Difference between revisions of "Texas" - New World Encyclopedia

**State of Texas**
	State of Texas
Flag of Texas	Seal of Texas
	Nickname(s): The Lone Star State
	Motto(s): Friendship
Official language(s)	No official language; (see Languages spoken in Texas)
Capital	Austin
Largest city	Houston
Largest metro area	Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington
Area	Ranked 2nd
- Total	268,820 sq mi ; (696,241 km²)
- Width	773 miles (1,244 km)
- Length	790 miles (1,270 km)
- % water	2.5
- Latitude	25° 50′ N to 36° 30′ N
- Longitude	93° 31′ W to 106° 39′ W
Population	Ranked 2nd in the U.S.
- Total	23,904,380 (2007 est.)
- Density	79.6/sq mi (30.75/km2); Ranked 26th in the U.S. ;
Elevation
- Highest point	Guadalupe Peak; 8,749 ft (2,667 m)
- Mean	1,700 ft (520 m)
- Lowest point	Gulf of Mexico coast; 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)
Time zones
- most of state	Central: UTC-6/-5
- tip of West Texas	Mountain: UTC-7/-6
Abbreviations	TX Tex. US-TX
Web site	www.texasonline.com/

Revision as of 01:05, 26 November 2008

For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation).

Map of Texas, showing major cities and roads.

Texas (/ˈtɛksəs/ (help·info)) is a state located in the South Central United States nicknamed the Lone Star State. Austin is the state capital. Texas—the second largest U.S. state in both area and population—spans 268,820 square miles (696,200 km²) and has a growing population of 23.9 million. Houston is the state's largest city and fourth-largest in the United States, while the Dallas–Fort Worth ranks as the largest metropolitan area in Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States.

Traveling 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. These wide open spaces of the Texas prairie have lent currency to the phrase that "everything is bigger in Texas".^[7] 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. Historically and culturally, Texas is part of the American South. However, with its Spanish and Mexican roots, it can also be classified as Southwestern. While residents acknowledge these categories, many claim an independent "Texan" identity superseding regional labels.

The term "six flags over Texas" comes from the multiple countries that have claimed the territory. Spain was the first European country to claim the area of Texas. France held a short lived colony in Texas. Mexico owned the territory until 1836 when Texas won its independence becoming an independent Republic. In 1845 it joined the United States as the 28th state. The state's annexation helped set off a chain of events that caused the Mexican–American War in 1846 and the U.S. Civil War. Texas would also join the Confederate States of America as a charter member on March 1, 1861.

In the early 1900s, oil discoveries initiated an economic boom in the state. Texas has since economically diversified. It has a growing base in high technology, biomedical research and higher education. The state's gross state product ranks as the second-highest in the nation.

Etymology

Texas state welcome sign

The state's name derives from táysha, a word in the Caddoan language of the Hasinai, which means "allies" or "friends".^[2]^[8]^[9] The word "Texas" has many different manifestations in American English vernacular. Due to the state's large geographic size, the expression "Texas-sized" means "big".^[10]^[11] Many Texas-related words, including the term Tex-Mex, also use the prefix, "Tex".

History

Colonization

Alonso Álvarez de Pineda made the first documented European sighting of Texas in 1519.^[12]^[13] On November 6, 1528, shipwrecked Spanish conquistador Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca became the first known European in Texas.^[14]^[15] In 1685 René Robert Cavelier de La Salle established the first European community in Texas, the French colony of Fort Saint Louis.^[16] The colony, located along Matagorda Bay, lasted only four years before succumbing to harsh conditions and hostile natives.^[17]

Due to the perceived French encroachment, Spain established its first presence in Texas in 1691 constructing of missions in East Texas.^[18] The missions failed quickly, and Spain did not resettle Texas until two decades had passed.^[19] Spain returned to East Texas in 1716, establishing missions and a presidio to maintain a buffer between New Spain and the territory of Louisiana.^[20]^[21] Two years later, Spain established the first European civilian settlement in Texas, San Antonio.^[22]

Hostile native tribes and remoteness from New Spain discouraged settlers from moving to Texas and it remained one of New Spain's least populated provinces.^[23] The Lipan Apache often targeted San Antonio for raids.^[24] In 1749, the Spanish signed a peace treaty with the Apache,^[25] which resulted in raids by the enemies of the Apache, the Comanche, Tonkawa, and Hasinai tribes.^[26] The Comanche signed a treaty with Spain in 1785^[27] and later assisted in defeating the Lipan Apache and Karankawa tribes.^[28]^[29] 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 were not "Christianized".^[30]

The Louisiana Purchase by the United States caused a border dispute over Texas.^[31]^[32] The signing of the Adams-Onís Treaty, recognizing the Sabine River as Texas's eastern boundary, resolved the dispute in 1819.^[33]

Stephen F. Austin

In 1821, after the Mexican War of Independence, the territory became a part of the new country.^[34] Texas became the northern section of Coahuila y Tejas in 1824. Mexico ended the Spanish policy of allowing only full-blooded Spaniards to settle Texas. On January 3, 1823, after obtaining authorization by Governor Antonio María Martínez, Stephen F. Austin began a colony of 297 Anglo-American families known as the "Old Three Hundred" along the Brazos River.^[35] By 1830, the 30,000 Anglo settlers in Texas outnumbered Tejanos six to one.^[36]

Republic

The Convention of 1832 and the Convention of 1833 were responses to rising unrest at policies of the Mexican government. Delegates feared the end of duty-free imports from the United States and the threat of ending slavery.^[37] In 1835, Antonio López de Santa Anna, President of Mexico, enacted a unified constitution for Mexico which created a centralized government with power concentrated in the President, and turned states into provinces with governors appointed from Mexico City.^[37] States around Spain rebelled against this imposition, including Chihuahua, Zacatecas and Yucatan.^[38] Texans also resented policies such as the forcible disarmament of settlers, and the expulsion of immigrants and legal landowners originally from the United States.

Republic of Texas. The present-day outlines of the U.S. states superimposed on the boundaries of 1836–1845

On March 2, 1836, the Convention of 1836 signed a Declaration of Independence.^[39]^[40] On April 21, 1836, the Texans—led by General Sam Houston—won their independence at the Battle of San Jacinto. Santa Anna's capture led to the Treaties of Velasco. Mexico repudiated the treaties and vowed to reconquer Texas. 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.^[38]

Most Texans supported annexation of their Republic into the United States. Events such as the Dawson Massacre and two recaptures of Béxar in Texas of 1842 added urgency to the desire for statehood.^[41] However, strong abolitionist opposition to adding a slave state blocked Texas's admission until pro-annexation James K. Polk won the election of 1844. On December 29, 1845, Congress admitted Texas to the U.S. as a constituent state of the Union.^[42] The Mexican–American War followed, with decisive victories by the U.S.^[43] The Compromise of 1850 set Texas's boundaries at their present form. Texas ceded land which later became half of present day New Mexico, a third of Colorado, and small portions of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming, in return for the federal government's assumption of $10 million of the old republic's debt.^[44] Post-war Texas grew rapidly as migrants poured into the cotton lands of the state.^[45]

Civil War and Reconstruction

File:Glory to the defeated - dignified resignation.jpg

Civil war monument in Galveston, Texas

The Confederate States of America accepted Texas as a charter member on March 1, 1861.^[46]^[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. Texan regiments fought in every major battle throughout the war.^[47] In mid-1863 the Union capture of the Mississippi River cut Texas supply lines to the eastern parts of the Confederacy. Texas hosted the last battle of the Civil War, the Palmito Ranch on May 13, 1865.^[48]

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. Violence also marked the early months of Reconstruction.^[49] Juneteenth commemorates the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19, 1865 in Galveston by General Gordon Granger, over 2–1/2 years after the original announcement.^[50]^[51] President Johnson, on August 20, 1866, declared that civilian government restored in Texas.^[52] Despite not meeting reconstruction requirements, on March 30, 1870 Congress readmitted Texas into the Union.^[53] Social volatility continued as the state struggled with agricultural depression and labor issues.

Modern era

Spindletop

The first major oil well in Texas was Spindletop, south of Beaumont, on January 10, 1901. Other fields were later discovered nearby in East Texas, West Texas, and under the Gulf of Mexico. The resulting “Oil Boom” permanently transformed the economy of Texas.^[54] Oil production eventually averaged three million barrels per day at its peak in 1972;^[55] the resulting royalties provided a considerable source of income to the Permanent University Fund for Texas' public universities.

The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl dealt a double blow to the state's economy, which had significantly improved since the Civil War. 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 Northern United States or California and to escape the oppression of segregation.^[56] With increased immigration from other sources, although the numbers of African Americans increased, their proportion of population decreased from 20.4 percent in 1900 to 12.4 percent in 1960.^[56]

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 comprehensive plan for higher education, a different distribution of resources, and a central state apparatus designed to manage state institutions more efficiently. These changes helped Texas universities receive federal research funds during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.^[57]

Geography

El Capitán

Texas is located at the southernmost part of the Great Plains, which ends in the south against the folded Sierra Madre Oriental of Mexico. It is in the south-central part of the United States of America.

Texas' size and unique history makes its regional affiliation 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. 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 Rio Grande, Red River and Sabine River form 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. The state's Texas Panhandle has an eastern border with Oklahoma at 100° W, a northern border with Oklahoma at 36°30' N and a western border with New Mexico at 103° W. El Paso lies on the state's western tip at 32° N and the Rio Grande.^[44]

Geology

File:LlanoEstacadoShadedRelief.jpg

Shaded Relief Map of the Llano Estacado

Texas is the southernmost part of the Great Plains, which ends in the south against the folded Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico. The continental crust forms a stable Mesoproterozoic craton which changes across a broad continental margin and transitional crust into true oceanic crust of the Gulf of Mexico. 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. Sedimentary rocks overlay most of these ancient rocks. The oldest sediments were deposited on the flanks of a rifted continental margin, or passive margin that developed during Cambrian time. This margin existed until Laurasia and Gondwana collided in the Pennsylvanian era to form Pangea. This is the buried crest of the Appalachian Mountains—Ouachita Mountains zone of Pennsylvanian continental collision. This orogenic crest is today buried beneath the Dallas—Waco—Austin—San Antonio trend.

The late Paleozoic mountains collapsed as rifting in the Jurassic era began to open the Gulf of Mexico. 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 shoreline shifted again to the eastern margin of the state and the Gulf of Mexico passive margin began to form. Today 9 miles (14 km) to 12 miles (19 km) of sediments are buried beneath the Texas continental shelf and a large proportion of remaining US oil reserves are located here. 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. These salt deposits formed salt dome diapirs, and are found in East Texas, along the Gulf coast.^[58]

East Texas outcrops consist of Cretaceous and Paleogene sediments which contain important deposits of Eocenelignite. The Mississippian and 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 contain oil. Oligocene volcanic rocks are found in far west Texas, in the Big Bend area. A blanket of Miocene sediments known as the Ogallala formation in the western high plains region is an important aquifer.^[59] Located far from an active plate tectonic boundary, Texas has no volcanoes and few earthquakes.^[60]

Climate

Snow on Franklin Mountains & El Paso, causes a closure of Transmountain Highway

The large size of Texas and its location at the intersection of multiple climate zones gives the state very variable weather. The Panhandle of the state has colder winters 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.^[61] 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. Night time summer temperatures range from the upper 50s °F (14 °C) in the West Texas mountains^[62] to 80 °F (27 °C) in Galveston.^[63]

Thunderstorms strike Texas often, especially the eastern and northern portion of the state. Tornado Alley covers the northern section of Texas. The state experiences the most tornadoes in the Union, an average of 139 a year. These strike most frequently in North Texas and the Panhandle.^[64] Tornadoes in Texas generally occur in the months of April, May, and June.^[65]

Some of the most destructive hurricanes in U.S. history have impacted Texas. A hurricane in 1875 killed approximately 400 people in Indianola, followed by another hurricane in 1886 that destroyed the town, at the time the most important port city in the state. This allowed Galveston to take over as the chief port city, the Galveston hurricane of 1900 subsequently devastated that city killing approximately 8,000 people (possibly as many as 12,000), making it the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Other devastating Texas hurricanes include the 1915 Galveston Hurricane, Hurricane Audrey in 1957, which killed over 600 people, Hurricane Carla in 1961, Hurricane Beulah in 1967, Hurricane Alicia in 1983, Hurricane Rita in 2005, and Hurricane Ike in 2008.^[66]

Texas emits the most greenhouse gases in the US.^[67]^[68]^[69] The state's emits nearly 1.5 trillion pounds (680 billion kg) of carbon dioxide annually. As an independent nation Texas would rank as the world's seventh-largest producer of greenhouse gases.^[68]^[70]^[71] Causes of the state's vast greenhouse gas emissions include the state's large number of coal power plants and the state's refining and manufacturing industries.^[68]

Demographics

Texas Population Density Map

As of 2006, the state has an estimated population of 23,507,783, an increase of 2.5% 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.^[2] As of 2004, the state had 3.5 million foreign-born residents (15.6 percent of the state population), of which an estimated 1.2 million are illegal immigrants. Texas from 2000–2006 had the fastest growing illegal immigration rate in the nation.^[72] Because of a strong labor market, from 1995–2000, Texas also is a receiving state of black college graduates from the New Great Migration - the return of African Americans to the South.^[73]

Racial group and ethnic origins

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

48.9% White non-Hispanic
- German (10.9%)
- English (7.2%)
- Scots-Irish (7.2%)
35.7% total Hispanic or Latino^[5]
11.6% African American
3.3% Asian American
0.6% American Indian
13% other racial groups

The annual Houston International Festival spotlights a different culture each year

German descendants inhabit much of central and southeast-central Texas. Recently, the Asian population in Texas has grown—primarily in Houston and Dallas. Over one-third of Texas residents are of Hispanic origin;^[5] many have recently arrived, while some Tejanos have ancestors with multigenerational ties to 18th century Texas. In addition to the descendents of the state's former slave population, many African Americans college graduates have come in the New Great Migration.^[73]

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. Currently, three federally recognized Native American tribes reside in Texas: the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe, the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe, and the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo.^[74]

Religion

Lakewood Church interior

Texas resides in the socially conservative Evangelical Protestant Bible Belt, and has the highest percentage of people with a religious affiliation in the United States.^[75] Dallas-Fort Worth, home to three major evangelical seminaries, has several megachurches, including Fellowship Church, Potter's House and Prestonwood Baptist Church. Houston is home to the largest "church" in the nation, Lakewood Church. Lubbock, according to local lore, has the most churches per capita in the nation.^[75]

In 2000, the religious demographics of Texas were:^[76]

Evangelical Protestant – 24.4%
Mainline Protestant – 8.1%
Roman Catholic – 21.0%
Judaism – 0.6%
Eastern Orthodox – 0.1%
Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Muslim, others; 2.0%
Other, or non religious – 44.5%

The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Roman Catholic Church with 4,368,969; the Southern Baptist Convention with 3,519,459; and the United Methodist Church with 1,022,342.^[76] Also, approximately 400,000 Muslims live in Texas.^[77]

Cities and towns

Dallas

As of 2000, six incorporated places in Texas have populations greater than 500,000, two of which are global cities: Houston and Dallas.^[78] Texas has a total of 25 metropolitan areas, with four having populations over 1 million and two over 5 million. Texas has the most cities, three, with populations exceeding 1 million: Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas.^[79] These three rank among the 10 largest cities of the United States. Austin, Fort Worth, and El Paso rank among the top 25 largest U.S. cities. 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) forms the Texas Urban Triangle region. The region contains most of the state's largest cities and metropolitan areas, as well as nearly 75 percent of Texas's total population.^[80]

In contrast to the cities, Texas has rural, unincorporated settlements called colonias with often lack basic infrastructure and are marked by poverty.^[81] As of 2007, Texas had at least 2,294 colonias, located primarily along the state's 1,248-mile (2,008 km) border with Mexico.^[81] In total, Texas has the largest concentration of people, approximately 400,000, living in colonias.

