appalachian Mountains—Ouachita Mountains zone of Pennsylvanian continental collision. The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. The Ouachita Mountains are a mountain range located in west central Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma. The Pennsylvanian is a subperiod of the Carboniferous period lasting from roughly   to  Ma (million years ago Continental collision is a phenomenon of the Plate tectonics of Earth. This orogenic crest is today buried beneath the Dallas—Waco—Austin—San Antonio trend. Orogeny (Greek for "mountain generating" is the process of natural Mountain building and may be studied as a tectonic structural event as a geographical event and Waco (ˈweɪkoʊ is a city in and the County seat of McLennan County, Texas. During this time E. Texas was a region of high mountains and shallow seas covered W. Texas.

The late Paleozoic mountains collapsed as rifting in the Jurassic era began to open the Gulf of Mexico. The Paleozoic or Palaeozoic Era (from the Greek palaio (παλαιο "old" and zoe (ζωη "life" meaning "ancient life" In Geology, a rift is a place where the Earth 's crust and Lithosphere are being pulled apart and is an example of Extensional tectonics The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Ma (million years ago to  Ma that is from the end of the Triassic to the beginning Pangea began to break up in the Triassic but seafloor spreading to form the Gulf of Mexico occurred only in the mid and late Jurassic. The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 251 to 199 Ma (million years ago Seafloor spreading occurs at Mid-ocean ridges where new Oceanic crust is formed through volcanic activity and then gradually moves away from the ridge The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Ma (million years ago to  Ma that is from the end of the Triassic to the beginning The shoreline shifted again to the eastern margin of the state and the Gulf of Mexico passive margin began to form. A Passive margin is the transition between oceanic and Continental crust which is not an active plate margin Today there are 9 miles (14 km) to 12 miles (19 km) of sediments buried beneath the Texas continental shelf and a large proportion of remaining US oil reserves are to be found here. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit At the start of its formation, the incipient Gulf of Mexico basin was restricted and seawater often evaporated completely to form thick evaporite deposits of Jurassic age. Evaporites (iˈvæpəraɪt are water-soluble Mineral sediments that result from the Evaporation of bodies of surficial Water. The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Ma (million years ago to  Ma that is from the end of the Triassic to the beginning These salt deposits have buoyantly risen up through the passive margin sediments to form salt dome diapirs, commonly found in East Texas, along the Gulf coast. A salt dome is a type of structural dome formed when a thick bed of Evaporite minerals (mainly salt or Halite) found at depth intrudes vertically into A diapir (ˈdaɪəpɪər) ( French, from Greek diapeirein, to pierce through is an Intrusion caused by Buoyancy and Pressure

East Texas outcrops consist of Cretaceous and Paleogene sediments with contain important deposits of Eocenelignite. The Cretaceous (kriːˈteɪʃəs, usually abbreviated 'K' for its German translation "Kreide" is a geologic period and system, reaching from the end of The Paleogene (alternatively Palaeogene) is a geologic period and system that began 65 The Eocene epoch (558 ± 02 - 339 ± 01 Ma) is a major division of the Geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Palaeogene period in Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, or Rosebud coal by Northern Pacific Railroad, is a soft brown fuel with characteristics that put it somewhere Oil is found in the Mississippian ad Pennsylvanian sediments in the north, Permian sediments in the west, Cretaceous sediments in the east, and along the Gulf coast and out on the Texas continental shelf. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each Continent and associated Coastal plain, which is covered during interglacial periods such Oligocene volcanic rocks are found in far west Texas, in the Big Bend area. The Oligocene is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene period and extends from about 33 Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the The Big Bend is a colloquial name of a geographic region in the western part of the state of Texas in the United States along the border with Mexico A blanket of Miocene sediments known as the Ogallala formation in the western high plains region is an important aquifer. The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene period and extends from about 23 The Ogallala Aquifer, also known as the High Plains Aquifer, is a vast yet shallow underground Water table Aquifer located beneath the Great Plains An aquifer is an underground layer of Water -bearing Permeable rock or unconsolidated materials ( Gravel, Sand, Silt, or Clay Texas has no volcanoes and few earthquakes, being situated far from an active plate tectonic boundary. Plate tectonics (from Greek τέκτων tektōn "builder" or "mason" describes the large scale motions of Earth 's Lithosphere

Climate

Main article: Climate of Texas

The large size of Texas and its location at the intersection of multiple climate zones gives the state very variable weather. Texas 's climate varies widely from Arid in the west to Wet in the east The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems It was developed by Wladimir Köppen, a German climatologist In general, though, there are three main climate zones: the humid subtropical climate (Koppen Cfa) of the eastern half of Texas, the temperate semi-arid (Koppen BSk) steppe climate of the northwestern part, including the Panhandle, and the subtropical steppe climate (nearly an arid desert climate, Koppen BSh) of the southern parts of West Texas, particularly around El Paso. Humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa or Cwa) is a climate zone characterized by hot humid summers and chilly to mild winters The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems It was developed by Wladimir Köppen, a German climatologist A Semi-arid climate or steppe climate generally describes climatic regions that receive low annual Rainfall (250-500 mm or 10-20 in In general terms the Climate of a local or region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available Water, to the extent of hindering

The Panhandle of the state is colder in winter than North Texas, while the Gulf Coast has mild winters. Texas has wide variations in precipitation patterns. El Paso, on the western end of the state, averages as little as 8 inches (200 mm) of annual rainfall while Houston, on the southeast Texas averages as much as 54 inches (1,400 mm) per year. ^[62] Dallas in the North Central region averages a more moderate 37 inches (940 mm) per year. Snowfall often falls in the winter months in the north. Maximum temperatures in the summer months average from the 80s °F (26 °C) in the mountains of West Texas and on Galveston Island to around 100 °F (38 °C) in the Rio Grande Valley. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Galveston Island is a Barrier island on the Texas Gulf coast in the United States about 50 miles (80 kilometers southeast of Houston. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. The Rio Grande Valley is an area located in the southernmost tip of Texas. Night time summer temperatures range from the upper 50s °F (14 °C) in the West Texas mountains^[63] to 80 °F (27 °C) in Galveston. ^[64]

Thunderstorms are very common in Texas, especially the eastern and northern portion of the state. Texas also experiences the highest number of tornadoes out of every state in the Union, with an average of around 139 a year. A tornado is a violent rotating column of air which is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a Cumulonimbus cloud or in rare cases the base of a Cumulus Although these tend to strike most frequently in North Texas and the Panhandle, every part of the state is subject to these violent storms. ^[65] Tornadoes occur mostly between the months of April–July but may strike any time.

Texas emits the most greenhouse gases in the US. Greenhouse gases are gaseous constituents of the atmosphere bothnatural and anthropogenic that absorb and emit radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of thermal infrared ^[66] The state's annual carbon dioxide emissions are nearly 1. 5 trillion pounds (680 billion kg). Texas would be the world's seventh-largest producer of greenhouse gases if it were an independent nation. ^[67][68] Much of the greenhouse gas emissions come from the state's refining and manufacturing industries which provide the bulk of the United States's petroleum products.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Texas

As of 2006, the state has an estimated population of 23,507,783, an increase of 2. The Center of population of Texas is located in Bell County, in the town of Holland. 5% from the prior year and 12. 7% since the year 2000. The natural increase since the last census was 1,389,275 people, immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 801,576 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 451,910 people. American immigration ( emigration to the United States of America) refers to the movement of non-residents to the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^[2] As of 2004, the state has 3. 5 million foreign-born residents (15. 6 percent of the state population), of which an estimated 1. 2 million are illegal aliens. Illegal immigration to the United States refers to the act of foreign nationals voluntarily resettling in the United States in violation of U More than one-third of the foreign-born population in Texas and 5. 4 percent of the total state population comes from illegal immigration. Texas from 2000–2006 had the fastest growing illegal immigration rate in the nation. ^[69]

Racial group and ethnic origins

As of the 2006 US Census estimates, the racial distribution in Texas are as follows:

• 69. 8% White American – includes 21. 0% White Hispanic,
• 11. This article concerns itself with Americans whose race is white and whose ethnicity is Hispanic or Latino; i 6% African American,
• 3. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa 3% are Asian American,
• 0. Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry. They include sub-ethnic groups such as Chinese Americans Filipino Americans Indian 6% are American Indian,
• 13% are of other racial groups,
• 35. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States 7 are Hispanic or Latino. Hispanic (hispano hispánico hispânico Hispānus adjective from ''Hispānia'', the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula) is a term that historically ^[4]

