Portal:Texas

Texas
Texas
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	State of Texas
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The Texas Portal

Texas (/ˈtɛksəs/ ^ⓘ TEK-səss) is the most populous state in the South of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the west, and an international border with the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the south and southwest. Texas has a coastline on the Gulf of Mexico to the southeast. Covering 268,596 square miles (695,660 km²) and with over 31 million residents as of 2024, it is the second-largest U.S. state by area and population. Texas is nicknamed the "Lone Star State" for the single star on its flag, symbolic of its former status as an independent country, the Republic of Texas.

Spain was the first European country to claim and control Texas. Following a brief period of French colonization, the territory became part of Mexico after its independence from Spain in 1821. Increasing tensions between settlers and the Mexican government culminated in the Texas Revolution, which included the Battle of the Alamo, and led to the establishment of the independent Republic of Texas in 1836. In 1845, Texas joined the United States as the 28th state. The state's annexation contributed to the Mexican–American War in 1846. Texas remained a slave state until the American Civil War, during which it seceded from the Union in 1861 and joined the Confederate States. After the war and the restoration of its representation in the federal government, Texas entered a prolonged period of economic stagnation.

The economy of Texas (prior to World War II) has been shaped by bison, cattle, cotton, oil, and timber industries. The cattle industry was a major economic driver and created the traditional image of the Texas cowboy. In the later 19th century, cotton and lumber grew to be major industries as the cattle industry became less lucrative. Ultimately, the discovery of major petroleum deposits (Spindletop in particular) initiated an economic boom that became the driving force behind the economy for much of the 20th century. Texas developed a diversified economy and high tech industry during the mid-20th century. As of 2024^[update], it has the second-highest number (52) of Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the United States. With a growing base of industry, the state leads in many industries, including tourism, agriculture, petrochemicals, energy, computers and electronics, aerospace, and biomedical sciences. Texas has led the U.S. in state export revenue since 2002 and has the second-highest gross state product. Texas consistently ranks highly among national averages for business growth, job creation, and economic opportunity with low taxes and a regulatory environment that encourages innovation. (Full article...)

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The Second Battle of Sabine Pass (September 8, 1863) was a failed Union Army attempt to invade the Confederate state of Texas during the American Civil War. The Union Navy supported the effort and lost three gunboats during the battle, two captured and one destroyed.

Often credited as the war’s most one-sided Confederate victory, the battle led Jefferson Davis to write in 1876 that he 'considered the [second] battle of Sabine Pass the most remarkable in military history. (Full article...)

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Clements in 1978

William Perry Clements Jr. (April 13, 1917 – May 29, 2011) was an American businessman and Republican Party politician who served two nonconsecutive terms as the governor of Texas between 1979 and 1991. His terms bookended the sole term served by Mark Wells White, a Democrat who defeated Clements in the 1982 election only to lose his campaign for reelection in 1986.

When Clements was first sworn in 1979, he became the first Republican to have served as governor of Texas since Reconstruction. When Clements left office for good at the end of his second term in 1991, his eight years in office were the most served by any Texas governor until Rick Perry surpassed his total in 2009. Clements was the first governor to be elected to multiple terms since Texas changed its constitution in 1972 to extend its governor's term of office to four years. Since then, George W. Bush, Rick Perry, and Greg Abbott, also Republicans, have all won multiple terms. (Full article...)

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State symbols

Flower	Bluebonnet
Motto	Friendship
Nickname	The Lone Star State
Tree	Pecan
Dog	Blue Lacy
Bird	Mockingbird
Fish	Guadalupe bass
Flying Mammal	Mexican free-tailed bat
Reptile	Texas Horned Lizard

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Credit: Open Clip Art Library
The flag of Texas.

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Downtown Dallas

Dallas is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. Located in the state's northern region, it is the ninth-most populous city in the United States and third-most populous city in Texas, with a population of 1.3 million at the 2020 census. Along with the city of Fort Worth, Dallas anchors the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. and the most populous metropolitan area in Texas, at 8.5 million people. Dallas is a core city of the largest metropolitan area in the Southern U.S. and the largest inland metropolitan area in the U.S. that lacks any navigable link to the sea. It is the seat of Dallas County, covering nearly 386 square miles (1,000 km²) and extending into Collin, Denton, Kaufman, and Rockwall counties.