Government and politics

The Texas Constitution, adopted in 1876, like many states, explicitly provides separation of powers. Much longer than its federal counterpart, the state's Bill of Rights has provisions unique to Texas.^[82]

State government

Texas State Capitol

Texas has a plural executive branch system which limits the power of the Governor. Except for the Secretary of State, voters elect executive officers independently making candidates directly answerable to the public, not the Governor.^[83] This election system has led to some executive branches split between parties. When Republican President George W. Bush served as Texas's governor, the state had a Democratic Lieutenant Governor, Bob Bullock. 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.^[83]

The bicameral Texas Legislature consists of the House of Representatives, with 150 members, and a Senate, with 31 members. The Speaker of the House leads the House, and the Lieutenant Governor, the Senate.^[84] The Legislature meets in regular session biennially, but the Governor can call for special sessions as often as desired.^[85] The state's fiscal year spans from the previous calendar year's September 1 to the current year's August 31. Thus, the FY 2008 dates from September 1, 2007 through August 31, 2008.

The judicial system of Texas is one of the most complex in the United States, with many layers and overlapping jurisdictions. Texas has two courts of last resort: the Texas Supreme Court, for civil cases, and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Except for some municipal benches, partisan elections select judges at all levels of the judiciary; the Governor fills vacancies by appointment.^[86] Although only capital murder is eligible for the death penalty, Texas leads the nation in executions, 400, from 1982 to 2007.^[87] 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.

Politics

Lyndon B. Johnson, Texan and 36th president of the United States

Like in other "Solid South" states, whites resented the Republican Party after the American Civil War. After regaining power near the end of Reconstruction, the Democratic Party held a monolithic political presence in Texas until the late 20th century. When President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, he reportedly said "We have lost the South for a generation".^[88] Scholars attribute the change to the success of Nixon's Southern Strategy.

As of the general elections of 2008, a large majority the members of Texas's U.S. House delegation are Republican, and both U.S. Senators are Republicans. In the 111th United States Congress, Of the 32 congressional districts in Texas, 20 are held by Republicans and 12 by Democrats. Texas' Senators are Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn. Since 1994, Texans have not elected a Democrat to a statewide office. The state's Democratic presence comes primarily from minority groups and urban voters, particularly in Austin, San Antonio, and Houston.

The Texas political atmosphere leans towards fiscal and social conservatism.^[89]^[90] Since 1980, most of Texas voters have supported Republican Presidential candidates. In 2000 and 2004, Republican George W. Bush won Texas with 60.1% of the vote due in part to his a "favorite son" status as a the Governor of the state. John McCain won the state in 2008, but in a smaller margin compared to Bush (55%-44%). Austin consistently leans Democratic in both local and statewide elections. Houston and Dallas remains approximately split. Counties along the Rio Grande often vote Democratic.^[91]^[92]

Administrative divisions

File:Texas counties map.gif

Map outlining 254 counties of Texas

Texas has 32 congressional districts, the second-most after California. There are 254 counties—the most nationwide. Each county runs on Commissioners' Court system consisting of four elected commissioners and a county judge. County government runs similar to a "weak" mayor-council system; the county judge has no veto authority, but votes along with the other commissioners.

Texas does not allow consolidated city-county governments, nor does it have metropolitan governments. The state permits cities and counties to enter "interlocal agreements" to share services. Counties are not granted home rule status; their powers are strictly defined by state law. The state does not have townships— areas within a county are either incorporated or unincorporated. Incorporated areas are part of a municipality. The county provides limited services to unincorporated areas. Municipalities are classified either "general law" cities or "home rule".^[93] A municipality may elect home rule status once it exceeds 5,000 population with voter approval. Municipal elections are nonpartisan.^[94]

Economy

The Johnson Space Center

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. Since the discovery of oil, the state's economy reflected the state of the petroleum industry. 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 associated with urban sprawl.^[95]

Texas has a "low taxes, low services" reputation.^[89] According the Tax Foundation, Texan's state and local tax burdens rank among the lowest in the nation, 7th lowest nationally, with state and local taxes costing $3,580 per capita, or 8.7% of resident incomes.^[96] Texas, along with only 6 other states, does not have a state income tax.^[96]^[97] The state has a sales tax rate, 6.25%, above the national medium, with many localities adding to this percentage.^[96] As for Texas's business tax climate, the state ranks 8th in the nation.^[96] While Texas does not have state property taxes, local versions generally rate above the national average.^[96] Texas is a "tax donor state"; in 2005, for every dollar Texans pay to the federal government in federal income taxes, the state receives back approximately $0.94 in benefits back.^[96]

In 2004, the Site Selection magazine ranked Texas as the most business friendly state in the nation. A big reason for this ranking comes from the state's three billion dollar, Texas Enterprise Fund.^[98] In the fourth quarter of 2006, Texas had a gross state product of $1.09 trillion, the second highest in the U.S.^[99]^[100] Gross state product per capita as of 2005 was $42,975. The state holds the most Fortune 500 company headquarters in the United States.^[101]^[102]

Agriculture and mining

A Texas longhorn

Agriculturally, Texas has the most farms both in number and acreage in the United States.^[103] Texas leads the nation livestock production.^[103] Cattle is the state's most valuable agricultural product, but the state also leads nationally in production of sheep and goat products. Texas leads as king of cotton leading that nation in production of its leading crop and second-most-valuable farm product.^[103] The state also grows significant amounts of cereal crops and produce.^[103] Texas also has a large commercial fishing industry. With mineral resources, Texas leads in creating cement, crushed stone, lime, salt, sand and gravel.^[103]

Energy

An oil well

According to the Energy Information Administration, Texans consume the most energy in the nation both in per capita and as a whole.^[104] Since 2002, Texas deregulated its electric service.

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. Until the 1970s, the commission had enormous control the price of petroleum because of its ability to regulate Texas's 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.^[105]

The state has known petroleum deposits of about 5 billion barrels (790,000,000 m³), which makes up approximately one-fourth of the known U.S. reserves.^[104] Texas refineries can process 4.6 million barrels (730,000 m³) of oil a day.^[104] With well depletion in the eastern portions of the state, drilling in state has moved westward.^[103] Several petroleum companies are based in Texas such as: Conoco-Phillips, Exxon-Mobil, Halliburton, Valero, and Marathon Oil.

Texas leads in natural gas production producing one-fourth of the nation's supply.^[104]

The state also leads in renewable energy sources producing the most wind power nationwide.^[104]^[106]

Technology

Electronic Data Systems headquarters in Plano, Texas.

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 Austin area is nicknamed the "Silicon Hills" and the north Dallas area the "Silicon Prairie". Texas has the headquarters of many high technology companies, such as Dell, Inc., Texas Instruments, Perot Systems, AT&T, and Electronic Data Systems (EDS). As for emerging technologies, in 2008, FierceBiotech ranked Texas as one of the top five biotechnology states.^[107]

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC), operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), located in Southeast Houston, sits as the crown jewel of Texas's aeronautics industry. Fort Worth, Texas hosts both Lockheed Martin's Aeronautics division and Bell Helicopter Textron.^[108]^[109] Lockheed builds the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the largest Western fighter program, and its successor, the F-35 Lightning II in Fort Worth.^[110]

Commerce

Texas's affluence stimulates a strong commercial sector consisting of retail, wholesale, banking and insurance, and construction industries. Examples of Fortune 500 companies not based on Texas traditional industries are: AT&T, Men's Warehouse, Landry's Restaurants, Kimberly-Clark, Blockbuster, Whole Foods Market, and Tenet Healthcare.^[111] Nationally, the Dallas–Fort Worth area, home to the second shopping center ever built in the United States, Highland Park Village, has the most shopping centers per capita than any metropolitan area.^[112]

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) contributes to Mexico, the state's largest trading partner, importing a third of the state's exports. NAFTA has encouraged the formation of controversial maquiladoras on the Texas/Mexico border.^[113]

Transportation

Texans have historically had difficulties traversing Texas due to the state's large size and rough terrain. Texas has compensated by building both the America's largest highway and railway systems in terms of mileage, as well as the largest number of airports.^[114] The regulatory authority, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), "work[s] cooperatively to provide safe, effective and efficient movement of people and goods."^[115] Though most widely known for maintenance of the state's immense highway system, the agency also regulates aviation,^[116] and public transportation systems.^[117]

Texas's central location within the North American continent has made it an important transportation hub. From the Dallas/Fort Worth area, trucks can reach 93 percent of the nation's population within 48 hours, and 37 percent within 24.^[118] Texas benefits from its central location between four of the continent's major economic centers: New York, Los Angeles, Mexico City, and Toronto.^[118] Texas has the most foreign trade zones (FTZ), in the nation, 33.^[119] In 2004 a combined total of $298 billion of goods passed though Texas FTZ's.^[119]

Highways

I-10 and I-45 interchange in Houston

Texans have heavily traveled their freeways since the 1948 opening of the Gulf Freeway in Houston.^[120] As of 2005 79,535 miles (127,999 km) of public highway crisscrossed Texas (up from 71,000 miles (114,263 km) in 1984).^[121] There are currently 17 toll roads in Texas, with several additional tollways proposed.^[122] In the west Texas, both I-10 and I-20 have speed limits of 80 miles per hour (130 km/h), the highest in the nation.^[123]

Airports

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport

Texas has the most airports of any state in the nation.^[114] Largest of these is Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), the second largest in the United States, and fourth largest in the world.^[124] In traffic, DFW is the busiest in the state, fourth in the United States,^[125] and sixth worldwide.^[126] The airport serves 135 domestic destinations and 40 international. AMR Corporations American / American Eagle, the world's largest airline in total passengers-miles transported^[127] and passenger fleet size,^[128] uses DFW as its largest and main hub.

Texas's second-largest air facility Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) serves as Houston based Continental Airlines's largest hub. IAH offers service to the most Mexican destinations of any U.S. airport.^[129]^[130] IAH ranks third among U.S. airports with scheduled non-stop domestic and international service.^[129]

Southwest Airlines, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, began its operations at Dallas Love Field.^[131] It ranks as 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.^[132] The Wright Amendment of 1979, limits the airline's growth from its original hub.^[133]

Ports

File:PortofHouston.jpg

Port of Houston.

Over 1,000 seaports dot Texas's coast with over 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of channels.^[134] Ports employ nearly one-million people and handle an average of 317 million metric tons.^[135] Texas ports connect with the rest of the US Atlantic seaboard with the Gulf section of the Intracoastal Waterway.^[134] Galveston served as the state's primary port until the hurricane of 1900. With the completion of the Houston Ship Channel in 1919, 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 in tonnage.^[136] The Houston Ship Channel currently spans 530 feet (160 m) wide by 45 feet (14 m) deep by 50 miles (80 km) long.^[137]

Railroads

File:METRORail 5.jpg

METRORail in Houston

Part of the state's tradition originates from cattle drives in which wranglers herded livestock to railroads in Kansas. The first railroad in Texas completed in 1872, the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, diminished the need for these drives. Since 1911, Texas has led the nation in railroad length. Railroads led Texas cities to develop radially. Texas railway mileage peaked in 1932 at 17,078 miles (27,484 km), but declined to 14,006 miles (22,540 km) by 2000.^[114] The Railroad Commission of Texas, originally regulated state railroads, but in 2005, the state reassigned these duties to TxDOT.^[138]

Both Dallas and Houston feature light rail systems. Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) built the first light rail system in the Southwest United States.^[139] The commuter rail service, the Trinity Railway Express (TRE), links Fort Worth and Dallas, provided by the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (the T) and DART.^[140] The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) operates lines in the Houston area.

Amtrak provides Texas limited intercity passenger rail service both in size and frequency. Just three scheduled routes serve the state: the daily Texas Eagle (Chicago–San Antonio); the tri-weekly Sunset Limited (New Orleans–Los Angeles), with stops in Texas; and the daily Heartland Flyer (Fort Worth–Oklahoma City). Past attempts to create a Texas high-speed rail system have met many obstacles.^[141]

Culture

File:Big Tex.JPG

Big Tex has presided over every Texas State Fair since 1952

Historically, Texas culture comes from a blend of Southwestern (Mexican), Southern (Dixie), and Western (frontier) influences. A popular food item, the breakfast burrito, draws from all three influences, having a soft flour tortilla wrapped around bacon and scrambled eggs or other hot, cooked fillings. Adding to Texas's traditional culture, established in the 18th and 19th Centuries, immigration has made Texas a melting pot of cultures from around the world.

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.^[142] Known for the vibrancy of its visual and performing arts, the Houston Theatre District—a 17-block area in the heart of Downtown Houston—ranks 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.^[142]

Founded in 1892, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, also called "The Modern", is Texas's oldest art museum. Fort Worth also has 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 Arts District of Downtown Dallas has 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.^[143]

Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in Houston

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 name Deep Ellum comes from local people pronouncing "Deep Elm" as "Deep Ellum".^[144] Artists such as Blind Lemon Jefferson, Robert Johnson, Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter, and Bessie Smith played in early Deep Ellum clubs.^[145]

Austin, the The Live Music Capital of the World, boasts the most venues per capita citywise.^[146] The city's music revolves around the nightclubs on 6th Street and events like the film, music, and multimedia festivals, South by Southwest. The longest-running concert music program on American television, Austin City Limits and its similarly named music festival run at Zilker Park.^[147]

Over the past couple of decades, San Antonio has evolved into the "Nashville of Tejano music." The Tejano Music Awards have provided a forum to create greater awareness and appreciation for Tejano music and culture.^[148]

Sports

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

Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, home of the Texas Rangers

While American football has long been considered “king” in the state, Texans today enjoy a wide variety of sports.^[149] Texans have a plethora of professional sports teams to cheer for. Texas has two NFL teams, the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans; 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. Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area is one of only thirteen American cities that hosts sports teams from all the "Big Four" professional leagues. Other professional teams include the Arena Football League, and Major League Soccer, and the Mexican 1st Division.