The largest reported ancestry groups in Texas are: Mexican (25. See also History of Mexican-Americans Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican ancestry 3%), German (10. German Americans ( German: Deutschamerikaner) are citizens of the United States of Ethnic German ancestry 9%), African American (10. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa 5%), English (7. English Americans (occasionally known as Anglo -Americans although this may have a wider cultural meaning are Citizens of the United States whose ancestry 2%), and Scots-Irish (7. Scotch-Irish (the historically common term in North America) or Scots-Irish refers to inhabitants of the United States and by some of Canada 2%). Descendants from these ancestry groups are underreported. Much of the population of east, central, and north Texas have a white Protestant heritage, primarily descended from ancestors from Great Britain and Ireland. White People is the second album by Handsome Boy Modeling School. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Much of central and southeast-central Texas is inhabited by German descendants. African Americans, who historically made up one-third of the state population during the 19th century, are concentrated in the parts of East Texas where the cotton plantation culture was most prominent before the American Civil War, as well as in Dallas and Houston. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South Because of a strong labor market, from 1995–2000, Texas is one of three states in the South that are receiving the high numbers of black college graduates in a New Great Migration. Great Migration (African American The New Great Migration (African American is the term for demographic changes from 1965-present that are a reversal of the previous 35-year trend ^[70] Recently, the Asian population in Texas has grown—primarily in Houston and Dallas. Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry. They include sub-ethnic groups such as Chinese Americans Filipino Americans Indian

After the European revolutions of 1848, German, Polish, Swedish, Norwegian, Czech and French immigration grew, and continued until World War I. The European Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Spring of Nations or the Year of Revolution, were a series of political upheavals throughout the European A Polish American is an American citizen of Polish descent There are an estimated 10 million Americans of Polish descent Swedish Americans are Americans of Swedish descent most often related to the large groups of immigrants from Sweden in the late nineteenth century and early Norwegian Americans (norskamerikanere are Americans of Norwegian descent Czech Americans refer to citizens of the United States who were born in or who descended from the territory of the historic Czech lands, (consisting of French Americans or Franco-Americans are citizens or permanent residents of the United States of French descent World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The influence of the diverse immigrants from Europe survives in the names of towns, styles of architecture, genres of music, and varieties of cuisine. American immigration ( emigration to the United States of America) refers to the movement of non-residents to the United States. German settlements formed in frontier Texas, particularly in Fredericksburg and New Braunfels. The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as Fredericksburg is a city in Gillespie County, Texas, United States. New Braunfels ( is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U Lavaca County is predominantly Czech. Czechs (Češi ˈt͡ʃɛʃɪ archaic Čechové) are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic

Over one-third of Texas residents are of Hispanic origin. Hispanic (hispano hispánico hispânico Hispānus adjective from ''Hispānia'', the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula) is a term that historically ^[4] Many recently arrived, while Tejanos have ancestors with multigenerational ties in Texas. Tejano or Tex-Mex music is also a kind of music originating in Texas Hispanics dominate south, south-central, and west Texas. They are a significant proportion of residents in the San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas metropolitan areas. Immigrants (including illegal aliens)—primarily from far southern Mexico and Central America, contribute heavily to the state's growth. Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term Illegal immigration refers to Immigration across National Borders in a way that violates the Immigration laws of the destination Country The influx of immigration is partially responsible for the state's having a young population compared relative to the rest of the United States.

American Indian tribes who once lived inside the boundaries of present-day Texas include Apache, Atakapan, Bidai, Caddo, Comanche, Cherokee, Kiowa, Tonkawa, Wichita, Hueco and the Karankawa of Galveston. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States The Atakapa (pronounced "uh-TAK-uh-paw" also spelled Attakapa, Attakapas, Attacapa, formally known as the Ishaks, pronounced The Caddo are a nation or group of tribes of Southeastern Native Americans who in the 16th century inhabited much of what is now East Texas, western The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose range (the Comancheria) consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado The Cherokee (ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ a-ni-yv-wi-ya, in the Cherokee language) are a people native to North America, who at the time of European contact The Kiowa (ˈkaɪoʊwə are a nation of American Indians who migrated from what is now Canada to their present location in Southwestern Oklahoma. The Tonkawa are a people native to central Texas, speaking the Tonkawa language. The Wichita are a Tribe of Native Americans, indigenous inhabitants of North America, who speak Wichita, a Caddoan language. The Karankawa (also Karankawan, Clamcoëhs, and called in their language Auia) were a group of Native American peoples now Extinct "Galveston" redirects here For the town in the US state of Indiana see Galveston Indiana. Currently, there are three federally recognized Native American tribes that reside in Texas: the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas, the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, and the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of Texas. The Alabama or Alibamu ( Albaamaha in the Alabama language) are a Southeastern culture people of Native Americans. The Kickapoos ( Kickapoo: Kiikaapoa or Kiikaapoi) are one of the Algonquian speaking Native American Tribes Ysleta del Sur Pueblo (also Tigua Pueblo) is a Puebloan Native American tribal entity outside El Paso Texas, comprising Southern Tiwa ^[71]

Religion

Texas is a part of the strong socially conservative Evangelical Protestant, Bible Belt, and has the highest percentage of people with a religious affiliation in the nation. Evangelicalism is a theological movement tradition and system of beliefs most closely associated with Protestant Christianity, which identifies with the Gospel Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. The Bible Belt is an informal term for an area of the United States of America in which socially conservative Evangelical Protestantism is a ^[72] Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas is home to three major evangelical seminaries and several of America's largest megachurches, including the Potter's House pastored by T.D Jakes and Prestonwood Baptist pastored by Jack Graham. The Dallas – Fort Worth – Arlington metropolitan area, a title designated by the U A megachurch is a church having around 2000 attendants for a typical weekly service Thomas Dexter "T D" Jakes Sr (born June 9, 1957) is an American pastor of the The Potter's House, a 30000 member church in Dr Jack Graham is the Pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church and the voice of PowerPoint Ministries the broadcast ministry of Prestonwood Houston is home to the largest "church" in the nation, Lakewood Church, pastored by Joel Osteen. Lakewood Church is a Non-denominational Christian Megachurch located in Houston, Texas, United States. Joel Scott Hayley Osteen (born March 5 1963 is an American best-selling author and the senior Pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas Lubbock, Texas has the most churches per capita in the nation. ^[72]

In 2000, The religious demographics of Texas were:^[73]

• Evangelical Protestant – 24. Evangelicalism is a theological movement tradition and system of beliefs most closely associated with Protestant Christianity, which identifies with the Gospel Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. 4%
• Mainline Protestant – 8. for other uses see Mainline (disambiguation The mainline (also sometimes called Mainstream) or mainline Protestant denominations 1%
• Orthodox – 0. 1%
• Roman Catholic – 21. 0%
• Hindu,Sikhs,Buddhists,Muslim,others; 2. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. A number of noted individuals have been Buddhists. Historical Buddhist thinkers and founders of schools Individuals are grouped by nationality except in cases where the A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion 0%
• Unclaimed – 44. 5%

The largest single denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Catholic Church 4,368,969, the Southern Baptist Convention 3,519,459 and the United Methodist Church 1,022,342. The Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC) is a United States -based mostly conservative Christian denomination The United Methodist Church is the largest Methodist denomination and the second largest Protestant denomination in the United States. ^[73] Figures further note that there are approximately 400,000 Muslims in Texas. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion ^[74]

Cities and towns

See also: List of cities in Texas, List of Texas metropolitan areas, and Population of Texas cities in 2000

As of 2000, six incorporated places in Texas had populations greater than 500,000, of which two are global cities: Houston and Dallas. List of cities in Texas, arranged in alphabetical order A Abbott Abercrombie Abernathy Texas has 25 Metropolitan areas (MSAs defined by the United States Census Bureau. The following is the list of Texas ' most populous incorporated cities and unincorporated Census Designated Places. ^[75] Texas has a total of 25 metropolitan areas, with four having populations over 1 million and two over 5 million. Texas has 25 Metropolitan areas (MSAs defined by the United States Census Bureau. Texas has three cities with populations exceeding 1 million: Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas. This is the most cities of this size within one state. These three are also among the 10 largest cities of the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Austin, Fort Worth, and El Paso are also among the top 25 largest U. S. cities. ^[76] The Texas Urban Triangle is a region defined by three interstate highways – I-35 to the west (Dallas-Fort Worth to San Antonio), I-45 to the east (Dallas to Houston), and I-10 to the south (San Antonio to Houston). The Texas Urban Triangle is a triangular shaped region of the state of Texas formed by three interstate highways &ndash I-35 to the west ( The Dwight D Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System (or simply the Interstate System) Interstate 35 in Texas (abbreviated I-35 or IH-35) is a major north-south Interstate Highway running from Laredo near the United States-Mexico Interstate 45 (I-45 is an Interstate Highway located entirely within the U In the US state of Texas, Interstate 10 is the major east-west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. The region contains most of the state's largest cities and metropolitan areas, as well as nearly 75 percent of Texas's total population. Texas has 25 Metropolitan areas (MSAs defined by the United States Census Bureau. ^[77]

Colonias

Colonias along the U.S.–Mexican border, refer to rural, unincorporated settlements which often lack basic infrastructure and which are marked by poverty. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Infrastructure typically refers to the technical structures that support a society such as Roads Water supply, Wastewater, Power grids Poverty (also called penury) is deprivation of common necessities that determine the quality of life including food clothing shelter and safe Drinking water, and As of 2007, Texas has the largest concentration of people, approximately 400,000, living in colonias on the U. S. side of the border. ^[78] There are more than 2,294 Texas colonias, located primarily along the state's 1,248-mile (2,008 km) border with Mexico. The colonia population is predominately Hispanic.