Both Dallas and nearby Fort Worth were initially developed as a product of the construction of major railroad lines through the area allowing access to cotton, cattle, and later oil in North and East Texas. The construction of the Interstate Highway System reinforced Dallas's prominence as a transportation hub, with four major interstate highways converging in the city and a fifth interstate loop around it. Dallas then developed as a strong industrial and financial center and a major inland port, due to the convergence of major railroad lines, interstate highways, and the construction of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, one of the largest and busiest airports in the world. In addition, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) operates rail and bus transit services throughout the city and its surrounding suburbs. (Full article...)

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General images

The following are images from various Texas-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Texas Counties and urban areas (from List of Texas metropolitan areas)
Image 2Territories of some Native American tribes in Texas ~1500CE (from History of Texas)
Image 3Mexican Texas in 1833 (from History of Texas)
Image 4René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle founded the French colony in Texas. (from History of Texas)
Image 5Sam Houston served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and seventh governor of Texas. (from History of Texas)
Image 6Kyle Field, a football stadium located on the campus of Texas A&M University, which is the largest stadium in Texas. (from Culture of Texas)
Image 7A plate of Texan barbecue including beef brisket, sausage, potato salad, toast and dill pickles, served at Goldee's Barbecue. (from Culture of Texas)
Image 8Boom periods of the four major industries that built the early Texas economy. (from History of Texas)
Image 9Spanish missions within the boundaries of what is now the state of Texas. (from History of Texas)
Image 10Company D, Texas Rangers, at Realitos in 1887 (from History of Texas)
Image 11The French flag of the Bourbons (from History of Texas)
Image 12Stephen F. Austin, known as the "Father of Texas." (from History of Texas)
Image 13McAllen (from List of Texas metropolitan areas)
Image 14The Republic of Texas. The present-day outlines of the U.S. states (white lines) are superimposed on the boundaries of 1836–1845. (from History of Texas)
Image 15A factory worker in Fort Worth, Texas, 1942 (from History of Texas)
Image 16“Music of the Plains” (mural study, Kilgore, Texas, 1939) by Xavier Gonzalez. (from Culture of Texas)
Image 17The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad – the "Katy" – was the first railroad to enter Texas from the north (from History of Texas)
Image 18French Texas in 1685 consisted of Fort St. Louis on Matagorda Bay. (from History of Texas)
Image 19Spanish Texas in 1794 (from History of Texas)
Image 20The Viceroyalty of New Spain in 1819 (from History of Texas)
Image 21First day of passenger service, Dallas & Sherman Interurban Railroad, 1908 (from History of Texas)
Image 22President John F. Kennedy in the presidential limousine, minutes before his assassination (from History of Texas)
Image 23The Spanish flag of Burgundy. (from History of Texas)
Image 24The "Lone Star" Belle, postcard, around 1908. (from Culture of Texas)
Image 25Texas in 1718, Guillaume de L'Isle map, approximate state area highlighted, northern boundary was indefinite. (from History of Texas)
Image 26Big Tex, the mascot of the State Fair of Texas since 1952 (from Culture of Texas)
Image 27Captain Charles A. May's squadron of the 2d Dragoons slashes through the Mexican Army lines. Resaca de la Palma, Texas, May 1846 (from History of Texas)
Image 281913 cotton harvest in East Texas (from History of Texas)
Image 29Mission Concepcion is one of the San Antonio missions which is part of a National Historic Landmark. (from History of Texas)
Image 30Austin (from List of Texas metropolitan areas)
Image 31Comancheria before 1850. (from History of Texas)
Image 32The U.S. and Texas flags at the Texas State Capitol. (from History of Texas)
Image 33The Praetorian Building in Dallas, completed 1909, was the first skyscraper west of the Mississippi and the tallest in Texas. (from History of Texas)