Collegiate athletics have deep significance in Texas culture. The state has the most Division I-FBS schools in America, ten. The four largest programs in the state, the Baylor Bears, Texas A&M Aggies, Texas Longhorns, and Texas Tech Red Raiders, belong to the Big 12 Conference. 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, ranks the third best in the nation.^[150] A fierce rivalry, the Lone Star Showdown, also exists between the two state's largest universities, Texas A&M University and the University of Texas.

File:Lone Star Showdown 2006 McGee on goal-line.jpg

2006 Lone Star Showdown football game at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium

Collegiate teams nationwide see Texas as an American Football recruiting hotbed. In 2006, 170 players in the NFL came from Texas high schools.^[151] The University Interscholastic League (UIL) organizes most primary and secondary school competitions. Events organized by UIL include athletics as well as the arts and academic subjects such as mathematics.^[152]

Texans also enjoy the rodeo. The annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the largest rodeo in the world, begins with trail rides that originate from several points throughout the state, that convene at Reliant Park. On July 4, 1883, Pecos, Texas hosted the world’s first rodeo.^[153] The Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show in Fort Worth, Texas has a cowboy, a Mexican and many traditional rodeos. Dallas hosts the State Fair of Texas each year at Fair Park.^[154]

Healthcare

The Commonwealth Fund ranks the Texas healthcare system the third worst in the nation.^[155] Texas ranks close to last in access to healthcare, quality of care, avoidable hospital spending, and equity among various groups.^[155] Causes of the state's poor rankings include: politics, a high poverty rate, and illegal immigration, Texas having the highest rate in the nation.^[72] 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.^[156] Texas also has controversial non-economic damages caps for medical malpractice lawsuits, set at $250,000, in an attempt to "curb rising malpractice premiums, and control escalating healthcare costs".^[157]

The Trust for America's Health ranked Texas 15th highest adult obesity rate, 27.2 percent.^[158] 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.^[159] Texas had only city Austin, ranked 21st, in the top 25 among the "fittest cities" in America.^[159] The same survey has evaluated the state's obesity initiatives favorably with a "B+".^[159]

Medical research

Aerial of Texas Medical Center in Houston

Many elite research medical centers reside in Texas. The state has eight medical schools,^[160] three dental schools,^[161] and one optometry school.^[162] Texas has two Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) laboratories: one at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston,^[163] and the other at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research in San Antonio—the first privately owned BSL-4 lab in the United States.^[164]

The Texas Medical Center, in Houston, holds the world's largest concentration of research and healthcare institutions, with 45 member institutions.^[165] Texas Medical Center performs the most heart transplants in the world.^[166] San Antonio's South Texas Medical Center facilities rank sixth in clinical medicine research impact in the United States^[167] with the University of Texas Health Science Center being another highly ranked research and educational institution.^[168]^[169] Also in Houston, highly regarded academic institution, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, centers around cancer patient care, research, education and prevention.^[170]

Both the American Heart Association and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center call Dallas home. The Southwestern Medical Center ranks "among the top academic medical centers in the world".^[171] The institution's medical school employs the most medical school Nobel laureates in the world.^[172]^[171]

Education

The American Legislative Exchange Council ranked Texas 26 among the 50 states for education in 2007. Texas students ranked higher than average in 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. Texas paid instructors $38,130, below the national average. The state provided 89.22% of the funding for education, the federal government 10.8%.^[173]

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) administers the state's public school systems. Texas has over 1,000 school districts—all districts except the Stafford Municipal School District are independent from municipal government and many cross city boundaries.^[174] School districts have the power to tax their residents and to assert eminent domain over privately owned property. Due to court-mandated equitable school financing for school districts, the state has a controversial tax redistribution system called the"Robin Hood plan". This plan transfers property tax revenue from wealthy school districts to poor ones.^[175] The TEA has no authority over private or home school activities.^[176]

Texas students take the standardized test, the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), both in primary and secondary school. TAKS assess students' attainment of reading, writing, math, science, and social studies skills required under Texas education standards and the No Child Left Behind Act. In spring 2007, Texas legislators replaced the TAKS for freshmen in the 2011–2012 school year and onward with End of Course exams for core high school classes.^[177]

Colleges and universities

Further information: List of colleges and universities in Texas

Southern Methodist University in Dallas

The second president of the Republic of Texas, Mirabeau B. Lamar, is called the Father of Texas Education. During his term, the state set aside three leagues of land for each county for equipping public schools. An additional 50 leagues of land set aside for the support of two universities would later become the basis of the state’s Permanent University Fund. Lamar's actions set the foundation for a Texas-wide public school system.^[178] Discoveries of valuable minerals, principally oil, on this land is basis of the state’s two largest university systems, the University of Texas System and the Texas A&M University System. The PUF principal in fall 2005 was approximately $15 billion, second in size only to Harvard University's endowment.^[179]

In addition to the state's two Permanent University Fund university systems, Texas has four other state university systems and four independent public universities.^[180]^[181] These University systems are the University of Houston, University of North Texas, Texas State, and Texas Tech. 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. The bill encourages diversity while avoiding problems stemming from the Hopwood v. Texas (1996) case.

The University of Texas and Texas A&M University are flagship universities of the state of Texas. Both were established by the Texas Constitution and hold stakes in the Permanent University Fund. The state is considering expanding the number of flagship universities by elevating some of its emerging research universities—such as University of Houston and Texas Tech University.^[182]

While Texas did not form public universities until its statehood, the former republic chartered two private universities: Baylor University and Southwestern University.^[183]^[184] Other prominent private institutions include Rice University in Houston, Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, and Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Universities in Texas currently host two presidential libraries: George Bush Presidential Library at Texas A&M University and the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum at the University of Texas. An agreement has been reached to create a third; the George W. Bush Presidential Library at Southern Methodist University.

Footnotes

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↑ About MD Anderson (HTML). The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
↑ ^171.0 ^171.1 About UT Southwestern (HTML). University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
↑ UT Southwestern Fact Sheet (PDF). University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (2008). Retrieved 2008-04-28.
↑ Texas (PDF). 2007 Report Card on American Education. American Legislative Exchange Council (2007). Retrieved 2008-10-14.
↑ Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn (2003-09-16). Comptroller Strayhorn to Review Stafford Municipal School District. (HTML) Press release. Retrieved on 2008-06-28.
↑ Saghaye-Biria, Hakimeh (2001-04-22). Robin Hood Plan is Working. World Internet News Cooperative. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
↑ Home School Information Letter. Texas Education Agency. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
↑ Texas Education Agency, , ""End-of-Course (EOC) Assessments: Implementation"", Assessment Division, 2007-10-22. Retrieved 2007-10-22.
↑ Hendrickson (1995), p. 37.
↑ 2007 NACUBO Endowment Study (PDF). National Association of College and University Business Officers. Retrieved 2008-11-12.
↑ Error on call to template:cite web: Parameters url and title must be specifiedHeath, Ben (2003-07-07). (PDF). Daily Texan. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
↑ Senate Subcommittee on Higher Education Testimony Regarding the Benefits of a Stand Alone Institution (PDF). Sam Houston State University (2008-06-25). Retrieved 2008-10-12.
↑ Venable, Amanda, "Texas State not considered for top-tier status", The University Star. Retrieved 2008-11-12.
↑ About Baylor. Baylor University. Retrieved 2008-05-21.
↑ Southwestern History. Southwestern University. Retrieved 2008-10-12.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

Chipman, Donald E. (1992), Spanish Texas, 1519–1821, Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, ISBN 0292776594
Hendrickson, Kenneth E., Jr. (1995), The Chief of Executives of Texas: From Stephen F. Austin to John B. Connally, Jr., College Station, Texas: Texas A&M University Press, ISBN 0890966419
Weber, David J. (1992), The Spanish Frontier in North America, New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, ISBN 0300051980
Weddle, Robert S. (1995), Changing Tides: Twilight and Dawn in the Spanish Sea, 1763–1803, College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, ISBN 0890966613

External links


History of Texas
Spanish Texas
Mexican Texas
Republic of Texas
State of Texas
Slavery

State Government

The State of Texas
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.
Texas Politics. An online textbook from the College of Liberal Arts, The University of Texas.

U.S. Government

Other

The Texas State History Museum
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
Travel guide to Texas from Wikitravel
South and West Texas: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary

	State of Texas Austin (capital)
Topics	Climate \| Culture \| Demographics \| Economy \| Education \| Geography \| Government \| History \| Languages \| Politics \| Texans \| Transportation \| Symbols
Regions	Ark‑La‑Tex \| Big Bend \| Blackland Prairies \| Brazos Valley \| Central Texas \| Coastal Bend \| Cross Timbers \| Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex \| Deep East Texas \| East Texas \| Edwards Plateau \| Galveston Bay \| Golden Triangle \| Greater Houston \| Llano Estacado \| Longview–Marshall \| Northeast Texas \| North Texas \| Osage Plains \| Permian Basin \| Piney Woods \| Rio Grande Valley \| Southeast Texas \| South Plains \| South Texas \| Texas Hill Country \| Texas Panhandle \| West Texas
Metropolitan Areas	Abilene \| Amarillo \| Austin–Round Rock \| Beaumont–Port Arthur \| Brownsville–Harlingen \| College Station–Bryan \| Corpus Christi \| Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington \| El Paso \| Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown \| Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood \| Laredo \| Longview \| Lubbock \| McAllen–Edinburg–Mission \| Midland–Odessa \| San Angelo \| San Antonio \| Sherman–Denison \| Texarkana \| Tyler \| Victoria \| Waco \| Wichita Falls
Counties	See: List of Texas counties

Political divisions of the United States

States	Alabama \| Alaska \| Arizona \| Arkansas \| California \| Colorado \| Connecticut \| Delaware \| Florida \| Georgia \| Hawaii \| Idaho \| Illinois \| Indiana \| Iowa \| Kansas \| Kentucky \| Louisiana \| Maine \| Maryland \| Massachusetts \| Michigan \| Minnesota \| Mississippi \| Missouri \| Montana \| Nebraska \| Nevada \| New Hampshire \| New Jersey \| New Mexico \| New York \| North Carolina \| North Dakota \| Ohio \| Oklahoma \| Oregon \| Pennsylvania \| Rhode Island \| South Carolina \| South Dakota \| Tennessee \| Texas \| Utah \| Vermont \| Virginia \| Washington \| West Virginia \| Wisconsin \| Wyoming
Federal district	District of Columbia
Insular areas	American Samoa \| Baker Island \| Guam \| Howland Island \| Jarvis Island \| Johnston Atoll \| Kingman Reef \| Midway Atoll \| Navassa Island \| Northern Mariana Islands \| Palmyra Atoll \| Puerto Rico \| Virgin Islands \| Wake Island

Template:Six flags of Texas Template:Confederate States of America Coordinates: 31°N 100°W / 31, -100

Credits

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Texas ^history

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

History of "Texas"

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.