Government and politics

Main articles: Government of Texas and Politics of Texas

The Texas Constitution, adopted in 1876, like many state constitutions, explicitly provides separation of powers. The Government of Texas wants of a state government as well as governments at the county and municipal levels For approximately 100 years from the end of Reconstruction until the 1970s the Democratic Party was dominant in Texas politics The Constitution of the State of Texas is the document that describes the structure and function of the government of the U Every state in the United States possesses its own constitution The state's Bill of Rights has provisions unique to Texas and is considerably longer than its federal counterpart. In the United States the Bill of Rights is the name by which the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution are known ^[79]

State government

See also: List of Texas state agencies

Texas has a plural executive branch system with limits the power of the Governor. State agencies of Texas Brazos River Authority Canadian River Compact Commissioner for Texas Edwards Aquifer Authority The Texas State Capitol, located in Austin Texas, is the fourth building to serve as the seat of Texas government In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. Except for the Secretary of State, all executive officers are elected independently making them directly answerable to the public not the Governor. The Secretary of State of Texas is one of six state officials designated by the Texas Constitution to form the Executive Department of that U ^[80] Past executive branches have been split between parties. When Republican President George W. Bush served as Texas's governor, the state's Lieutenant Governor, Bob Bullock, was a Democrat. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Robert D "Bob" Bullock ( July 10, 1929 – June 18, 1999) was a Democratic Politician from Texas, The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. The executive branch positions consists of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Comptroller of Public Accounts, Land Commissioner, Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner, the three-member Texas Railroad Commission, the State Board of Education, and the Secretary of State. In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. Governors of Texas The Lieutenant Governor of Texas is the second-highest executive office in the government of Texas, a state in the United States of America. The Railroad Commission of Texas is the state agency that regulates the oil and gas industry, gas utilities pipeline safety safety in the Liquefied petroleum

The bicameral Texas Legislature consists of the House of Representatives, with 150 members, and a Senate, with 31 members. In Government, bicameralism (bi + Latin la ''camera'' chamber is the practice of having two legislative or Parliamentary chambers Thus a bicameral The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Texas. The Texas House of Representatives is the Lower house of the Texas Legislature. The Texas Senate is the Upper house of the Texas Legislature. The Speaker of the House leads the House, and the Lieutenant Governor leads the Senate. Speaker of the House is a political term referring to a number of people In the United Kingdom and Canada, the Speaker of the House The Legislature meets in regular session biennially, but the Governor can call for special sessions as often as desired.

Judicial system

Main article: Texas judicial system

See also: Capital punishment in Texas

The judicial system of Texas is one of the most complex in the United States, with many layers and overlapping jurisdictions. Capital punishment in TexasThe Texas judicial system has been called one of the most complex in the United States if not the world Capital punishment has been used in the US state of Texas and its predecessor entities since 1819 Texas has two courts of last resort: the Texas Supreme Court, for civil cases, and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. The Texas Supreme Court is the court of last resort for non-criminal matters (including Juvenile delinquency which the law considers to be a civil matter and not criminal The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the Court of last resort for all criminal matters in the State of Texas, United States. Except for some municipal benches, partisan elections select judges at all levels of the judiciary; the Governor fills vacancies by appointment. ^[81]

The justice system in Texas has strict sentencing for criminals. Texas leads the nation in the curious distinction of carrying out the most executions, 400, from 1982 to 2007. ^[82] Only capital murder is eligible for the death penalty. Murder is the unlawful killing of another human person with Malice aforethought, as defined in Common Law countries In 2008 the state considered a bill making rape of a child a capital crime in some instances. Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the Killing of a person by judicial process as Punishment. ^[83] Before 2005, the alternate sentence was life with the possibility of parole after 40 calendar years; in 2005, the law was modified to make the alternate sentence life without parole. Life imprisonment or life incarceration is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime often for most Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system Life imprisonment or life incarceration is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime often for most

Known for their role in Texas law enforcement history, the Texas Ranger Division of the Texas Department of Public Safety continue to provide special law enforcement services to the state. The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide Jurisdiction based in Austin, the The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS is a department of the government of the state of Texas. Texas Game Wardens—law enforcement officers employed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department—are given the same level of authority as standard law enforcement officers. United States In the United States, game wardens are state or local officials responsible for enforcing Laws pertaining to the Hunting, The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department is a Texas state agency that oversees and protects Wildlife and their habitats In addition the agency is responsible

Politics

Main articles: Republican Party of Texas and Texas Democratic Party

See also: Disfranchisement after the Civil War

Like other "Solid South" states, whites resented the Republican Party after the American Civil War. The Republican Party of Texas is the affiliate of the Republican Party in Texas. The Texas Democratic Party is the local branch of the Democratic Party in the state of Texas. Solid South refers to the electoral support of the Southern United States for Democratic Party candidates for nearly a century from 1877 the end of the Reconstruction Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South After regaining power near the end of Reconstruction, the Democratic Party held a monolithic political presence in Texas until the late 20th century. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. After the 1960s, Conservative Democrats in Texas began to endorse Republican presidential candidates. In American politics, a conservative Democrat is a Democratic Party member with conservative political views When President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, he reportedly said "We have lost the South for a generation". Origins The bill was introduced by President John F Kennedy in his civil rights speech of June 11 1963, in which he asked for legislation "giving ^[84] Scholars attribute the change to the success of Nixon's Southern Strategy. In American politics, the Southern strategy refers to a Republican method of carrying Southern states in the latter decades of the 20th century and first decade of In 1978, Texas Republicans elected their first post-reconstruction governor and in 2003 they gained control of the state legislature. The Texas House of Representatives is the Lower house of the Texas Legislature.

Today, Republicans control most of Texas's U.S. House of Representatives delegation, and both U.S. Senators. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Of the 32 congressional districts in Texas, 19 seats are held by Republicans and 13 by Democrats. These are tables of congressional delegations from Texas to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. Texas Republicans in the U. S. Senate are Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn. Kathryn Ann Bailey Hutchison usually known as Kay Bailey Hutchison (born July 22 1943) is the senior United States Senator from John Cornyn III (born February 2 1952) is the junior United States Senator from Texas. Since 1994, Texans have not elected a Democrat to a statewide office. The state's Democratic presence is primarily comprised of minority groups and urban voters, particularly in Austin. Democrats and independents still hold positions in city governments.

The Texas political atmosphere leans towards fiscal and social conservatism. Fiscal conservatism (also known as economic conservatism is a political phrase term used in North America to describe advocacy of lower governmental spending practices and a Social conservatism is a political or moral ideology that affirms the government's role in encouraging or enforcing traditional values or behaviors in the belief that these are what ^[85][86] Since 1980, most of Texas voters have supported Republican Presidential candidates. In 2000 and 2004, Republican George W. Bush won Texas with 60. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. 1% of the vote. He was a "favorite son" as a recent Governor of the state. Austin is the state's most liberal or "populist" city. Houston is among the few urban areas that consistently vote Republican, but its metropolitan areas are very divided politically. Dallas remains approximately split. In the southwest part of the state, particularly in El Paso, Democrats are strong.