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-{{Ready}}
+{{otheruses}}
-{{US state
+{{Infobox U.S. state
- | Name = Texas
+|Name           = Texas
- | Fullname = State of Texas
+|Fullname       = State of Texas
- | Former = Republic of Texas
+|Former         = Republic of Texas
- | Former_flag = Previous flag of Texas.svg
+|Flag            = Flag of Texas.svg
- | Flag = Flag of Texas.svg
+|Flaglink        = [[Flag of Texas]]
- | Flaglink = [[Flag of Texas]]
+|Seal            = State Seal of Texas.svg
-  | Map = Map_of_USA_TX.svg
+|Seallink        = [[Seal of Texas]]
- | Nickname = Lone Star State
+|Map             = Map_of_USA_TX.svg
- | Motto = Friendship.
+|Nickname       = The [[Lone Star]] State
- | Capital =  [[Austin, Texas|Austin]]
+|Motto           = Friendship
- | demonym = Texan
+|Demonym        = [[Texan]]
- | LargestCity =  [[Houston, Texas|Houston]]
+|Capital         = [[Austin, Texas|Austin]]
- | LargestMetro = [[Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex|Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington]]<ref>http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/CBSA-est2006-pop-chg.html</ref>
+|LargestCity     = [[Houston]]
- | Governor = [[Rick Perry]] (R)
+|LargestMetro   = [[Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex|Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington]]<ref name="US Census">{{cite web |date=2007-04-04 |year=2007 |title=Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area Estimates |publisher=US Census |url=http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/CBSA-est2006-pop-chg.html |accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref>
- | Senators = [[Kay Bailey Hutchison]] (R)<br/> [[John Cornyn]] (R)
+|Governor       = [[Rick Perry]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])
- | PostalAbbreviation = TX
+|Lieutenant Governor = [[David Dewhurst]] (R)
- | TradAbbreviation = Tex.
+|Senators       = [[Kay Bailey Hutchison]] (R)<br/>[[John Cornyn]] (R)
- | OfficialLang = No official language<br/>''See [[Languages spoken in Texas|languages of Texas]]''
+|PostalAbbreviation = TX
- | AreaRank = 2<sup>nd</sup>
+|TradAbbreviation = Tex.
- | TotalAreaUS = 261,797
+|BorderingStates = [[Arkansas]], [[Louisiana]],<br/>[[New Mexico]], [[Oklahoma]]
- | TotalArea = 678,051
+|OfficialLang   = No official language<br/>(see [[Languages of Texas|Languages spoken in Texas]])
- | LandAreaUS = 261,797 <!--www.texas.gov Texas Almanac 2006-2007 Edition—>
+|AreaRank       = 2<sup>nd</sup>
- | LandArea = 678,051
+|TotalAreaUS     = 268,820<ref name="facts">{{cite web |year=2008 |title=Facts |edition =2008–2009 |publisher=[[Texas Almanac]] |url=http://www.texasalmanac.com/facts/ |accessdate=2008-04-29}}</ref>
- | WaterAreaUS =  6,784  <!--www.texas.gov Texas Almanac 2006-2007 Edition—>
+|TotalArea       = 696,241
- | WaterArea = 17,574
+|LandAreaUS     = 261,797<ref name="facts"/>
- | PCWater = 2.5
+|LandArea       = 678,051
- | PopRank = 2<sup>nd</sup>
+|WaterAreaUS     = 6,784<ref name="facts"/>
- | 2000Pop = 20,851,820
+|WaterArea       = 17,574
- | 2006Pop (est) = 23,507,783
+|PCWater         = 2.5
- | DensityRank = 28th
+|PopRank         = 2<sup>nd</sup>
- | 2000DensityUS = 79.6 <!--quickfacts.census.gov —>
+|2000Pop (old)  = 20,851,820
- | 2000Density = 30.75
+|2000Pop        = 23,904,380 (2007 est.)<ref name="Census1">{{cite web | title = 2007 Population Estimates | publisher = US Census | url = http://www.census.gov/popest/states/NST-ann-est.html | format = xls | accessdate = 2008-10-14}}</ref>
- | Total GDP = $1,065,891,000
+|DensityRank     = 26<sup>th</sup>
- | Total GDP Rank = 2<sup>nd</sup>
+|2000DensityUS   = 79.6<ref name="Census2">{{cite web |year=2006 |title=Texas QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau |place =US Census
- | Per capita GDP = $43,283
+|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=&geo_id=04000US48&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US48&_street=&_county=&_cityTown=&_state=04000US48&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=040&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=DEC_2000_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry= |accessdate=2007-04-28}}</ref>
- | Per Capita GDP Rank = 16<sup>th</sup>
+|2000Density     = 30.75
- | AdmittanceOrder = 28<sup>th</sup>
+|Total GDP       = $1,065,891,000
- | AdmittanceDate = December 29, 1845
+|Total GDP Rank  = 2<sup>nd</sup>
- | TimeZone = [[Central Standard Time Zone|Central]]: [[UTC]]-6/[[Daylight saving time|-5]]
+|Per capita GDP  = $43,283
- | TZ1Where = most of state
+|Per Capita GDP Rank = 16<sup>th</sup>
- | TimeZone2 =[[Mountain Standard Time Zone|Mountain]]: [[UTC]]-7/[[Daylight saving time|-6]]
+|AdmittanceOrder = 28<sup>th</sup>
- | TZ2Where = tip of [[West Texas]]
+|AdmittanceDate  = December 29, 1845
- | Latitude = 25° 50′ N to 36° 30′ N
+|TimeZone       = [[Central Standard Time Zone|Central]]: [[UTC]]-6/[[Daylight saving time|-5]]
- | Longitude = 93° 31′ W to 106° 39′ W
+|TZ1Where       = most of state
- | WidthUS = 773   <!-- http://www.texasalmanac.com/environment/ —>
+|TimeZone2       = [[Mountain Standard Time Zone|Mountain]]: UTC-7/-6
- | Width = 1,244
+|TZ2Where       = tip of [[West Texas]]
- | LengthUS = 790
+|Latitude       = 25°&#8202;50′ N to 36°&#8202;30′ N
- | Length = 1,270
+|Longitude       = 93°&#8202;31′ W to 106°&#8202;39′ W
- | HighestPoint  = [[Guadalupe Peak]]<ref name=usgs>{{cite web| year =29 April 2005 | url =http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Highest| title =Elevations and Distances in the United States| publisher =U.S Geological Survey| accessmonthday = November 8 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref>
+|WidthUS         = 773<ref name="environment">{{cite web |year=2008 |title=Environment |edition =2008–2009 |publisher=Texas Almanac |url=http://www.texasalmanac.com/environment/ |accessdate=2008-04-29}}</ref>
- | HighestElevUS = 8,749
+|Width           = 1,244
- | HighestElev = 2,667
+|LengthUS       = 790
- | MeanElevUS = 1,700
+|Length         = 1,270
- | MeanElev = 520
+|HighestPoint   = [[Guadalupe Peak]]<ref name="usgs">{{cite web |date=April 29, 2005 |url=http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Highest |title=Elevations and Distances in the United States |publisher=U.S Geological Survey |accessdate=2006-11-08}}</ref>
- | LowestPoint = [[Gulf of Mexico]] coast<ref name=usgs/>
+|HighestElevUS   = 8,749
- | LowestElevUS = 0
+|HighestElev     = 2,667
- | LowestElev = 0
+|MeanElevUS     = 1,700
- | ISOCode = US-TX
+|MeanElev       = 520
- | Website = www.texas.gov
+|LowestPoint     = [[Gulf of Mexico]] coast<ref name="usgs"/>
+|LowestElevUS   = 0
+|LowestElev     = 0
+|ISOCode         = US-TX
+|Website         = www.texasonline.com/
 }}
-'''Texas''' ({{IPAEng|ˈtɛksəs}}) is a [[U.S. state|state]] located in the [[Southern United States|American South]] and  [[Western United States|Southwest]] regions of the [[United States of America]]. With an area of {{convert|261797|sqmi|sqkm|0|lk=on}} and a population of 23.5 million in 254 counties, the state is second-largest in both area and population. About half the state's population resides in {{nowrap|[[Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex|Dallas–Fort Worth]]}} and [[Houston]] metropolitan areas.<ref>[http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metro_general/2006/CBSA-EST2006-01.csv]</ref>
+[[Image:National-atlas-texas.png|thumb|300px|right|Map of Texas, showing major cities and roads.]]
-The state's name derives from ''{{unicode|táyshaʔ}}'', a word in the [[Caddoan languages|Caddoan language]] of the [[Hasinai]], which means "friends" or "allies".<ref name="Txfacts">{{cite web|url= http://www.texasalmanac.com/facts/
+'''Texas''' ({{Audio-IPA|en-us-Texas.ogg|/ˈtɛksəs/}}) is a [[U.S. state|state]] located in the [[South Central United States]] nicknamed the ''Lone Star State''. [[Austin, Texas|Austin]] is the [[state capital]]. Texas—the second largest U.S. state in both area and population—spans  {{convert|268820|sqmi|km2}} and has a growing population of 23.9 million. [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] is the state's largest city and [[List of United States cities by population|fourth-largest]] in the United States, while the {{nowrap|[[Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex|Dallas–Fort Worth]]}} ranks as the largest [[metropolitan area]] in Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States.
-    |title= Texas Almanac|accessdate= 11|accessmonthday= 07|accessyear= 2006|author=
-    |last=|first=|authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher= |pages=
-    |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
-    |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Texas |title=Texas |accessdate=2007-02-25
-    |publisher=Online Etymology Dictionary}}</ref><ref>Wallace Chafe, p.c.</ref> Texas declared its independence from [[Mexico]] in 1836 and existed as the independent [[Republic of Texas]] for nearly a decade. In 1845, it joined the United States as the 28th state. Texas is one of only four states that was an independent nation before becoming a constituent state of the U.S.
-Texas is internationally known for its energy and aeronautics industries, and for the ship channel at the [[Port of Houston]]—the largest in the U.S. in international commerce and the sixth-largest port in the world.<ref>[http://www.newhousenews.com/archive/lewis012706.html As Enron Trial Begins, Houston Has Moved On]. ''Newhouse News Service''</ref>  The state is home to the most [[Fortune 500]] companies and has the second-largest economy in the U.S.<ref>[[List of U.S. states by GDP (nominal)]]</ref><ref name="texasfortune500">{{Cite web
+Traveling east to west, the [[Geography of Texas|landscape of Texas]] gradually evolves from that of the [[Deep South]] into that of the desert [[Southwestern United States|Southwest]], going from [[piney woods]] to semi-forests of oak and [[Cross Timbers|cross timbers]], into rolling plains and [[prairie]], then finally to [[desert]] in the [[Big Bend (Texas)|Big Bend]]. These wide open spaces of the Texas prairie have lent currency to the phrase that "everything is bigger in Texas".<ref name="biggerTexas">{{cite web |last=Gite |first=Lloyd |authorlink=http://findarticles.com/p/search?tb=art&qa=Lloyd+Gite |title=Texas: they say everything is bigger in Texas, but is this true about opportunities for African-Americans in the state's largest cities? |publisher=Black Enterprise |month =June | year =1994 |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1365/is_n11_v24/ai_15429436 |format=html |accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref> 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]]. [[History of Texas|Historically]] and [[Culture of Texas|culturally]], Texas is part of the [[Southern United States|American South]]. However, with its Spanish and Mexican roots, it can also be classified as Southwestern. While residents acknowledge these categories, many claim an independent "Texan" identity superseding [[List of regions of the United States|regional labels]].
-    |url=http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/states/T.html
-    |title=Fortune 500 2006
+The term "[[six flags over Texas]]" comes from the multiple countries that have claimed the territory. [[Spanish Texas|Spain]] was the first European country to claim the area of Texas. France held a [[French Texas|short lived colony]] in Texas. Mexico owned the territory until 1836 when Texas won its independence becoming an independent [[Republic of Texas|Republic]]. In 1845 it joined the United States as the 28th state. The state's [[Texas Annexation|annexation]] helped set off a [[Origins of the American Civil War|chain of events]] that caused the [[Mexican–American War]] in 1846 and the [[U.S. Civil War]]. Texas would also join the [[Confederate States of America]] as a charter member on March 1, 1861.
-    |accessdate=2007-02-16|publisher=CNN|year=2006}}</ref> The [[Texas Medical Center]] in [[Houston]] contains the world's largest concentration of research and [[healthcare]] institutions.<ref name="texasmedical">{{Cite web
-    |url=http://www.tmc.edu/tmc-introduction.html
+In the early 1900s, oil discoveries initiated an economic boom in the state. Texas has since [[Economy of Texas|economically diversified]]. It has a growing base in high technology, biomedical research and higher education. The state's [[Gross State Product|gross state product]] ranks as the second-highest in the nation.
-    |title=Texas Medical Center
-    |accessdate=2006-12-26|publisher=Texas Medical Center|year=2006}}</ref>
+==Etymology==
+[[Image:Texas.JPG|thumb|Texas state welcome sign]]
+The state's name derives from ''{{unicode|táysha}}'', a word in the [[Caddoan languages|Caddoan language]] of the [[Hasinai]], which means "allies" or "friends".<ref name="facts"/><ref name="etymology">{{cite web
+ |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Texas |title=Texas |accessdate=2007-02-25
+ |publisher=Online Etymology Dictionary}}</ref><ref name="WChafe">Wallace Chafe, p.c.</ref>  The word "Texas" has many different manifestations in [[American English]] [[vernacular]]. Due to the state's large geographic size, the expression "[[Texas-sized]]" means "big".<ref name=TSize1>{{cite web |last=Farivar |first=Cyrus |title=Texas-Sized Supercomputer to Break Computing Power Record |work=[[Wired News]] |date =2007-06-26|url=http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/06/sun_supercomputer|accessdate=2008-01-30}}</ref><ref name=TSize2>{{cite web |last=Blumenthal |first=Ralph |title=Texas-sized noxious weed threatens State's largest natural lake |publisher=[[International Herald Tribune]] |date =2007, July 30 |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/30/news/lake.php|accessdate=2008-01-30}}</ref> Many Texas-related words, including the term [[Tex-Mex]], also use the [[prefix]], "[[Tex]]".
 ==History==
 {{main|History of Texas}}
-In addition to its own state flag, Texas boasts that "[[Six flags over Texas|Six Flags]]" have flown over its soil: the national flags of [[Spain]], the [[Fleur-de-lis]] of [[France]], [[Mexico]], the [[Republic of Texas]], the [[Confederate States of America]], and the [[United States|United States of America]].<ref>{{Handbook of Texas|id=FF/msf1|name=Flags of Texas}}</ref>
-[[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian]] tribes who once lived inside the boundaries of present-day Texas include [[Apache Tribe|Apache]], [[Atakapan]], [[Bidai]], [[Caddo]], [[Comanche]], [[Cherokee]], [[Kiowa]], [[Tonkawa]], [[Wichita (tribe)|Wichita]], Hueco and the [[Karankawa]] of Galveston. Currently, there are three federally recognized Native American tribes which reside in Texas: the [[Alabama-Coushatta]] Tribe of Texas, the [[Kickapoo]] Traditional Tribe of Texas, and the [[Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo]] of Texas.<ref>{{Handbook of Texas|id=II/bzi4|name=Native Americans}}</ref>
+===Colonization===
+{{main|French Texas|Spanish Texas|Mexican Texas}}
-[[Image:Stephen f austin.jpg|thumb|left|[[Stephen F. Austin]]]]On 6 November 1528, shipwrecked Spanish [[conquistador]] [[Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca]] became the first known European in Texas.<ref>{{Handbook of Texas|id=CC/fca6|name=Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca}}</ref> Most of Texas was immediately claimed by Spain as part of the Spanish dominions of [[New Spain]].<ref>{{Handbook of Texas|id=SS/nps1|name=Spanish Texas}}</ref> France took advantage of Spain's failure to settle the land and, in 1685, established Fort St. Louis, also claiming most of Texas. The French colony at Fort St. Louis failed, however, due to harsh conditions and hostile natives.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fort St. Louis Archeological Project |work=Texas Historical Commission |url=http://www.thc.state.tx.us/lasalle/lasfsl.html| accessdate=2007-11-13}}</ref> The first Spanish colonization did not come until a few years after the establishment of Fort St. Louis, as Spain was spurred by France to enforce its claims. The French claim was inherited by the United States as they bought the [[Louisiana Purchase]] in 1803 and the Spanish claim was later inherited by Mexico during the [[Mexican War of Independence]] of 1821, setting the stage for the [[Mexican–American War]].
+[[Alonso Álvarez de Pineda]] made the first documented European sighting of Texas in 1519.<ref name="chipman243">Chipman (1992), p. 243.</ref><ref name="weber34"> Weber (1992), p. 34.</ref> On November 6, 1528, shipwrecked Spanish [[conquistador]] [[Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca]] became the first known European in Texas.<ref name="CVaca">{{Handbook of Texas|id=CC/fca6|name=Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca}}</ref><ref name="SpanishT">{{Handbook of Texas|id=SS/nps1|name=Spanish Texas}}</ref> In 1685 [[René Robert Cavelier de La Salle]] established the first [[European ethnic groups|European]] community in Texas, the French colony of [[French Texas|Fort Saint Louis]].<ref name="weber149">Weber (1992), p. 149.</ref> The colony, located along [[Matagorda Bay]], lasted only four&nbsp;years before succumbing to harsh conditions and hostile natives.<ref name="chipman83">Chipman (1992), p. 83.</ref>
+Due to the perceived French encroachment, Spain established its first presence in Texas in 1691 constructing of [[Spanish missions in Texas|missions]] in [[East Texas]].<ref name=chipman89>Chipman (1992), p. 89.</ref> The missions failed quickly, and Spain did not resettle Texas until two&nbsp;decades had passed.<ref name="weber155">Weber (1992), p. 155.</ref> Spain returned to East Texas in 1716, establishing missions and a [[presidio]] to maintain a buffer between [[New Spain]] and the territory of [[La Louisiane|Louisiana]].<ref name=chipman111and2>Chipman (1992), pp. 111&ndash;112.</ref><ref name="weber160">Weber (1992), p. 160.</ref> Two&nbsp;years later, Spain established the first European civilian settlement in Texas, [[San Antonio, Texas|San Antonio]].<ref name="weber163">Weber (1992), p. 163.</ref>
-In the 1800s, two main ethnic groups settled the land: [[Tejanos]] and Anglo Americans. By 1830, the 30,000 Anglo settlers in Texas outnumbered the Tejanos two to one. Smaller numbers of Europeans also came. [[Moses Austin]] bought {{convert|200000|acre|sqkm|-1}} of land of his choice, and moved to San Antonio in August of 1821.<ref name="HBOT MEX">{{Handbook of Texas|id=MM/npm1|name=Mexican Texas}}</ref> His son, [[Stephen F. Austin]], joined him. In 1821, Texas became part of the newly independent Republic of [[Mexico]] and, in 1824, became the northern section of [[Coahuila y Tejas]]. On 3 January 1823, Stephen F. Austin began a colony of 300 Anglo American families known as the "[[Old Three Hundred]]" along the [[Brazos River]], after Austin was authorized to do so by Governor Antonio María Martínez and then successive Mexican officials as Mexico went through tumultuous political regime changes. Austin soon organized even more groups of immigrants, with authorization from the Mexican government. Meanwhile, more Tejanos were also settling in Texas, and as Antonio Menchaca writes in "Memoirs" in 1907, many Tejanos were already desirous of joining the United States. Tejanos were mostly full-blooded Spanish immigrants, few partly or entirely of American Indian heritage as most Mexicans south of the [[Rio Grande]] were.
+Hostile native tribes and remoteness from New Spain discouraged settlers from moving to Texas and it remained one of New Spain's least populated provinces.<ref name=chipman205>Chipman (1992), p. 205.</ref> The [[Lipan Apache]] often targeted San Antonio for raids.<ref name="weber188">Weber (1992), p. 188.</ref> In 1749, the Spanish signed a peace treaty with the Apache,<ref name="weber193">Weber (1992), p. 193.</ref> which resulted in raids by the enemies of the Apache, the [[Comanche]], [[Tonkawa]], and [[Hasinai]] tribes.<ref name="weber189">Weber (1992), p. 189.</ref> The Comanche signed a treaty with Spain in 1785<ref name="weddle163">Weddle (1995), p. 163.</ref> and later assisted in defeating the Lipan Apache and [[Karankawa]] tribes.<ref name="weddle164">Weddle (1995), p. 164.</ref><ref name=chipman200>Chipman (1992), p. 200.</ref> 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 were not "[[Christianization|Christianized]]".<ref name=chipman202>Chipman (1992), p. 202.</ref>
-The "Conventions" of 1832 and 1833 were a response to rising unrest at the policies of the ruling [[Mexico|Mexican]] government, which included the end of duty free imports from the United States and the potential end to the special allowance for slavery in the state. Slavery had been abolished in Mexico with the independence.<ref name="HBOT MEX"/> Spain's policy of allowing only full-blooded Spaniards to settle Texas also ended with independence. In 1835, [[Antonio López de Santa Anna]], President of Mexico, proclaimed a unified constitution for all Mexican territories, including Texas.<ref name="HBOT MEX"/> The new Constitution ended the republic and the federation, imposed a central style of government with power concentrated in the President, and turned states into provinces with governors appointed from Mexico City. Some states around Mexico rebelled against this imposition, including [[Chihuahua]], [[Zacatecas]] and [[Yucatan]]. [[Texan]]s were also irritated by other policies including the forcible disarmament of Texan settlers, and the expulsion of immigrants and legal land owners originally from the United States. The example of the Centralista forces' suppression of dissidents in Zacatecas also inspired fear of the Mexican government.<ref name="HBOT REV">{{Handbook of Texas|id=CC/qdc2|name=Texas Revolution}}</ref>
+The [[Louisiana Purchase]] by the United States caused a [[border dispute]] over Texas.<ref name="weber291">Weber (1992), p. 291.</ref><ref name="Weber292">Weber (1992), p. 292.</ref> The signing of the [[Adams-Onís Treaty]], recognizing the [[Sabine River (Texas-Louisiana)|Sabine River]] as Texas's eastern boundary, resolved the dispute in 1819.<ref name="weber299">Weber (1992), p. 299.</ref>
-[[Image:Wpdms republic of texas.png|thumb|left|Republic of Texas. The present-day outlines of the U.S. states are superimposed on the boundaries of 1836–1845]]
+[[Image:Stephen f austin.jpg|thumb|left|Stephen F. Austin]]
-On 2 March 1836, the [[Convention of 1836]] signed a [[Texas Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]],<ref>[http://www.lsjunction.com/docs/tdoi.htm Unanimous Declaration of Independence]</ref> declaring Texas an independent nation.<ref>{{Handbook of Texas|id=CC/mjc12|name=Convention of 1836}}</ref> On 21 April 1836, the Texans—led by General [[Sam Houston]]—won their independence when they defeated the Mexican forces of Santa Anna at the [[Battle of San Jacinto]]. Santa Anna was captured and signed the [[Treaties of Velasco]], which gave Texas firm boundaries; 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 in Texas. The [[Republic of Texas]] included the area of the present state of Texas, and additional unoccupied territory to the west and northwest.<ref name="HBOT REV"/>
+In 1821, after the [[Mexican War of Independence]], the territory became a part of the new country.<ref name="weber300">Weber (1992), p. 300.</ref> Texas became the northern section of [[Coahuila y Tejas]] in 1824. Mexico ended the Spanish policy of allowing only full-blooded Spaniards to settle Texas. On January 3, 1823, after obtaining authorization by Governor [[Antonio María Martínez]], [[Stephen F. Austin]] began a colony of 297 Anglo-American families known as the "[[Old Three Hundred]]" along the [[Brazos River]].<ref name="old300">{{Handbook of Texas|id=OO/umo1|name=Old Three Hundred}} Accessed 2008-04-27</ref> By 1830, the 30,000 Anglo settlers in Texas outnumbered [[Tejanos]] six to one.<ref name="Tejanos1">{{cite web |title=Tejano Patriots |work=bexargenealogy.com |url=http://www.bexargenealogy.com/index_Tejanos.htm |format=HTML |accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref>
-Texans wanted [[Texas Annexation|annexation]] to the [[United States]]. Texas was fast-growing, but still poor and had great difficulty maintaining self-defense. Events such as the [[Dawson Massacre]] and two recaptures of Béxar in Texas of 1842 helped add momentum to the desire for statehood.<ref>{{Harvard reference | Surname1=Calvert | Given1=R. | Surname2=De Léon | Given2=A. | Surname3=Cantrell | Given3=G. | Title=The History of Texas | Publisher=Harlan Davidson | Place=Wheeling, Illinois | Year=2002 }}</ref> However, American politics intruded; strong Northern opposition to adding another slave state blocked annexation until the election of 1844 was won on a pro-annexation platform by [[James K. Polk]]. On 29 December 1845, Texas was admitted to the U.S. as a constituent [[U.S. State|state]] of the Union.<ref>{{Handbook of Texas|id=AA/mga2|name=Annexation}}</ref>  The [[Mexican–American War]] followed, with decisive American victories.<ref>{{Handbook of Texas|id=MM/qdm2|name=Mexican War}}</ref>  Soon after, Texas grew rapidly as migrants poured into the cotton lands.<ref>{{Handbook of Texas|id=CC/afc3|name=Cotton Culture}}</ref>
+===Republic===
+{{main|Texas Revolution|Republic of Texas|Texas Annexation}}
+The [[Convention of 1832]] and the [[Convention of 1833]] were responses to rising unrest at policies of the Mexican government. Delegates feared the end of [[duty-free]] imports from the United States and the threat of ending slavery.<ref name="HBOT MEX">{{Handbook of Texas|id=MM/npm1|name=Mexican Texas}}</ref> In 1835, [[Antonio López de Santa Anna]], President of Mexico, enacted a [[1835 Constitution of Mexico|unified constitution]] for Mexico which created a centralized government with power concentrated in the President, and turned states into provinces with governors appointed from Mexico City.<ref name="HBOT MEX"/> States around Spain rebelled against this imposition, including [[Chihuahua]], [[Zacatecas]] and [[Yucatan]].<ref name="HBOT REV">{{Handbook of Texas|id=CC/qdc2|name=Texas Revolution}}</ref> Texans also resented policies such as the forcible disarmament of settlers, and the expulsion of immigrants and legal landowners originally from the United States.
-Just prior to the [[American Civil War]], elected delegates met in convention and, in an act whose legality was later upheld by the Texas Legislature, authorized secession from the U.S. on 1 February 1861 by a thundering majority. Texas voters later overwhelmingly approved the measure in referendum, and the state was accepted as a charter member by the provisional government of the [[Confederate States of America]] on 1 March 1861.<ref>{{Handbook of Texas|id=SS/mjs1|name=Secession Convention}}</ref><ref name="Txfacts"/> Partly due to its distance from the front lines of the war, a major role for Texas was to supply hardy soldiers for Confederate forces (veterans of the Mexican–American War), especially in cavalry. Although Texan regiments fought in every major battle throughout the war,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.texascivilwarmuseum.com/index.htm|title= Texas Civil War Museum|accessdate= 2006-09-03}}</ref> {{Texas History}} Texas was largely considered a "supply state" for the Confederate forces until mid-1863, when the Union capture of the [[Mississippi River]] made large movements of men or cattle impossible. The last battle of the Civil War was fought in Texas, at [[Battle of Palmito Ranch|Palmito Ranch]], on 12 May 1865, well after Lee's surrender on 9 April 1865 at [[Appomattox Court House]] in Virginia.<ref>{{Handbook of Texas|id=PP/qfp1|name=Battle of Palmito Ranch}}</ref>
+[[Image:Wpdms republic of texas.svg|thumb|right|Republic of Texas. The present-day outlines of the U.S. states superimposed on the boundaries of 1836–1845]]
+On March 2, 1836, the [[Convention of 1836]] signed a [[Texas Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]].<ref name="TXDecofInd">{{cite web|url=http://www.lsjunction.com/docs/tdoi.htm |title=The Texas Declaration of Independence|accessdate=2008-05-26 |publisher=Lone Star Junction}}</ref><ref name="C1936">{{Handbook of Texas|id=CC/mjc12|name=Convention of 1836}}</ref> On April 21, 1836, the Texans&mdash;led by General [[Sam Houston]]&mdash;won their independence at the [[Battle of San Jacinto]]. Santa Anna's capture led to the [[Treaties of Velasco]]. Mexico repudiated the treaties and vowed to reconquer Texas. Later in 1836, the Texans adopted a [[Constitution of the Republic of Texas|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.<ref name="HBOT REV"/>
-Texas descended into near-anarchy during the two months between the surrender of the [[Army of Northern Virginia]] and the assumption of authority by Union General [[Gordon Granger]], as Confederate forces demobilized or disbanded and government property passed into private hands through distribution or plunder.<ref>{{Handbook of Texas|id=CC/qdc2|name=Civil War}}</ref> [[Juneteenth]] commemorates the announcement of the [[Emancipation Proclamation]] on 19 June 1865 in Galveston by General Gordon Granger; nearly 1-1/2 years after the original announcement of 1 January 1863.<ref>{{Handbook of Texas|id=JJ/lkj1|name=Juneteenth}}</ref> President Johnson, on 20 August 1866, declared that civilian government had been restored to Texas<ref>[http://www.bartleby.com/43/42.html</ref>  On 30 March 1870, although Texas did not meet all the requirements, the [[United States Congress]] readmitted Texas into the [[United States|Union]].<ref>{{Handbook of Texas|id=RR/mzr1|name=Restoration}}</ref>
+Most Texans supported [[Texas Annexation|annexation]] of their Republic into the United States. Events such as the [[Dawson Massacre]] and two recaptures of Béxar in Texas of 1842 added urgency to the desire for statehood.<ref name="Calvert">{{Harvard reference |Surname1=Calvert |Given1=R. |Surname2=De Léon |Given2=A. |Surname3=Cantrell |Given3=G. |Title=The History of Texas |Publisher=Harlan Davidson |Place=Wheeling, Illinois |Year=2002}}</ref> However, strong [[Abolitionism#United_States|abolitionist]] opposition to adding a [[slave state]] blocked Texas's admission until pro-annexation [[James K. Polk]] won the [[United States presidential election, 1844|election of 1844]]. On December 29, 1845, [[United States Congress|Congress]] admitted Texas to the U.S. as a constituent [[U.S. State|state]] of the Union.<ref name="TAnnexation">{{Handbook of Texas|id=AA/mga2|name=Annexation}}</ref> The [[Mexican–American War]] followed, with decisive victories by the U.S.<ref name="Mwar">{{Handbook of Texas|id=MM/qdm2|name=Mexican War}}</ref> The [[Compromise of 1850]] set Texas's boundaries at their present form. Texas ceded land which later became half of present day [[New Mexico]], a third of [[Colorado]], and small portions of [[Kansas]], [[Oklahoma]], and [[Wyoming]], in return for the federal government's assumption of $10 million of the old republic's debt.<ref name="comp1850">{{Handbook of Texas|id=CC/nbc2|name=Compromise of 1850}}</ref> Post-war Texas grew rapidly as migrants poured into the cotton lands of the state.<ref name="CCulture">{{Handbook of Texas|id=CC/afc3|name=Cotton Culture}}</ref>
-The first major oil well in Texas was drilled at [[Spindletop]], a little hill south of [[Beaumont]], on the morning of 10 January 1901. Other oil fields were later discovered nearby in [[East Texas]], [[West Texas]], and under the [[Gulf of Mexico]]. The resulting “Oil Boom” permanently transformed the economy of Texas.<ref>{{Handbook of Texas|id=SS/dos3|name=Spindletop Oilfield}}</ref> Oil production eventually averaged three million barrels of oil per day at its peak in 1972.<ref>{{Handbook of Texas|id=OO/doogz|name=Oil and Gas Industry}}</ref> The economy, which had experienced significant recovery since the [[American Civil War]], was dealt a double blow by [[the Great Depression]] and the [[Dust Bowl]].
+===Civil War and Reconstruction===
+[[Image:Glory to  the defeated - dignified resignation.jpg|left|thumb|Civil war monument in [[Galveston, Texas]]]]
+{{main|Texas in the American Civil War}}
+The Confederate States of America accepted Texas as a charter member on March 1, 1861.<ref name="SecessionConvention">{{Handbook of Texas|id=SS/mjs1|name=Secession Convention}}</ref><ref name="facts"/> 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. Texan regiments fought in every major battle throughout the war.<ref name="CWMuseum">{{cite web|url=http://www.texascivilwarmuseum.com/|title=Texas Civil War Museum|accessdate=2006-09-03}}</ref> In mid-1863 the Union capture of the [[Mississippi River]] cut Texas supply lines to the [[Eastern Theater of the American Civil War|eastern parts]] of the Confederacy. Texas hosted the last battle of the Civil War, the [[Battle of Palmito Ranch|Palmito Ranch]] on May 13, 1865.<ref name="BattlePR">{{Handbook of Texas|id=PP/qfp1|name=Battle of Palmito Ranch}}</ref>
-From 1950 through the 1960s, Texas modernized and dramatically expanded its system of higher education. Under the leadership of Governor [[John B. Connally]], the state produced 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. Because of these changes, Texas universities received federal funds for research and development during the [[John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]] and [[Lyndon B. Johnson|Johnson]] administrations.<ref>Blanton, Carlos Kevin. "The Campus and the Capitol: John B. Connally and the Struggle over Texas Higher Education Policy, 1950-1970" ''Southwestern Historical Quarterly'' 2005 108(4): 468-497. ISSN 0038-478X</ref>
+Texas descended into anarchy two months between the [[Battle of Appomattox Courthouse|surrender]] of the [[Army of Northern Virginia]] and the assumption of authority by Union General [[Gordon Granger]]. Violence also marked the early months of [[Reconstruction era of the United States|Reconstruction]].<ref name="CW1">{{Handbook of Texas|id=CC/qdc2|name=Civil War}}</ref> [[Juneteenth]] commemorates the announcement of the [[Emancipation Proclamation]] on June 19, 1865 in Galveston by General Gordon Granger, over 2–1/2 years after the original announcement.<ref name="BarriersVoting">{{cite web |title=Historical Barriers to Voting |work=Texas Politics |publisher=University of Texas |url=http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/6_5_3.html|format=HTML |accessdate=2008-10-13}}</ref><ref name="Juneteenth">{{Handbook of Texas|id=JJ/lkj1|name=Juneteenth}}</ref> President Johnson, on August 20, 1866, declared that civilian government restored in Texas.<ref name="readmission">{{cite web |last=Johnson |first=Andrew |author-link =Andrew Johnson |date=1866-08-20 |year=1866 |title=Proclamation Declaring the Insurrection at an End |series =American Historical Documents |publisher=[[President of the United States]] |url=http://www.bartleby.com/43/42.html |accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref> Despite not meeting reconstruction requirements, on March 30, 1870 Congress readmitted Texas into the [[United States|Union]].<ref name="restoration">{{Handbook of Texas|id=RR/mzr1|name=Restoration}}</ref> Social volatility continued as the state struggled with agricultural depression and labor issues.
-==Geography==
+===Modern era===
-{{main|Geography of Texas}}
+[[Image:Lucas gusher.jpg|thumb|right|Spindletop]]
-[[Image:El Capitan base 2005-03-12.jpg|thumb|left|[[El Capitan (Texas)|El Capitan]]]]
+The first major oil well in Texas was [[Spindletop]], south of [[Beaumont]], on January 10, 1901. Other fields were later discovered nearby in East Texas, [[West Texas]], and under the [[Gulf of Mexico]]. The resulting “Oil Boom” permanently transformed the economy of Texas.<ref name="Spindletop">{{Handbook of Texas|id=SS/dos3|name=Spindletop Oilfield}}</ref> Oil production eventually averaged three million barrels per day at its peak in 1972;<ref name="Oil_Gas">{{Handbook of Texas|id=OO/doogz|name=Oil and Gas Industry}}</ref> the resulting royalties provided a considerable source of income to the [[Permanent University Fund]] for Texas' public universities.
-The geography of Texas spans a wide range of features and timelines.   Texas is the southernmost part of the [[Great Plains]], which ends in the south against the folded [[Sierra Madre Oriental]] of Mexico. It is in the south-central part of the United States of America. It is considered to form part of the [[Southern United States|U.S. South]] and also part of the [[Southwestern United States|U.S. Southwest]].
-The [[Rio Grande]], [[Red River (Mississippi watershed)|Red River]] and [[Sabine River (Texas-Louisiana)|Sabine River]] all provide natural state lines where Texas borders [[Oklahoma]] on the north, [[Louisiana]] and [[Arkansas]] on the east, [[New Mexico]] on the west, and the [[Mexico|Mexican]] states of [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]], [[Coahuila]], [[Nuevo León]], and [[Tamaulipas]] to the south.
+[[The Great Depression]] and the [[Dust Bowl]] dealt a double blow to the state's economy, which had significantly improved since the Civil War. 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 (African American)|Great Migration]] to get work in the [[Northern United States]] or [[California]] and to escape the oppression of segregation.<ref name=TX&GreatMigration>{{Handbook of Texas |id=AA/pkaan |name=African Americans}} accessed = 2008-04-27</ref> With increased immigration from other sources, although the numbers of African Americans increased, their proportion of population decreased from 20.4 percent in 1900 to 12.4 percent in 1960.<ref name=TX&GreatMigration/>