Administrative divisions

See also: List of Texas counties

Texas has 32 congressional districts, the second-most after California. List of Texas county name etymologies|List of Texas county seat name etymologies The state of Texas is divided into 254 counties, more than any other U These are tables of congressional delegations from Texas to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. See map. This is a complete list of congressional districts for representation in the United States House of Representatives. There are 254 counties—the most nationwide. A county of the United States is a local level of government created as a subdivision of a state by the state government or by the federal or territorial government as a subdivision Each county is run by a Commissioners' Court consisting of four elected commissioners and a county judge. Commissioners' Court is the governing body of county government in several US states, including Texas and Missouri. County government is similar to a "weak" mayor-council system; the county judge has no veto authority, but votes along with the other commissioners. The Mayor-Council government system sometimes called the Mayor-Commission government system is one of two variations of Government used for the most part in modern County elections are partisan. A political party is a Political organization that seeks to attain and maintain political power within Government, usually by participating in electoral

Texas does not allow consolidated city-county governments, nor does it have metropolitan governments. In American Local government, a consolidated city-county is a city and county that have been merged into one unified jurisdiction Cities and counties are permitted to enter "interlocal agreements" to share services. Further, counties are not granted home rule status; their powers are strictly defined by state law. Home rule refers to a demand that constituent parts of a state be given greater self-government within the greater administrative purview of the central government The state does not have townships— areas within a county are either incorporated or unincorporated. A township (or Municipality) is a settlement which has the status and powers of a unit of local government Incorporated areas are part of a municipality. The county provides services to unincorporated areas. Municipalities are classified as either "general law" or "home rule". Home rule refers to a demand that constituent parts of a state be given greater self-government within the greater administrative purview of the central government A municipality may elect home rule status once it exceeds 5,000 population with voter approval. Municipal elections in Texas are nonpartisan. In Political science, nonpartisan denotes an Election, event or organization in which the participants declare or do not formally have a Political party

Economy

Main article: Economy of Texas

See also: List of military installations in Texas

Texas's large population, its abundance of natural resources, and diverse population and geography has led the state to have a large and highly diverse economy. The Lyndon B Johnson Space Flight Center ( "JSFC") is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 's center for The economy of Texas is a dominant force in the Economy of the United States. Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio Randolph Air Force Base, San Antonio Brooks City-Base, San Antonio Martindale For a time, since the discovery of oil, the state's economy reflected the state of the petroleum industry. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit In recent times, urban centers of the state have diversified employing two-thirds of the population in 2005. Growth in the state's economy has caused problems in Texas associated with urban sprawl. Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is the spreading of a city and its Suburbs over rural land at the fringe of an urban area ^[87]

In the fourth quarter of 2006, Texas had a gross state product of $1. 09 trillion, the second highest in the U. This article presents a list of US states sorted by their Gross state product (GSP. S. ^[88][89] Gross state product per capita as of 2005 was $42,975. Gross state product (or gross regional product) is a measurement of the economic output of a state or Province. The state is home to the most Fortune 500 companies in the United States. Please do not add the complete list of fortune 500 companies The list is copyrighted by Fortune which makes money by selling the content ^[90][91] In 2004, the Site Selection magazine ranked Texas as the most business friendly state in the nation. A big reason for this ranking is the state's three billion dollar, Texas Enterprise Fund. The Texas Enterprise Fund is a business incentive fund that was created by legislation in 2003 ^[92]

Texas's growth can be attributed to the availability of jobs, the low cost of housing, the lack of a personal state income tax, high quality of education, low taxation and limited regulation of business, a central geographic location, a limited government, favorable weather, and abundant natural resources. State income tax is an Income tax in the United States that is levied by each individual state. This article is for the legal term For regulation of genes see Regulation of gene expression. A business (also called firm or an enterprise) is a legally recognized organizational entity designed to provide goods and/or services to The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Texas. Texas 's climate varies widely from Arid in the west to Wet in the east On a darker note, the economic impact of illegal immigration is significant but difficult to estimate. The overall economic impact of Illegal Immigrants to the United States is a contested issue Illegal immigration refers to Immigration across National Borders in a way that violates the Immigration laws of the destination Country

Agriculture and mining

Texas is a productive agricultural state with the most farms both in number and acreage in the United States. The Texas longhorn is a breed of Cattle known for its ^[93] Texas leads the nation in the value of cattle it produces, the state's most valuable agricultural product. ^[93] The state also leads nationally in production of sheep and goat products. Texas is king of cotton leading the nation in cotton production, its leading crop and second-most-valuable farm product. King Cotton was a Phrase used in the Southern United States mainly by Southern Politicians and authors who wanted to illustrate the importance of the ^[93] Texas is a leader in cereal crop production. The state is a large produce growing state especially with watermelons, grapefruits and cantaloupes. Produce is a generalized term for a group of Farm -produced goods generally limited to Fruits and Vegetables More specifically the term "produce" ^[93] Texas also has a large commercial fishing industry. With mineral resources, Texas leads in creating cement, crushed stone, lime, salt, sand and gravel. ^[93]

Energy

See also: Deregulation of the Texas electricity market

Texans consume the most energy in the nation both in per capita and as a whole. Electricity Deregulation in Texas was the result of the Coming into force of Texas Senate Bill 7 on January 1, ^[94] Since 2002, Texas deregulated its electric service with mixed results. Electricity Deregulation in Texas was the result of the Coming into force of Texas Senate Bill 7 on January 1,

The Railroad Commission of Texas, contrary to its name, regulates the state's oil and gas industry, gas utilities, pipeline safety, safety in the liquefied petroleum gas industry, and surface coal and uranium mining. The Railroad Commission of Texas is the state agency that regulates the oil and gas industry, gas utilities pipeline safety safety in the Liquefied petroleum The petroleum industry includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transporting (often by Oil tankers and pipelines Liquefied petroleum gas (also called LPG, GPL, LP Gas, or Autogas) is a mixture of Hydrocarbon Gases used as a Fuel Uranium (jʊˈreɪniəm is a silvery-gray Metallic Chemical element in the Until the 1970s, the commission had enormous control the price of petroleum because of its ability to regulate Texas oil reserves. The founders of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) used the Texas agency as one of their models for petroleum price control. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries ( OPEC) is a Cartel of thirteen countries made up of Algeria, Angola, Ecuador ^[95]

The state has known petroleum deposits of about 8 billion barrels (1,300,000,000 m³), which makes up approximately one-third of the known U. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit S. supply. ^[96] Texas refineries can process 4. 6 million barrels (730,000 m³) of oil a day. ^[94] As wells are depleted in the eastern portions of the state, drilling in state has moved westward. ^[93] Several petroleum companies are based in Texas such as: Conoco-Phillips, Exxon-Mobil, Halliburton, Valero, and Marathon Oil. These are lists of petroleum companies. List of companies by size of oil reserves A list of the largest petroleum companies is always somewhat arbitrary as state-owned companies ConocoPhillips Company ( is an international energy corporation with its headquarters located in Houston Texas. The Exxon Mobil Corporation, or ExxonMobil, is an American oil and gas Corporation and a direct descendant of John D Halliburton Energy Services ( is a US -based Multinational corporation with operations in more than 70 countries Valero Energy Corporation ( is a Fortune 500 company based in San Antonio, Texas, with 21836 employees and annual revenue of more than US$90 billion The marathon is a long-distance foot race with an official distance of 42

The state is also a leader in alternative energy sources producing the most wind power nationwide. Wind power in Texas consists of many Wind farms with a total installed capacity of 5604 ^[94][97] Texas also leader in natural gas production producing one-fourth of the nation's supply. Natural gas is a Gaseous Fossil fuel consisting primarily of Methane but including significant quantities of Ethane, Propane, ^[94]

Technology

With large universities systems coupled with initiatives like TEF and the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, a wide array of different high tech industries have developed in Texas. The Texas Emerging Technology Fund (TETF was created by legislation in 2005 and had its first award given out by 2006 The Austin area is nicknamed the "Silicon Hills" (the Austin area) and the north Dallas area the "Silicon Prairie". The Silicon Prairie can refer to one of several places in the United States an area in Illinois, and more commonly one in Texas. High tech companies such as the computer manufacturer Dell, Inc., the semiconductor company Texas Instruments, and the information technology consulting company Electronic Data Systems (EDS) are headquartered in Texas. The multinational technology company Dell Inc develops manufactures sells and supports Personal computers and other computer-related products Texas Instruments ( better known in the electronics industry (and popularly as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, USA Information technology consulting ( IT consulting, technology consulting or business and technology services) is a field that focuses on advising businesses Electronic Data Systems (EDS is a global Business and technology services company headquartered in Plano Texas that defined the Outsourcing business As for emerging technologies, in 2008, FierceBiotech ranked Texas as one of the top five biotechnology states. Emerging technologies and converging technologies are terms used to cover various cutting edge developments in the Emergence and convergence of Technology ^[98]