-By residents, the state is generally divided into [[North Texas]], [[East Texas]], [[Central Texas]], [[South Texas]], and [[West Texas]], but according to the ''Texas Almanac'', Texas has four major physical regions: [[Geography of Texas#The Gulf Coastal Plains|Gulf Coastal Plains]], [[Geography of Texas#The Interior Lowlands|Interior Lowlands]], [[Geography of Texas#The Great Plains|Great Plains]], and [[Geography of Texas#The Basin and Range Province|The Basin and Range Province]]. This is the difference between [[human geography]] and [[physical geography]].
+From 1950 through the 1960s, Texas modernized and expanded its [[Education in Texas#Colleges and universities|system of higher education]]. Under the leadership of Governor [[John B. Connally]], the state created a comprehensive plan for higher education, a different distribution of resources, and a central state apparatus designed to manage state institutions more efficiently. These changes helped Texas universities receive federal research funds during the [[John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]] and [[Lyndon B. Johnson|Johnson]] administrations.<ref name="Blanton">Blanton, Carlos Kevin. "The Campus and the Capitol: John B. Connally and the Struggle over Texas Higher Education Policy, 1950–1970" ''Southwestern Historical Quarterly'' 2005 108(4): 468–497. ISSN 0038–478X</ref>
-Some regions of Texas are associated with the South more than with the Southwest (primarily [[East Texas]], [[Central Texas]], and [[North Texas]]), while other regions share more similarities with the Southwest (primarily far [[West Texas]] and [[South Texas]]). The upper [[Texas Panhandle]] and the [[South Plains]] parts of West Texas do not easily fit into either category. The former has much in common with the [[Midwestern United States]], while the latter, originally settled primarily by anglo Southerners, yet with a notable Hispanic population, is somewhat of a blend of South and Southwest.
+==Geography==
+{{main|Geography of Texas|List of geographical regions in Texas}}
+[[Image:El Capitan base 2005-03-12.jpg|thumb|left|[[El Capitan (Texas)|El Capitán]]]]
+Texas is located at the southernmost part of the [[Great Plains]], which ends in the south against the folded [[Sierra Madre Oriental]] of Mexico. It is in the [[South Central United States|south-central]] part of the United States of America.
-The size of Texas prohibits easy categorization of the entire state wholly in any recognized region of the United States; geographic, economic, and even cultural diversity between regions of the state preclude treating Texas as a region in its own right.
+Texas' size and unique history makes its regional affiliation 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 [[List of regions of the United States|recognized region of the United States]]. The East, Central, and North Texas, regions have a stronger association with the [[Southern United States|American South]] than with the [[Southwestern United States|Southwest]]. Others, such as far West Texas and South Texas share more similarities with the latter.
-{{see also|Texas Irrigation Canals}}
+The [[Rio Grande]], [[Red River (Mississippi watershed)|Red River]] and [[Sabine River (Texas-Louisiana)|Sabine River]] form natural state [[border]]s, Oklahoma on the north, [[Louisiana]] and [[Arkansas]] on the east, & the Mexican states of [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]], [[Coahuila]], [[Nuevo León]], and [[Tamaulipas]] to the south. The state's [[Texas Panhandle]] has an eastern border with Oklahoma at [[100th meridian west|100° W]], a northern border with Oklahoma at [[36°30' parallel north|36°30' N]] and a western border with New Mexico at [[103rd meridian west|103° W]]. [[El Paso]] lies on the state's western tip at [[32nd parallel north|32° N]] and the Rio Grande.<ref name="comp1850"/>
 ===Geology===
 {{main|Geology of Texas}}
 [[Image:LlanoEstacadoShadedRelief.jpg|thumb|right|Shaded Relief Map of the [[Llano Estacado]]]]
-Texas is the southernmost part of the [[Great Plains]], which ends in the south against the folded [[Sierra Madre Occidental]] of Mexico. 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 oldest rocks in Texas date from the Mesoproterozoic and are about 1,600 million years old. These [[Precambrian]] [[igneous]] and [[metamorphic]] rocks underly most of the state, and are exposed in three places: [[Llano, Texas|Llano]] uplift, [[Van Horn, Texas|Van Horn]], and the [[Franklin Mountains]], near [[El Paso]]. This is overlain by mostly [[sedimentary rocks]]. The oldest sediments were deposited on the flanks of a rifted continental margin, or [[passive margin]] that developed during [[Cambrian]] time. This margin existed until Laurasia and Godwana collided in [[Pennsylvanian]] time to form [[Pangea]]. This is the buried crest of the [[Appalachian Mountains]]—[[Ouachita Mountains]]—[[Marathon Mountains]] zone of Pennsylvanian [[continental collision]]. This [[orogeny|orogenic]] crest is today buried beneath the [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]]—[[Waco, Texas|Waco]]—[[Austin, Texas|Austin]]—[[San Antonio, Texas|San Antonio]] trend. During this time E. Texas was a region of high mountains and shallow seas covered W. Texas.
+Texas is the southernmost part of the Great Plains, which ends in the south against the folded [[Sierra Madre Occidental]] of Mexico. The [[continental crust]] forms a stable [[Mesoproterozoic]] [[craton]] which changes across a broad continental margin and transitional crust into true [[oceanic crust]] of the Gulf of Mexico. 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, Texas|Llano]] uplift, [[Van Horn, Texas|Van Horn]], and the [[Franklin Mountains (Texas)|Franklin Mountains]], near El Paso. [[Sedimentary rocks]] overlay most of these ancient rocks. The oldest sediments were deposited on the flanks of a rifted continental margin, or [[passive margin]] that developed during [[Cambrian]] time. This margin existed until [[Laurasia]] and [[Gondwana]] collided in the [[Pennsylvanian]] era to form [[Pangea]]. This is the buried crest of the [[Appalachian Mountains]]&mdash;[[Ouachita Mountains]] zone of Pennsylvanian [[continental collision]]. This [[orogeny|orogenic]] crest is today buried beneath the Dallas&mdash;[[Waco, Texas|Waco]]&mdash;Austin&mdash;San Antonio trend.
-The late [[Paleozoic]] mountains collapsed as [[rifting]] in [[Jurassic]] time began to open the Gulf of Mexico. 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 shoreline shifted again to the eastern margin of the state and the Gulf of Mexico continental shelf began to build out. Today there are {{convert|9|mi|km|0|lk=on}} to {{convert|12|mi|km|0|}} of sediments buried beneath the Texas continental shelf and a large proportion of remaining US [[Petroleum|Oil]] reserves are to be found here. 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. These salt deposits have buoyantly risen up through the passive margin sediments to form [[salt diapirs]], which are very common in East Texas and along the Gulf coast and offshore.
+The late [[Paleozoic]] mountains collapsed as [[rifting]] in the [[Jurassic]] era began to open the Gulf of Mexico. 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 shoreline shifted again to the eastern margin of the state and the Gulf of Mexico passive margin began to form. Today {{convert|9|mi|km|0}} to {{convert|12|mi|km|0|}} of sediments are buried beneath the Texas continental shelf and a large proportion of remaining US oil reserves are located here. 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. These salt deposits formed [[salt dome]] [[diapir]]s, and are found in East Texas, along the Gulf coast.<ref name="DiaperGrowth">Muzzafar, Asif. ''Timing of Diapir Growth and Cap Rock Formation, Davis Hill Salt Dome, Coastal Texas'' [http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2001AM/finalprogram/abstract_24852.htm] The Geological Society of America. (accessed July 22, 2008)</ref>
-East Texas outcrops consist of [[Cretaceous]] and [[Paleogene]] sediments. These sediments contain important deposits of [[Eocene]][[lignite]] which are increasingly used for generating [[electricity]].  [[Petroleum|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]]. [[Oligocene]] [[volcanic]] rocks are found in far west Texas, in the [[Big Bend, Texas|Big Bend]] area. A blanket of [[Miocene]] sediments known as the Ogallala formation in the western high plains region is an important [[aquifer]]. Texas has no active or dormant volcanoes and few earthquakes, being situated far from an active [[plate tectonic]] boundary.  (The Big Bend area is the most seismically active; however, the area is sparsely populated and suffers minimal damages and injuries, and no known fatalities have been attributed to a Texas earthquake.)
+East Texas outcrops consist of [[Cretaceous]] and [[Paleogene]] sediments which contain important deposits of [[Eocene]][[lignite]]. The Mississippian and 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]] contain oil. [[Oligocene]] [[volcanic]] rocks are found in far west Texas, in the [[Big Bend, Texas|Big Bend]] area. A blanket of [[Miocene]] sediments known as the [[Ogallala Aquifer|Ogallala formation]] in the western high plains region is an important [[aquifer]].<ref name="Ogallala">{{cite web|url=http://www.npwd.org/new_page_2.htm |title=Ogallala Aquifer|accessdate=2008-07-23 |publisher=North Plains Groundwater Conservation District}}</ref> Located far from an active [[plate tectonic]] boundary, Texas has no [[volcanoes]] and few [[earthquakes]].<ref name="earthquakes">{{cite web|url=http://www.ig.utexas.edu/research/projects/eq/compendium/earthquakes.htm |title=Earthquakes |accessdate=2008-07-23 |publisher=Jackson School of Geosciences - University of Texas}}</ref>
-== Climate ==
+==Climate==
 {{main article|Climate of Texas}}
-[[Image:Palm Trees and Snow.jpg|thumb|left|2004 Christmas Eve snowstorm in South Texas]]
+[[Image:ElpasoSNOW.JPG|thumb|right|Snow on Franklin Mountains & [[El Paso]], causes a closure of [[Woodrow Bean Transmountain Drive| Transmountain Highway]]]]
-The large size of the state of Texas and its location at the intersection of several [[Köppen climate classification|climate zones]] gives the state highly variable weather. 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.
+The large size of Texas and its location at the intersection of multiple [[Köppen climate classification|climate zones]] gives the state very variable weather. The Panhandle of the state has colder winters 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 {{convert|8|in|mm}} of annual rainfall while Houston, on the southeast Texas averages as much as {{convert|54|in|mm}} per year.<ref name="weather1">{{Handbook of Texas|id=WW/msf1|name=Weather}}</ref> Dallas in the North Central region averages a more moderate {{convert|37|in|mm}} per year. Snowfall often falls in the winter months in the north. Maximum temperatures in the summer months average from the 80s °[[Fahrenheit|F]] (26 °[[Celsius|C]]) in the mountains of West Texas and on [[Galveston Island]] to around {{convert|100|°F|°C|0|lk=on}} in the [[Rio Grande Valley]]. Night time summer temperatures range from the upper 50s °F (14 °C) in the West Texas mountains<ref name="weather2">{{cite web | title = Monthly Averages for Marfa, TX | publisher = The Weather Channel | url =http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/outdoors/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USTX0830?from=search Monthly Averages for Marfa, TX] weather.com | accessdate = 2008-10-15}}</ref> to {{convert|80|°F|°C|0}} in Galveston.<ref name="weather3">{{cite web | title = Monthly Averages for Galveston, TX | publisher = The Weather Channel | url = http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/outdoors/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USTX0499?from=search Monthly Averages for ]. weather.com | accessdate = 2008-10-15}}</ref>
-The Panhandle of the state is cooler in the winter than North Texas or the Gulf Coast. Different regions of Texas experience vastly different precipitation patterns: El Paso averages as little as {{convert|7.8|in|mm|0|lk=on}} of rain per year while the average annual precipitation is {{convert|59|in|mm|0}} in [[Orange, Texas|Orange]].<ref>[http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/WW/yzw1.html Weather]. Handbook of Texas Online.</ref> Moderate snowfall often falls in the winter months in the north. Maximum temperatures in the summer months average from the 80s °[[Fahrenheit|F]] (26 °[[Celsius|C]]) in the mountains of West Texas and on [[Galveston Island]] to around {{convert|100|°F|°C|0|lk=on}} in the [[Rio Grande Valley]]. Nighttime summer temperatures range from the upper 50s °F (14 °C) in the West Texas mountains<ref>[http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/outdoors/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USTX0830?from=search Monthly Averages for Marfa, TX] weather.com</ref> to {{convert|80|°F|°C|0}} in Galveston.<ref>[http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/outdoors/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USTX0499?from=search Monthly Averages for Galveston, TX]. weather.com.</ref>
+[[Thunderstorms]] strike Texas often, especially the eastern and northern portion of the state. [[Tornado Alley]] covers the northern section of Texas. The state experiences the most [[tornado]]es in the Union, an average of 139 a year. These strike most frequently in North Texas and the Panhandle.<ref name="Annual average number of tornadoes"> [http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/research/tornado/small/avgt5304.gif nooa.gov] National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved on October 24, 2006.</ref> Tornadoes in Texas generally occur in the months of April, May, and June.<ref name="TexasWeather">{{Handbook of Texas|id=WW/yzw1|name=Weather}} Accessed 2008-07-22</ref>
-Thunderstorms are more common in the eastern and northern part of the state, although they are far from rare elsewhere in the state. Tornadoes are common in Texas, with the state averaging around 139 a year, more than any other state.<ref name= "Annual average number of tornadoes"> [http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/research/tornado/small/avgt5304.gif] NOAA National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved on 24 October 2006. </ref> Tornadoes are most frequent in the northern and central western half of the state from April-July, although tornadoes can happen anywhere in the state at any time of year.
+Some of the most destructive hurricanes in U.S. history have impacted Texas. A hurricane in 1875 killed approximately 400 people in [[Indianola, Texas|Indianola]], followed by [[Indianola Hurricane of 1886|another hurricane]] in 1886 that destroyed the town, at the time the most important port city in the state. This allowed [[Galveston, Texas|Galveston]] to take over as the chief port city, the [[Galveston hurricane of 1900]] subsequently devastated that city killing approximately 8,000 people (possibly as many as 12,000), making it the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Other devastating Texas hurricanes include the [[1915 Galveston Hurricane]], [[Hurricane Audrey]] in 1957, which killed over 600 people, [[Hurricane Carla]] in 1961, [[Hurricane Beulah]] in 1967, [[Hurricane Alicia]] in 1983, [[Hurricane Rita]] in 2005, and [[Hurricane Ike]] in 2008.<ref name="deadhurr">{{cite web| last = Blake| first = Eric S.| coauthors = Rappaport, Edward N., Landsea, Christopher W.| title = The Deadliest, Costliest, and Most Intense United States Tropical Cyclones From 1851 to 2006| publisher = National Weather Service: National Hurricane Center| date = 2007-04-15| url = http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/NWS-TPC-5.pdf| format = PDF| accessdate = 2008-10-02}}</ref>
-Texas ranks first among the 50 states as the largest emitter of [[greenhouse gas]]es.<ref>{{cite news|title=Blame Coal: Texas Leads in Overall Emissions|author=Borenstein, Seth|publisher=USA Today|date=04-06-2007|url=http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2007-06-04-state-emissions_N.htm|accessdate=2007-06-06}}</ref> The state's annual carbon dioxide emissions are nearly 1.5 trillion pounds. Texas would be the world's seventh-largest producer of greenhouse gases if it were its own country, emitting more carbon dioxide than France, the United Kingdom, or Canada.<ref>{{cite news|title=Five Cities that Need help Getting Green|author=MSN City Guides|url=http://cityguides.msn.com/citylife/greenslideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=4848635&imageindex=4}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Approaches, Challenges, Potentials: Renewable Energy and Climate Change Policies in U.S. States|author=Heinrich Boll Foundation North America|date=2003-12|url=http://www.cleanenergyfunds.org/international/downloads/RE_Publication_Online.pdf}}</ref>
+Texas emits the most [[greenhouse gas]]es in the US.<ref name="GH1">{{cite news|title=Blame Coal: Texas Leads in Overall Emissions|author=Borenstein, Seth|publisher=USA Today|date=2007-06-04|url=http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2007-06-04-state-emissions_N.htm|accessdate=2007-06-06}}</ref><ref name="GH2">{{cite news |title=Texas No. 1 producer of greenhouse gases |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/060307dnnatemissions.3c1df3a.html |work=Associated Press |publisher=Dallas Morning News |date=2007-06-03|accessdate=2008-06-11}}</ref><ref name="GH3">{{cite news |title=Texas Is No. 1 Carbon Polluter In U.S.|author=Associated Press|date=2008-01-16|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/16/tech/main3720823.shtml?source=RSSattr=SciTech_3720823}}</ref> The state's emits nearly 1.5 trillion pounds (680 billion kg) of carbon dioxide annually. As an independent nation Texas would rank as the world's seventh-largest producer of greenhouse gases.<ref name="GH2"/><ref name="greenhouse1">{{cite news|title=Five Cities that Need help Getting Green|author=MSN City Guides|url=http://cityguides.msn.com/citylife/greenslideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=4848635&imageindex=4}}</ref><ref name="Greenhouse2">{{cite news|title=Approaches, Challenges, Potentials: Renewable Energy and Climate Change Policies in U.S. States|author=Heinrich Boll Foundation North America|date=2003–12|url=http://www.cleanenergystates.org/international/downloads/RE_Publication_Online.pdf|format=PDF}}</ref> Causes of the state's vast greenhouse gas emissions include the state's large number of [[Fossil fuel power plant|coal power plants]] and the state's refining and manufacturing industries.<ref name="GH2"/>
-{{see also|Catastrophic Texas Hurricanes since 1900}}
+==Demographics==
+{{main|Demographics of Texas}}
+[[Image:Texas population map.png|thumb|right|Texas Population Density Map]]
+As of 2006, the state has an estimated population of 23,507,783, an increase of 2.5% from the prior year and 12.7% since the year 2000. The natural increase since the last census was 1,389,275 people, [[Immigration to the United States|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.<ref name="facts"/> As of 2004, the state had 3.5 million foreign-born residents (15.6 percent of the state population), of which an estimated 1.2 million are [[Illegal immigration to the United States|illegal immigrants]]. Texas from 2000&ndash;2006 had the fastest growing illegal immigration rate in the nation.<ref name="CausesHealthcare"/> Because of a strong labor market, from 1995&ndash;2000, Texas also is a receiving state of black college graduates from the [[New Great Migration]] - the return of African Americans to the South.<ref name="blackmigration">[http://www.brookings.edu/urban/pubs/20040524_Frey.pdf William H. Frey, "The New Great Migration: Black Americans' Return to the South, 1965–2000", May 2004, The Brookings Institution, p.1], accessed March 19, 2008</ref>
-==== Average lows and highs ====
+===Racial group and ethnic origins===
-{| class="wikitable" "text-align:center;font-size:90%;"|
+As of the 2006 US Census estimates, the racial and ethnic distribution in Texas are as follows:
-| colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:120%;background:#E8EAFA;"|Monthly normal high and low temperatures ([[Fahrenheit|°F]]) for various Texas cities
+*48.9% [[White non-Hispanic]]
-|-
+**[[German American|German]] (10.9%)
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color: #000000" height="17" | City
+**[[English American|English]] (7.2%)
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Jan
+**[[Scots-Irish American|Scots-Irish]] (7.2%)
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Feb
+*35.7% total [[Hispanic]] or [[Latino]]<ref name="Census2"/>
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Mar
+*11.6% [[African American]]
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Apr
+*3.3% [[Asian American]]
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | May
+*0.6% [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian]]
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Jun
+*13% other racial groups
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Jul
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Aug
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Sep
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Oct
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Nov
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Dec
-|-
-! style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Abilene
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 55/32
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 61/36
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 69/44
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 77/52
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 85/61
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 91/68
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 95/72
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 94/71
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 87/64
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 78/54
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 65/42
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 57/34
-|-
-! style="background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Amarillo
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 49/23
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 54/27
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 62/34
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 71/42
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 79/52
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 87/61
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 91/65
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 89/64
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 82/56
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 72/45
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 58/32
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 50/24
-|-
-! style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Austin
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 60/40
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 65/44
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 72/51
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 79/58
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 85/65
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 91/71
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 95/73
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 96/73
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 90/69
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 81/60
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 70/49
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 62/42
-|-
-! style="background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Brownsville
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 69/50
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 72/53
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 78/60
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 82/65
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 87/72
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 90/75
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 92/75
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 93/75
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 89/73
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 84/66
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 77/59
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 70/52
-|-
-! style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Corpus Christi
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 66/46
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 70/49
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 76/56
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 81/62
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 86/70
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 90/74
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 93/74
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 93/74
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 90/72
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 84/64
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 75/55
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 68/48
-|-
-! style="background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Dallas
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 54/34
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 60/39
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 68/46
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 76/54
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 83/63
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 91/71
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 95/75
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 95/74
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 88/67
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 78/56
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 65/45
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 56/37
-|-
-! style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Del Rio
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 63/40
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 68/44
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 76/52
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 83/58
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 89/67
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 94/72
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 96/74
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 96/74
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 91/69
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 82/60
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 71/49
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 64/41
-|-
-! style="background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" height="16;" | El Paso
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 57/33
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 63/38
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 70/44
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 78/51
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 87/61
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 95/69
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 94/72
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 92/70
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 87/64
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 78/52
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 66/40
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 57/33
-|-
-! style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Fort Worth
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 55/36
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 61/41
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 69/48
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 76/56
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 84/65
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 92/73
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 96/77
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 96/76
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 88/69
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 79/58
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 66/47
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 57/39
-|-
-! style="background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Galveston
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 62/50
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 64/52
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 70/58
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 75/65
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 81/72
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 87/78
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 89/80
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 89/80
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 86/76
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 80/68
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 71/59
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 64/52
-|-
-! style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Houston
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 62/41
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 66/44
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 73/51
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 79/58
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 86/66
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 91/72
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 94/74
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 94/73
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 89/68
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 82/59
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 72/50
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 65/43
-|-
-! style="background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Laredo
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 66/43
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 71/47
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 80/55
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 88/63
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 92/69
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 102/73
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 99/75
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 99/75
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 93/54
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 86/63
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 76/53
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 68/45
-|-
-! style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Lubbock
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 52/24
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 58/29
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 66/36
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 75/45
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 83/56
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 90/64
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 92/68
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 90/66
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 83/58
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 74/47
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 62/34
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 53/26
-|-
-! style="background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Midland
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 57/30
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 63/34
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 71/41
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 79/49
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 87/59
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 93/66
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 94/69
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 93/68
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 86/62
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 77/51
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 66/39
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 58/31
-|-
-! style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Port Arthur
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 62/43
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 65/46
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 72/52
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 78/59
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 84/66
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 89/72
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 92/74
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 92/73
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 88/69
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 80/60
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 71/51
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 64/44
-|-
-! style="background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" height="16;" | San Angelo
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 58/32
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 64/36
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 71/43
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 79/51
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 86/61
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 91/68
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 94/70
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 93/69
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 87/63
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 78/53
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 66/41
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 59/34
-|-
-! style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | San Antonio
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 62/39
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 67/42
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 74/50
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 80/57
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 86/66
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 91/72
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 95/74
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 95/74
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 90/69
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 82/59
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 71/49
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 64/41
-|-
-! style="background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Victoria
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 63/44
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 67/47
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 73/54
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 79/60
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 85/68
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 90/73
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 93/75
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 94/75
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 90/70
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 83/62
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 73/52
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 65/45
-|-
-! style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Waco
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 57/35
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 62/39
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 70/47
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 78/54
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 85/63
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 92/71
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 97/74
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 97/74
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 90/67
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 80/57
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 68/46
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 59/38
-|-
-! style="background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Wichita Falls
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 52/29
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 58/33
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 67/41
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 76/49
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 84/59
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 92/68
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 97/72
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 96/71
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 88/64
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 77/52
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 64/40
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 54/31
-|-
-| colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;background:#E8EAFA;"|''[http://www.ustravelweather.com/weather-texas/]''
-|}
-==Government and politics==
+[[Image:Houston International Festival.jpg|thumb|left|The annual Houston International Festival spotlights a different culture each year]]
-{{main|Government of Texas|Politics of Texas}}