The crown jewel of Texas's aeronautics industry is the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, the center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), located in Southeast Houston. The Lyndon B Johnson Space Flight Center ( "JSFC") is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 's center for The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Both Lockheed Martin's Aeronautics division and Bell Helicopter Textron are located in Fort Worth, Texas. Lockheed Martin ( is a large multinational Aerospace manufacturer and advanced technology Company formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company is a major unit of Lockheed Martin with headquarters at Fort Worth, Texas. Bell Helicopter Textron is an American Helicopter and Tiltrotor manufacturer headquartered in Fort Worth Texas. Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas and the seventeenth-largest city in the United States. ^[99][100] The F-16 Fighting Falcon, the largest Western fighter program is produced in Fort Worth, and its successor, the F-35 Lightning II will also be produced in Fort Worth. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout ^[101]

Commerce

Texas's affluence has led to a strong commercial sector consisting of retail, wholesale, banking and insurance, and construction industries. Affluence in the United States refers to an individual's or household's state of being in an economically favorable position in contrast to a given Reference group. Examples of Fortune 500 companies that are not based on Texas traditional industries are: AT&T, Men's Warehouse, Landry's Restaurants, Kimberly-Clark, Blockbuster, Whole Foods Market, and Tenet Healthcare. Please do not add the complete list of fortune 500 companies The list is copyrighted by Fortune which makes money by selling the content Before proposing a merge request please see Talk and see if the merger you propose has recently been made and Men's Wearhouse ( is the largest men's dress apparel retailer in the United States. Landry's Restaurants Inc is an American corporation which is in the business of developing Restaurants and Hospitality projects from Houston, Texas Kimberly-Clark Corporation () is an American Corporation that produces mostly Paper -based consumer products Whole Foods Market ( is an Austin, Texas -based foods Grocer. Tenet Healthcare Corporation ( THC) is an Operating company that owns and operates 57 Hospitals in the United States. ^[102] Nationally, the Dallas–Fort Worth area, home to the second shopping center in the United States, Highland Park Village, has the most shopping centers per capita than any metropolitan area. Highland Park Village is an upscale Shopping mall located at the southwest corner of Mockingbird Lane and Preston Road in Highland Park, Texas A shopping mall or shopping centre is a building or set of buildings that contain Retail units with interconnecting Walkways enabling visitors ^[103]

In 2006, for the fifth year in a row, Texas led the nation in export revenues. Texas exports for 2006 totaled $150. 8 billion, which is $22. 1 billion more than 2005 and represents a 17. 2 percent increase. A large contributor to this trend is the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The state's largest trading partner is Mexico, with the accounts for a third the state's exports. NAFTA has led to the formation of controversial maquiladoras on the Texas/Mexico border. A maquiladora or maquila is a Factory that imports materials and equipment on a Duty-free and tariff-free basis for assembly or manufacturing ^[104]

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in Texas

Transportation in Texas has been difficult historically because of the state's large size and terrain. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT is a governmental agency and its purpose is to "provide safe effective and efficient movement of people and goods" To compensate, Texas has built both the largest road and railway in terms of mileage nationwide. ^[105] The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is the state's regulatory authority, whose stated mission is to "work cooperatively to provide safe, effective and efficient movement of people and goods. The Texas Department of Transportation ( TxDOT, pronounced "tex-dot" is a Governmental agency in the U "^[106] Though the public face of the agency is generally associated with maintenance of the state's immense highway system, the agency is also responsible for aviation. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Before adding any more images to this * * page please do carefully consider * * whether they would be mere decoration * * or actually improve Aviation refers to activities involving man-made flying devices ( Aircraft) including the people organizations and regulatory bodies involved with them ^[107] in the state and overseeing public transportation systems. ^[108]

Highways

Main articles: Texas state highways and Texas Tollways

Texas freeways have been heavily traveled since the 1948 opening of the Gulf Freeway in Houston. Texas state highways are a network of highways owned and maintained by the U Toll roads are generally highways in which the motorist must pay a toll to use Interstate 45 (I-45 is an Interstate Highway located entirely within the U ^[109] As of 2005, there were 79,535 miles (127,999 km) of public highway in Texas (up from 71,000 miles (114,263 km) in 1984). ^[110] Tollways are common in Texas primarily due to lack of funds from traditional revenue sources. A toll road, (also known as a tollway, turnpike, pike, or toll highway, especially if it is constructed to Freeway standards There are approximately 17 current toll roads in the state with additional roads proposed. This is a list of toll roads in the United States. This list does not include toll bridges or tolled tunnels or tolled ferries ^[111] In the western part of the state, both I-10 and I-20 have a speed limit of 80 miles per hour (130 km/h), the highest in the nation. In the US state of Texas, Interstate 10 is the major east-west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. Interstate 20 in Texas (abbreviated I-20 or IH-20) is a major east-west Interstate highway in the Southern United States, running See also Speed limit Speed limits in the United States are set by each state or territory. ^[112]

The Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC), also known has the NAFTA freeway, is a transportation network in the planning and early construction stages. The Trans-Texas Corridor ( TTC) is a transportation network in the planning and early construction stages in the U The network, as planned, would be composed of a 4,000-mile (6,000 km) network of supercorridors up to 1,200 feet (370 m) wide to carry parallel lines of tollways, rails, and utility lines. A supercorridor is a proposed new type of transportation infrastructure in the United States A toll road, (also known as a tollway, turnpike, pike, or toll highway, especially if it is constructed to Freeway standards A public utility (usually just utility) is an organization that maintains the Infrastructure for a public service (often also providing a service using ^[113]

Airports

See also: List of airports in Texas

The Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, is the largest airport in the state, the second largest in the United States, and fourth largest in the world. tags they are used to transclude this state's "Commercial Service - Primary" airports in the List of airports ^[114] In traffic, DFW is the busiest in the state, fourth busiest in the United States,^[115] and sixth busiest in the world. ^[116] The airport serves 135 domestic destinations and 40 international. DFW is the largest and main hub for American Airlines, the world's largest in total passengers-miles transported^[117] and passenger fleet size. An airline hub is an Airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination American Airlines Inc (AA is a US -based airline and the world's Largest airline in total passenger miles transported and passenger fleet size ^[118]

Texas's second-largest air facility is Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). George Bush Intercontinental Airport is an International airport in the city of Houston, Texas, United States serving the Greater Houston Houston is the headquarters of Continental Airlines, and is the airline's largest hub. Continental Airlines Inc ( is a United States certificated air carrier. IAH offers service to the most Mexican destinations of any U. S. airport. IAH ranks second among U. S. airports with scheduled non-stop domestic and international service.

Southwest Airlines, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, began its operations at Dallas Love Field. Southwest Airlines Co ( is an American low-cost Airline based in Dallas Texas, with its largest focus city at Las Vegas ' McCarran Dallas Love Field is a city-owned public-use Airport located five Nautical miles (9 km) northwest of the Central business district of ^[119] It is the largest airline in the United States by number of passengers carried domestically per year and the largest airline in the world by number of passengers carried. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the There are several methods to measure the size of an airline so several different lists of the world's largest airlines are available ^[120] The airline's growth from its original hub is limited by the Wright Amendment of 1979. The Wright Amendment of 1979 is a federal law governing traffic at Dallas's Love Field Airport. ^[121]

Ports

Main article: List of ports in the United States

Over 1,000 seaports dot Texas's coast with over 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of channels. This is a list of Ports of the United States, ranked by tonnage ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo ^[122] Ports employ nearly one-million people and handle and average of 317 million metric tons. This article is about the tonne or metric ton For other tons see Ton. ^[123] Texas ports are connected with the rest of the US Atlantic seaboard in the Gulf section of the Intracoastal Waterway. See also Intracoastal Waterway The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is the portion of the Intracoastal Waterway located along the Gulf Coast of the The Intracoastal Waterway is a 4800-km (3000-mile Waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. ^[122] Until the deadliest hurricane in US history of 1900, the state's primary port, was Galveston. "Galveston" redirects here For the town in the US state of Indiana see Galveston Indiana. The Port of Houston replaced Galveston and today is the busiest port in the United States in foreign tonnage, second in overall tonnage, and tenth worldwide tonnage. The Port of Houston is the Port of Houston Texas, the fourth-largest city in the United States. This is a list of the world's busiest Seaports by cargo tonnage, the total mass of actual cargo transported through the port ^[124] The Houston Ship Channel, is currently 530 feet (160 m) wide by 45 feet (14 m) deep by 50 miles (80 km) long and continues to be expanded. The Houston Ship Channel in Houston Texas is part of the Port of Houston —one of the United States 's busiest Sea ports The channel ^[125]

Railroads

See also: List of Texas railroads

Part of the state's cowboy legends are based on cattle drives where livestock was herded from Texas to railroads in Kansas. METRORail is the Light rail line located in Houston Texas ( U Current Common carriers Alamo Gulf Coast Railroad (AGCR Amtrak (AMTK Angelina and Neches River Railroad A cowboy is an animal Herder who tends Cattle on Ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback and often performs a multitude of A cattle drive is the process of moving a herd of Cattle from one place to another usually moved and herded by Cowboys on Horses Prior to the mid-19th Livestock is the term used to refer (singularly or plurally to a Domesticated Animal intentionally reared in an agricultural setting to produce such as Food "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. The first railroad in Texas completed in 1872, the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, diminished the need for these drives. The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (reporting marks MKT) was incorporated May 23, 1870. The desire for the benefits of railroads was so strong that Dallasites paid $5,000 for the Houston and Central Texas Railroad to shift its route through its location, rather than Corsicana as planned. Corsicana is a City in Navarro County, Texas, United States. It its located on Interstate 45 some fifty-five miles south of downtown ^[126] Since 1911, Texas has led the nation in railroad length. Texas railway mileage peaked in 1932 at 17,078 miles (27,484 km), but since has dwindled to 14,006 miles (22,540 km) in 2000. ^[105] The state's oldest regulatory agency, the Railroad Commission of Texas, originally regulated the railroads, but in 2005, the state transferred to these duties to TxDOT. The Railroad Commission of Texas is the state agency that regulates the oil and gas industry, gas utilities pipeline safety safety in the Liquefied petroleum ^[127]

Light rail systems have been implemented in both Dallas and Houston. For specific light rail systems many of which use the words "light rail" as part of their name see List of light-rail transit systems. Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) operates the first light rail system in the Southwest United States. The Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority (or DART) is a transit agency based in Dallas, Texas ( USA) that operates Buses Light The Southwestern area of the United States could be defined as the states west of the Mississippi River, with the qualification of a certain northern limit such as the 37 ^[128] The commuter rail service, the Trinity Railway Express (TRE), links Fort Worth & Dallas provided by the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (the T) and DART. Commuter rail, regional rail or suburban rail is a Passenger rail transport service between a city center and outer suburbs and Commuter towns The Trinity Railway Express (or TRE) is a Regional rail commuter line in the Dallas / Fort Worth mass transit system The Fort Worth Transportation Authority is the operator of the Bus system of the city of Fort Worth Texas, popularly known as The T. ^[129] The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) operates lines in the Houston area. The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County Texas (METRO operates Bus, Light rail, future Commuter rail, and METROLift (paratransit service in Currently, intercity passenger rail service in Texas is limited from both network and frequency viewpoint, with just three Amtrak trains serving the state: the daily Texas Eagle (Chicago–San Antonio), the tri-weekly Sunset Limited (New Orleans–Los Angeles), and the daily Heartland Flyer (Fort Worth–Oklahoma City). The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Doing business as Amtrak, is a Government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 The Texas Eagle is a 1306-mile (2102 km Passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the central and western United States. The Sunset Limited is a Passenger train that for most of its history has run between New Orleans and Los Angeles California, and that from early The Heartland Flyer is a daily passenger train that follows a 206- Mile (332-km route between Fort Worth Texas and Oklahoma City Oklahoma.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Texas

See also: List of people from Texas, List of Texas symbols, Don't Mess with Texas, Gone to Texas, and Architecture of Texas

Texas historically has had a culture that has been a blend of Southern (Dixie), Western (frontier), and Mexican influences. The culture of Texas has been a Melting pot of "Southern" (Dixie and Southwestern (Mexi-WASPy fusion North American culture with pockets of colonies The following are people who were either born/raised or have lived for a significant period of time in Texas. The following is a list of symbols of the US State of Texas. Official designations and symbols Other official designations The phrase Don’t Mess with Texas is a Trademark of the Texas Department of Transportation, and is part of a statewide Advertising campaign, Gone to Texas, often abbreviated GTT or GTT, was a phrase used by Americans immigrating to Texas in the 19th century often to escape debt The architecture in the state of Texas comes from a wide variety of sources Big Tex is the 52 foot (16 m tall icon of the annual State Fair of Texas held at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas ( USA) The State Fair of Texas is an annual State fair held in Dallas, Texas ( USA) In addition to Texas's traditional culture, immigration has caused Texas to become a melting pot of different cultures around the world. The melting pot is an analogy for the way in which homogeneous societies develop in which the ingredients in the pot (people of different cultures races and religions are Texas's strong academic institutions and strong biomedical, energy, manufacturing and aerospace industries are the state's primary attractions for immigrants.

Arts

Further information: Music of Texas

Houston is one of only five American cities with permanent professional resident companies in all of the major performing arts disciplines (the Houston Grand Opera, the Houston Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Ballet, and The Alley Theatre). Texas has long been a center for musical innovation Texans have pioneered musical developments in Tejano music, Punk rock, Mariachi, Country Houston Grand Opera (HGO was founded in 1955 through the joint efforts of Maestro Walter Herbert and Houston cultural leaders Mrs The Houston Symphony Orchestra is a professional Orchestra based in Houston Texas. The Houston Ballet, operated by the Houston Ballet Foundation is the fourth-largest professional Ballet company in the United States, based in Houston The Alley Theatre is an indoor theatre in the city of Houston, Texas, and hosts two stages ^[130] Known for the vibrancy of its visual and performing arts, the Houston Theatre District—a 17-block area in the heart of Downtown Houston—is ranked second in the country in the number of theatre seats in a concentrated downtown area with 12,948 seats for live performances and 1,480 movie seats. The visual arts are art forms that focus on the creation of works which are primarily Visual in nature such as Painting, Photography The performing arts are those forms of Art which differ from the Plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own Body, Face and presence The Houston Theater District, a 17-block area in the heart of Downtown Houston, USA is home to Houston 's nine Performing arts organizations the 130000 Downtown Houston is the largest Business district of Houston, Texas, United States. ^[130]

Fort Worth is an epicenter of the North Texas region's art scene. Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas and the seventeenth-largest city in the United States. Founded in 1892, The Modern, formerly the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, is the oldest art museum in Texas. The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth (widely referred to as The Modern) was first granted a Charter from the State of Texas in 1892 as the "Fort Worth Public Library The city is also home to the Kimbell Art Museum, the Amon Carter Museum, the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, the Will Rogers Memorial Center, and the Bass Performance Hall downtown. The Kimbell Art Museum is situated in the Cultural District of Fort Worth, Texas, USA. The Amon Carter Museum is located in Fort Worth Texas. It was established by the generosity of Amon G The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is a museum and association which honors women of the American West (cowgirls who have displayed courage or spirit and who have distinguished The Will Rogers Memorial Center (WRMC is an public entertainment sports and livestock complex located in Fort Worth, Texas ( USA) The Nancy Lee and Perry R Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth Texas is located in Downtown Fort Worth near Sundance Square, occupies a whole city block The Arts District of Downtown Dallas is home to arts venues such as the Dallas Museum of Art, the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, The Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art, and the Nasher Sculpture Center. The Arts District is a performing and visual arts district in downtown Dallas Texas ( USA) Downtown Dallas is the main business district in Dallas, Texas USA, located in the geographic center of the city The Dallas Museum of Art is an art museum located in the Arts District of downtown Dallas Texas, USA along Woodall Rodgers Freeway The Morton H Meyerson Symphony Center is a concert hall located in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas ( USA) The Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art is an arts venue located in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas ( USA The Nasher Sculpture Center is a Museum in Dallas, Texas specializing in modern and contemporary sculpture ^[131]

The Deep Ellum district within Dallas became popular during the 1920s and 1930s as the prime jazz and blues hotspot in the Southern United States. The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts is a theater in Houston, Texas, USA. Deep Ellum (a corruption of " deep Elm Street " is an arts and entertainment district near downtown in east Dallas, Texas Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive The name Deep Ellum is derived from local people pronouncing "Deep Elm" as "Deep Ellum". Artists such as Blind Lemon Jefferson, Robert Johnson, Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter, and Bessie Smith played in early Deep Ellum clubs like The Harlem and The Palace. "Blind" Lemon Jefferson ( September 24, 1893 or October 26, 1894 or July 1897 &ndash December 1929 was an influential Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8 1911 – August 16 1938 is among the most famous of Delta blues musicians Huddie William Ledbetter, (January 1888 – December 6 1949 was an American folk and Blues Musician, notable for his clear and forceful singing Bessie Smith (July 9 1892 or April 15 1894&ndash September 26 1937 was an American Blues singer Today, the district is home to hundreds of artists who live in lofts and operate in studios throughout the district alongside bars, pubs, and concert venues. One major art infusion has resulted from the city's lax stance on graffiti: several public ways, including tunnels, sides of buildings, sidewalks, and streets, are covered in graffiti murals. Graffiti (singular graffito; the plural is used as a Mass noun) is the name for images or lettering scratched scrawled painted or marked in any manner on property

Austin, Texas, the The Live Music Capital of the World, boasts the most venues per capita citywise. The music of Austin Texas centers on 6th Street, Red River and South Congress where bars and clubs of every kind can be found ^[132] The city's music revolves around the nightclubs on 6th Street and an annual film, music, and multimedia festival known as South by Southwest. A nightclub (or "night club" or "club" is a drinking, dancing, and entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark 6th Street is a historic Street and entertainment district in Austin Texas. Multimedia is media and content that utilizes a combination of different content forms. South by Southwest ( SXSW) is a set of interactive, Film, and Music festivals and conferences that take place ^[133] The longest-running concert music program on American television, Austin City Limits and its similarly named music festival are located at the University of Texas at Austin at Zilker Park. Austin City Limits is an American Television music program and a staple of the Public Broadcasting Service. The Austin City Limits Music Festival is an annual three-day music and art festival in Austin Texas 's Zilker Park. Zilker Metropolitan Park is a recreational area in the heart of south Austin (near Barton Springs Pool and Lady Bird Lake) that comprises over 350 acres Over the past couple of decades, San Antonio has evolved into the "Nashville of Tejano music. Tejano music (Spanish-Texan music is the name given to various forms of folk and popular music originating among the Hispanic populations of Central and Southern Texas " The Tejano Music Awards have provided a forum to create greater awareness and appreciation for Tejano music and culture. The Tejano Music Awards had been launched in 1980 by former art teacher and music veteran Rudy Trevino and the leader of the Latin Breed Band Gilbert Escobedo ^[134]

Sports

Main article: Sports in Texas

Further information: List of Texas sports teams, and List of University Interscholastic League events

While American football has long been considered “king” in the state, Texans today enjoy a wide variety of sports. List of Texas sports teams Sports in Texas include professional teams in all major sports collegiate teams in major and small-school conferences and associations and active National Football League Dallas Cowboys Houston Texans Arena Football League The University Interscholastic League, the main governing body for academic athletic and music competition among Texas public schools sanctions many events for students in Rangers Ballpark in Arlington is a ballpark in Arlington Texas, located between Dallas and Fort Worth Texas. American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with ^[135] Texans have a plethora of professional sports teams to cheer for. Professional sports, as opposed to amateur Sports are those in which athletes receive payment for their performance Texas is home to two NFL teams, the Houston Texans and the Dallas Cowboys; two Major League Baseball teams, the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros; three NBA teams: the Houston Rockets, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Dallas Mavericks; two WNBA teams: the Houston Comets and the San Antonio Silver Stars; one National Hockey League team, the Dallas Stars. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The Houston Texans is a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference (NFC in the National The Texas Rangers are an American professional baseball team based in Arlington Texas, United States, representing the Dallas-Ft The Houston Astros are a Professional baseball team based in Houston Texas. The Houston Rockets are an American professional Basketball team based in Houston Texas. The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional Basketball team based in San Antonio Texas. The Dallas Mavericks (also known as the Mavs) are the professional Basketball team of the National Basketball Association based in Dallas Texas The Houston Comets are a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA team based in Houston Texas. The San Antonio Silver Stars are a team in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA based in San Antonio Texas. The Dallas Stars are a National Hockey League team based in Dallas Texas. Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area is one of only thirteen American cities that have sports teams from the "Big Four" professional leagues. There are 13 US cities with teams from four major sports where "city" is defined as the entire metropolitan area and " Major professional sports leagues Other professional teams include the Arena Football League, and Major League Soccer. The Arena Football League (AFL was founded in 1987 as an American football indoor league. Major League Soccer ( MLS) is the top-flight professional Soccer league in the United States and Canada with 14 teams 13 in the U

Collegiate athletics have deep significance in Texas culture. College athletics refers primarily to Sports and athletic competition organized and funded by institutions of tertiary education ( Colleges or universities The state has the most Division I-FBS schools in America, ten. Division I (or D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the United States The four largest programs are part of the Big 12 Conference: the Baylor Bears, Texas A&M Aggies, Texas Longhorns, and Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of twelve schools located mostly in the central United States. Baylor Bears (variously Baylor or BU) refers to the sports teams of Baylor University. Texas A&M Aggies (variously A&M or Texas Aggies) refers to the sports teams of Texas A&M University. Texas Longhorns athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports teams of The University of Texas at Austin. The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University. According to a survey of Division I-A coaches, the rivalry between the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas, the Red River Shootout, is ranked the third best collegiate rivalry in the nation. University of Oklahoma, abbreviated OU, is a Coeducational public Research university located in the U Atmosphere There are three Red River Shootout trophies exchanged based on the outcome of the game ^[136] The largest interstate rivalry, the Lone Star Showdown, is between Texas A&M University and the University of Texas. The State Farm Lone Star Showdown is the official moniker (trademarked in 1996 for all varsity men's and women's athletics competitions between Texas A&M University

As described the book Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream, high school football is a major part of Texas culture. The State Farm Lone Star Showdown is the official moniker (trademarked in 1996 for all varsity men's and women's athletics competitions between Texas A&M University Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (formerly just Memorial Stadium and Texas Memorial Stadium) located in Austin Texas, is home to the University Friday Night Lights A Town a Team and a Dream is a 1990 non-fiction book written by H Texas is an American Football recruiting hotbed for college teams nationwide. In 2006, 170 players in the NFL were from Texas high schools. ^[137] The University Interscholastic League (UIL) organizes most primary and secondary school competitions. The University Interscholastic League ( UIL) is an organization which creates rules for and administers almost all athletic music and academic contests for public elementary Events organized by UIL include athletic events as well as the arts and academic subjects such as mathematics. Mathematics is the body of Knowledge and Academic discipline that studies such concepts as Quantity, Structure, Space and

From 1905–1915, people in Dallas and Fort Worth turned out by the thousands for horse racing, which was usually tied to the state fair schedule. Dallas established a Jockey Club early on. The Fort Worth Driving Club (for owners of Standardbred trotters and pacers) had 101 members when it opened in 1905. Trotters raced at a park in Fort Worth, but both cities attracted thousands of people for each style of racing. ^[138]

Texans also enjoy going to the rodeo. Rodeo (ˈroʊdioʊ or /roʊˈdeɪoʊ/ is a sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States The annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the largest rodeo in the world. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, also called Rodeo Houston is the world's largest livestock exhibition as well as the world's largest Rodeo event The event begins with trail rides that originate from several points throughout the state, of which convene at Reliant Park. Reliant Park (formerly the Astrodomain) is a complex in Houston Texas named after the energy company Reliant Energy. The World’s first rodeo was held in Pecos, Texas on 4 July 1883. Pecos is the largest city and county seat of Reeves County, Texas, United States. Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples Year 1883 ( MDCCCLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common ^[139] The Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show in Fort Worth, Texas has a cowboy, a Mexican and many traditional rodeos. The Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show, known commonly as the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo is the oldest continual running Livestock show and Rodeo Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas and the seventeenth-largest city in the United States. The State Fair of Texas is held in Dallas, Texas each year at Fair Park. The State Fair of Texas is an annual State fair held in Dallas, Texas ( USA) Dallas Fair Park is a recreational and educational complex located in Dallas, Texas ( USA) ^[140]

Other popular sports in Texas include golf, fishing, auto racing, lacrosse, and

Healthcare

The Commonwealth Fund ranks the Texas healthcare system the third worst in the nation. For the computer security term see Phishing. Fishing is the activity of catching Fish. Auto racing (also known as automobile racing, motor racing or car racing) is a Motorsport involving Racing Cars It Lacrosse is a full contact Team sport played using a solid rubber ball and long handled racket called a crosse or Lacrosse stick. The Commonwealth Fund is a private charitable foundation that aims to promote a high performing Health care system that achieves better access improved quality and greater This article describes policy-related systems For the article on hospital networks which are sometimes referred to as health care systems see Hospital network. ^[141] It also ranks Texas close to last in access to healthcare, quality of care, avoidable hospital spending, and equity among various groups. ^[141] Causes of the state's poor rankings include: politics, a high poverty rate, and illegal immigration, Texas having the highest rate in the nation. ^[69] In May 2006, Texas initiated the program "code red" in response to the report that the state had 25. 1 percent of the population without health insurance, the largest proportion in the nation. ^[142] Texas also has controversial non-economic damages caps medical malpractice lawsuits set at $250,000, in an attempt to "curb rising malpractice premiums, and control escalating healthcare costs". Non-economic damages caps are somewhat controversial Tort reforms to limit ( i Medical malpractice is professional negligence by act or omission by a Health care provider in which care provided deviates from accepted standards of practice ^[143]

The Trust for America's Health ranked Texas 12th highest adult obesity rate, 24. Trust for America's Health (TFAH is a Washington DC -based health policy organization Obesity is a condition in which excess Body fat has accumulated to such an extent that health may be negatively affected 6 percent, nationwide, and the 4th highest in the percentage of overweight high school students, 13. 9 percent. ^[144] The 2008 Men's Health obesity survey ranked four Texas cities among the top 25 fattest cities in America; Houston ranked 6th, Dallas 7th, El Paso 8th, and Arlington 14th. See also Andrology Men's health emerged as a discrete academic and political concern in the 1990s largely due to the wide success of Men's Health magazine Arlington is a Suburb of Fort Worth in Tarrant County, Texas ( USA) within the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area ^[145] Austin was the only Texan city in the top 25 among the "fittest cities" in America and ranked 21st. ^[145] The same survey has evaluated the state's obesity initiatives favorably with a "B+". ^[145]

Medical research

See also: List of hospitals in Texas

Texas is home to elite research medical centers. List of hospitals in Texas ( US state) sorted by location East Texas Southeast Texas Angleton The state has eight medical schools,^[146] three dental schools, and one optometry school. The following is a list of Colleges and universities in the U Optometry is a health care profession concerned with Eyes and related structures as well as vision, Visual systems and vision information Texas has two Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) laboratories: one at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston,^[147] and the other at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research in San Antonio—the first privately owned BSL-4 lab in the United States. A Biosafety Level is the level of the biocontainment precautions required to isolate dangerous Biological agents in an enclosed facility The University of Texas Medical Branch ( UTMB) is a component of the University of Texas System located in Galveston Texas, about 50 miles (80 km Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research (SFBR is a large private research institute located in San Antonio Texas. ^[148]

The Texas Medical Center, in Houston, is the world's largest concentration of research and healthcare institutions, with 45 member institutions in the Texas Medical Center. The Texas Medical Center, with one of the highest densities of clinical facilities for patient care basic science and Translational research of any location is the largest Research is defined as Human activity based on Intellectual application in the investigation of Matter. Health care is the prevention treatment and management of illness and the preservation of mental health through the services offered by the medical, Nursing ^[149] More heart transplants are performed at Texas Medical Center than anywhere else in the world. The Texas Medical Center, with one of the highest densities of clinical facilities for patient care basic science and Translational research of any location is the largest ^[150] San Antonio's South Texas Medical Center facilities rank sixth in clinical medicine research impact in the United States^[151] with the University of Texas Health Science Center being another highly ranked research and educational institution. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio ( UTHSCSA) is a major and nationally recognized institute of health science education and research ^[152][153]

Dallas is home to the American Heart Association and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, "among the top academic medical centers in the world". The American Heart Association (AHA is a Non-profit organization in the United States that fosters appropriate The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas (also known as “UT Southwestern” is a medical research center in Texas, United States. ^[154] The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at the center employs the most medical school Nobel laureates in the world. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School is a public Medical school in Dallas, Texas. This is a list of Nobel Prize Laureates awarded for their outstanding contributions to Humanitarian causes for Peace, work in Literature ^[155][154] The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center is one of the world’s highly regarded academic institutions devoted to cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. The University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center is one of the nation's original three comprehensive Cancer centers established by the National Cancer Act of 1971 ^[156]

Education

Main article: Education in Texas

The American Legislative Exchange Council ranked Texas 26 among the 50 states for education in 2007. The American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC is a nonpartisan ideologically conservative, non-profit 501(c(3 membership association of state legislators and private Texas students ranked higher than average in on mathematics, but lower in reading. Between 2005–2006, Texas spent $7,584 per pupil ranking it below the national average of $9,295. The pupil/teacher ratio was 15. 0 slightly below average. Instructors were paid $38,130, below the national average. 10. 8% of the educational funding in Texas came from the federal government, 89. 22% from state funding. ^[158]

The state's public school systems are administered by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The Texas Education Agency ( TEA, each letter pronounced separately is a branch of the state government of Texas in the United States. Texas has over 1,000 school districts—all but one of the school districts in Texas are separate from municipal government. School districts are a form of Special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools Geographical School districts in Texas are (with one exception the Stafford Municipal School District) completely independent from city or county jurisdiction Local governments are administrative offices that are smaller than a State. School districts may (and often do) cross city and county boundaries—an exception to this rule is Stafford Municipal School District. Stafford Municipal School District is a School district based in Stafford Texas ( USA) School districts have the power to tax their residents and to assert eminent domain over privately owned property. Eminent domain ( United States) compulsory purchase ( United Kingdom, New Zealand, Ireland) resumption/compulsory acquisition The "Robin Hood plan" is a controversial tax redistribution system that provides court-mandated equitable school financing for school districts. The Robin Hood plan was a media nickname given to legislation enacted by the U Property tax revenue from property-wealthy school districts is distributed to those in property-poor districts, in an effort to equalize the financing and provide opportunities for children throughout Texas. The TEA has no authority over private school operations; private schools may or may not be accredited, and achievement tests are not required for private school graduating seniors. For the film of this title see Private School (film. Private schools, or Independent schools are Schools not administered Neither TEA nor the local school district has authority to regulate home school activities. Homeschooling (also called home education) home learning or homeschool  – is the education of children at home typically by parents or professional

The Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) is a standardized test used in Texas primary and secondary schools to assess students' attainment of reading, writing, math, science, and social studies skills required under Texas education standards. The Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills ( TAKS) is a Standardized test used in Texas primary and secondary schools to assess students' A standardized test is a test administered and scored in a consistent manner Primary education is the first stage of Compulsory education. Australia See also Education Mathematics is the body of Knowledge and Academic discipline that studies such concepts as Quantity, Structure, Space and Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning " Knowledge " or "knowing" is the effort to discover, and increase human understanding Social Studies is a term used to describe the broad study of the various fields which involve past and current human behavior and interactions Though created before the No Child Left Behind Act was passed, it complies with the law. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-110 often abbreviated in print as NCLB and sometimes shortened in pronunciation to "nickelbee" is a controversial In spring 2007, Texas legislators repealed TAKS for freshmen in the 2011–2012 school year and onward in favor of End of Course exams for core classes in high school. ^[159]

Colleges and universities

Further information: List of colleges and universities in Texas

There are 181 colleges, universities and dozens of other institutions engaged in the research and development of Texas within five different university systems. The following is a list of Colleges and universities in the U . The University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, University of Houston and the University of North Texas are Texas's four largest comprehensive doctoral degree – granting institutions with a combined enrollment of over 145,000. Texas A&M University, often called A&M or TAMU, is a Coeducational public Research University located in College Station The University of Houston (often referred to as " U of H," " UH," or " Houston " is a public doctoral/research Texas's controversial alternative affirmative action plan, Texas House Bill 588, guarantees Texas students who graduated in the top ten percent of their high school class automatic admission to state-funded universities. Affirmative action in the United States|Employment equity (Canada|Reservation in India|Numerus clausus The term affirmative action describes many policies aimed at a historically Texas House Bill 588 is a Texas law passed in 1997. The law guarantees Texas students who graduated in the top ten percent of their High school class High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution The bill was created to encourage diversity while avoiding problems identified with policy in the Hopwood v. Texas (1996) case. Hopwood v Texas, 78 F3d 932 ( 5th Cir 1996) was the first successful legal challenge to a university's affirmative action policy in student As for private universities, Rice University—one of the country’s leading teaching and research universities—ranked the 17th-best university overall in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. William Marsh Rice University (commonly called Rice University and opened in 1912 as The William Marsh Rice Institute for the Advancement of Letters Science and Art USNews & World Report is an influential weekly American Newsmagazine published in Washington D ^[160] Additionally, Baylor University—the oldest university in the state—was chartered by the Republic of Texas. Baylor University is a private, Baptist -affiliated Research University located in Waco Texas. ^[161]

See also

• List of Texas-related topics

References

Further reading

External links

• The State of Texas
• The Texas State History Museum
• Texas State Databases - Annotated list of searchable databases produced by Texas state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association. College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in Central Texas. Texas A&M University Press is a scholarly publishing house associated with Texas A&M University.
• The Handbook of Texas Online – Published by the Texas State Historical Association
• Texas Register, hosted by the University of North Texas Libraries
• Open Directory: Texas
• Texas State Facts
• USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Texas
• Texas travel guide from Wikitravel
• South and West Texas, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary

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