+German descendants inhabit much of central and southeast-central Texas. Recently, the Asian population in Texas has grown&mdash;primarily in Houston and Dallas. Over one-third of Texas residents are of Hispanic origin;<ref name="Census2"/> many have recently arrived, while some [[Tejanos]] have ancestors with multigenerational ties to 18th century Texas. In addition to the descendents of the state's former slave population, many African Americans college graduates have come in the New Great Migration.<ref name="blackmigration"/>
-The [[Texas Constitution]]—adopted in 1876—is the second-oldest state constitution still in effect. As with many [[State constitution (United States)|state constitutions]], it explicitly provides for the separation of powers and incorporates its bill of rights directly into the text of the constitution (as Article I). The bill of rights is considerably lengthier and more detailed than the federal [[United States Bill of Rights|Bill of Rights]], and includes some provisions unique to Texas.
-===Political system===
+American Indian tribes who once lived inside the boundaries of present-day Texas include [[Apache Tribe|Apache]], [[Atakapan]], [[Bidai]], [[Caddo]], [[Comanche]], [[Cherokee]], [[Kiowa]], [[Tonkawa]], [[Wichita (tribe)|Wichita]], Hueco and the Karankawa of [[Galveston]]. Currently, three federally recognized Native American tribes reside in Texas: the [[Alabama-Coushatta]] Tribe, the [[Kickapoo]] Traditional Tribe, and the [[Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo]].<ref name="nativeamericans">{{Handbook of Texas|id=II/bzi4|name=Native Americans}}</ref>
-[[Image:Texas capitol day.jpg|right|thumb|[[Texas State Capitol]]]]
-The executive branch consists of the Governor, [[Lieutenant Governor of Texas|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. All of these positions are elected by the populace, with the exception of the Secretary of State, who is appointed by the Governor. The Comptroller decides if expected state income is sufficient to cover the proposed state budget. There are also many state agencies, and numerous boards and commissions. The Governor commands the state militia and can veto bills passed by the Legislature and call special sessions of the Legislature (this power is exclusive to the Governor and can be exercised as often as desired). The Governor also appoints members of various executive boards and fills judicial vacancies between elections.
-The [[Legislature of Texas]] is bicameral. The House of Representatives has 150 members, while the Senate has 31. The speaker of the house, currently Tom Craddick (R–Midland) leads the House, and the Lieutenant Governor (currently Republican [[David Dewhurst]]) leads the state Senate. The Legislature meets in regular session only once every two years. The Legislature cannot call itself into special session; only the Governor may call a special session, and may call as many sessions as often as desired.
+===Religion===
+[[Image:Lakewood1.jpg|thumb|right|Lakewood Church interior]]
+Texas resides in the socially conservative Evangelical Protestant [[Bible Belt]], and has the highest percentage of people with a religious affiliation in the United States.<ref name="abstinence">{{cite web |last=Connolly |first=Ceci |date=2003-01-21 |year=2003 |title=Texas Teaches Abstinence, With Mixed Grades |publisher=Washington Post |url=http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=12589&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html |accessdate=2008-04-28 |pages=A01}}</ref> [[Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas|Dallas-Fort Worth]], home to three major evangelical seminaries, has several [[megachurches]], including [[Fellowship Church]], [[T. D. Jakes|Potter's House]] and [[Prestonwood Baptist Church]]. Houston is home to the largest "church" in the nation, [[Lakewood Church]]. [[Lubbock, Texas|Lubbock]], according to local lore, has the most churches per capita in the nation.<ref name="abstinence"/>
-The [[Texas judicial system|judicial system of Texas]] has a reputation as one of the most complex in the United States, with many layers and many overlapping jurisdictions. Texas has two courts of last resort: the [[Texas Supreme Court]], which hears civil cases, and the [[Texas Court of Criminal Appeals]]. Except in the case of some municipal benches, partisan elections choose all of the judges at all levels of the judiciary; the Governor fills vacancies by appointment.
+In 2000, the religious demographics of Texas were:<ref name="religion">{{cite web |url=http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/state/48_2000.asp |title=State Membership Report - Texas|publisher=Association of Religion Data Archives|accessdate=2008-02-12}}</ref>
-[[Image:RickPerry2006.jpg|right|thumb|Governor Rick Perry]]
+* [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical]] [[Protestant]]{{ndash}} 24.4%
-[[Image:6thmarch.jpg|thumb|right|Protesters at the 6th Annual March to Stop Executions]]
+* [[Mainline Protestant]]{{ndash}} 8.1%
-Republican [[Rick Perry]] has served as [[List of Governors of Texas|Governor of Texas]] since December 2000, when [[George W. Bush]] vacated the office to assume the [[President of the United States|Presidency]]. Two Republicans represent Texas in the U.S. Senate: [[Kay Bailey Hutchison]] (since 1993) and [[John Cornyn]] (since 2003). Texas has 32 representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives: 19 Republicans and 13 Democrats.
+* [[Roman Catholic]]{{ndash}} 21.0%
+* [[Judaism]]{{ndash}} 0.6%
+* [[Eastern Orthodox]]{{ndash}} 0.1%
+* [[Hindu]], [[Sikh]], [[Buddhist]], [[Muslim]], others; 2.0%
+* Other, or non religious{{ndash}} 44.5%
-There are 32 [[Texas Congressional Districts|congressional districts in Texas]], the second-most after California. Districts are usually drawn after the national census every 10 years.
+The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the [[Roman Catholic Church]] with 4,368,969; the [[Southern Baptist Convention]] with 3,519,459; and the [[United Methodist Church]] with 1,022,342.<ref name="religion"/> Also, approximately 400,000 [[Muslims]] live in Texas.<ref name="MuslimPopulation">{{cite web |title=Turning Muslim in Texas |work=Faith and Belief |publisher=Channel4.com |url=http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/C/can_you_believe_it/debates/texas1.html |format=HTML |accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref>
-The [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] held a monolithic political presence in Texas from the beginning of its statehood until the late 20th century. Like other ex-[[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] states, Texas harbored a deep resentment towards the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] for their engineering of [[Radical Reconstruction|Reconstruction]] for years after the [[Civil War (United States)|Civil War]]. Conservative Democrats held a virtual monopoly on elected offices in the state, but many began endorsing Republican presidential candidates as the national Democratic Party grew increasingly liberal. In 1978, the state elected its first Republican governor since Reconstruction. In 2003, Republicans achieved a majority in the [[Texas House of Representatives|state legislature]] for the first time. Today, the bulk of the Texan [[U.S. House of Representatives|House]] delegation is Republican, and both U.S. Senators are Republican as well. No Democrat has been elected to a statewide office in Texas since 1994. The state's base of Democratic voters is comprised primarily of African-Americans, Hispanics, and urban voters, particularly in [[Austin, Texas|Austin]].
+===Cities and towns===
+{{see also|List of cities in Texas|List of Texas metropolitan areas|Population of Texas cities in 2000}}
+[[Image:Dallas Downtown.jpg|thumb|left|Dallas]]
-The Texas political atmosphere tends towards [[fiscal conservatism|fiscal]] and [[social conservatism]]. Texas leads the country in the number of executions performed, and is one of the few states that permitted the execution of a [[mental retardation|mentally retarded]] person prior to the [[U.S. Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] prohibiting such. The state recently adopted a resolution defining marriage as between a man and a woman, and a long-standing law making [[sodomy]] a criminal offense was overturned in 2003 only after the intervention of the Supreme Court. The state capital, [[Austin, Texas|Austin]], is considered the state's [[Modern liberalism in the United States|liberal]] bastion (though liberals in Texas tend to prefer the term "populist"), though Austin's suburbs generally follow the conservatism of the state at large. [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] and [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]] are among the few urban areas that consistently vote Republican, but their metro areas themselves are very divided politically. However, these cities tend to favor a more socially tolerant, pro-business brand of Republicanism. In Houston, the election of conservative commentator [[Dan Patrick (politics)|Dan Patrick]] to the [[Texas State Senate|State Senate]] in 2006 sparked an outcry from the city's moderate Republican establishment.
+As of 2000, six incorporated places in Texas have populations greater than 500,000, two of which are [[global city|global cities]]: Houston and Dallas.<ref name="worldcities">{{cite web |title=Inventory of World Cities |publisher=Globalization and World Cities Research Network |year =2008 |url=http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/citylist.html |format=HTML |accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref> Texas has a total of [[List of Texas metropolitan areas|25 metropolitan areas]], with four having populations over 1 million and two over 5 million. Texas has the most cities, three, with populations exceeding 1 million: Houston, San&nbsp;Antonio, and Dallas.<ref name=PopEstBigCities>{{cite web |url=http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2006–01.csv |title=Table 1: Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places Over 100,000, Ranked by July 1, 2006 Population: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006 |format=[[comma-separated values|CSV]] |work=2005 Population Estimates |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division |date=2008-06-10 |accessdate=2008-06-10}}</ref> These three rank among the 10 largest cities of the United States. Austin, Fort&nbsp;Worth, and El Paso rank among the top 25 [[List of United States cities by population|largest U.S. cities]]. Three [[Interstate Highway System|interstate highways]]{{ndash}} [[Interstate 35 (Texas)|I-35]] to the west (Dallas-Fort Worth to San Antonio), [[Interstate 45 (Texas)|I-45]] to the east (Dallas to Houston), and [[Interstate 10 (Texas)|I-10]] to the south (San Antonio to Houston) forms the [[Texas Urban Triangle]] region. The region contains most of the state's largest cities and metropolitan areas, as well as nearly 75 percent of Texas's total population.<ref name="urbantriangle">{{cite web | last = Neuman | first = Michael | title = The Texas Urban Triangle: Framework for Future Growth | publisher = Southwest Region University Transportation Center (SWUTC) | url = http://swutc.tamu.edu/projectdescriptions/167166.htm | format = HTML | accessdate = 2008-10-14}}</ref>
-===Justice system===
+In contrast to the cities, Texas has rural, unincorporated settlements called [[Colonia (border settlement)|colonias]] with often lack basic [[infrastructure]] and are marked by [[poverty]].<ref name="Colonias">{{cite web| url= http://www.sos.state.tx.us/border/colonias/faqs.shtml| title= Colonias FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)| accessdate = 2008-10-12| author = Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Office of Community Affairs| publisher= Texas Secretary of State}}</ref> As of 2007, Texas had at least 2,294 colonias, located primarily along the state's {{convert|1248|mi|km|sing=on}} border with Mexico.<ref name="Colonias"/> In total, Texas has the largest concentration of people, approximately 400,000, living in colonias.
-{{main|Capital punishment in Texas}}
-The justice system in Texas has a strict sentencing for criminals. Texas leads the nation in executions, with 400 executions from 1982 to 2007.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/22/AR2007082202542.html|title=Texas Executes 400th Inmate|publisher=''[[The Washington Post]]''|accessdate=2007-08-22|date=2007-08-22|author=Graczyk, Michael}}</ref> Only [[capital murder]] is eligible for the death penalty. A bill making child rape a capital crime in some instances is currently under consideration.<ref>http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/4626812.html</ref> Prior to 2005, the alternate sentence was [[Life imprisonment|life]] with the possibility of [[parole]] after 40 calendar years; in 2005, the law was modified to make the alternate sentence life without parole.
-Known for their role in the history of Texas law enforcement, the [[Texas Ranger Division]] of the [[Texas Department of Public Safety]] continue today to provide special law enforcement services to the state. Texas Game Wardens—law enforcement officers working for the [[Texas Parks and Wildlife Department]]—are given the same amount of authority as any other law enforcement officer. It is a common myth that they are able to enter private property without a search warrant and search people or vehicles with no probable cause.{{fact|date=November 2007}}
+==Government and politics==
+The [[Texas Constitution]], adopted in 1876, like many [[State constitution (United States)|states]], explicitly provides separation of powers. Much longer than its federal [[United States Bill of Rights|counterpart]], the state's Bill of Rights has provisions unique to Texas.<ref name="BillofRights">{{cite web |title=Bill of Rights (Article 1} |work=Texas Politics |publisher=University of Texas |url=http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/7_4_2.html|format=HTML |accessdate=2008-10-13}}</ref>
-==Administrative divisions==
-[[Image:Texas counties map.gif|right|thumb|Map outlining 254 counties of Texas]]
-Texas has a total of 254 [[Counties of the United States|counties]]—the most of any state. Each county is run by a commissioners’ court consisting of four elected commissioners and a county judge elected from all the voters of the county. County government is similar to the "weak" [[mayor-council]] system; the county judge has no veto authority, but votes along with the other commissioners. All county elections are [[political parties|partisan]].
-Unlike other states, Texas does not allow for consolidated city-county governments, nor does it have a form of [[metropolitan government]]. 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 and the Texas Constitution.
+===State government===
+{{main|Government of Texas}}
+{{see also|List of Texas state agencies}}
+[[Image:Texas capitol day.jpg|left|thumb|[[Texas State Capitol]]]]
+Texas has a plural [[executive branch]] system which limits the power of the Governor. Except for the [[Secretary of State of Texas|Secretary of State]], voters elect executive officers independently making candidates directly answerable to the public, not the Governor.<ref name="pluralexec">{{cite web |year=2005|title=The Plural Executive|work=Texas Politics| publisher=University of Texas|url=http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/1_9_0.html |accessdate=2008-05-07}}</ref> This election system has led to some executive branches split between parties. When [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] President [[George W. Bush]] served as Texas's governor, the state had a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] Lieutenant Governor, [[Bob Bullock]]. The executive branch positions consists of the [[List of Governors of Texas|Governor]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Texas|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.<ref name="pluralexec"/>
-Texas does not have townships—areas within a county are either incorporated or unincorporated. Incorporated areas are part of a city, though the city may contract with the county for needed services. Unincorporated areas are not part of a city; in these areas, the county has authority for law enforcement and road maintenance. Cities are classified as either "general law" or "home rule." A city may elect home rule status (draft an independent city charter) once it exceeds 5,000 population and the voters agree to home rule. Otherwise, it is classified as general law and has very limited powers. All municipal elections in Texas are [[nonpartisan]]. Once a city elects home rule status, it keeps that status even if the population later falls below 5,000.
+The [[bicameral]] [[Texas Legislature]] consists of the [[Texas House of Representatives|House of Representatives]], with 150 members, and a [[Texas Senate|Senate]], with 31 members. The [[Speaker of the House]] leads the House, and the Lieutenant Governor, the Senate.<ref name="Legislature Members">{{cite web|year=2005|title=Membership|work=Texas Politics |publisher=University of Texas|url=http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/2_2_4.html |accessdate=2008-06-17}}</ref> The Legislature meets in regular session biennially, but the Governor can call for special sessions as often as desired.<ref name="Special Sessions">{{cite web|year=2005|title=Special Sessions|work=Texas Politics |publisher=University of Texas|url=http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/2_2_2.html |accessdate=2008-06-17}}</ref> The state's [[fiscal year]] spans from the previous calendar year's September 1 to the current year's August 31. Thus, the FY 2008 dates from September 1, 2007 through August 31, 2008.
-{{see also|List of Texas counties|List of Texas county name etymologies|List of Texas county seat name etymologies}}
+The [[Texas judicial system|judicial system of Texas]] is one of the most complex in the United States, with many layers and overlapping jurisdictions. Texas has two courts of last resort: the [[Texas Supreme Court]], for civil cases, and the [[Texas Court of Criminal Appeals]]. Except for some municipal benches, partisan elections select judges at all levels of the judiciary; the Governor fills vacancies by appointment.<ref name="Judiciary">{{Handbook of Texas|id=JJ/msf1|name=Judiciary}}</ref> Although only [[capital murder]] is eligible for the death penalty, Texas leads the nation in executions, 400, from 1982 to 2007.<ref name="CPunish">{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/22/AR2007082202542.html|title=Texas Executes 400th Inmate|publisher=''[[The Washington Post]]''|accessdate=2007-08-22|date=2007-08-22|author=Graczyk, Michael}}</ref> 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.
-==Economy==
+===Politics===
-{{main|Economy of Texas}}
+{{main|Politics of Texas}}
-In 2006, Texas had a [[gross domestic product|gross state product]] of $1.09 trillion,<ref>http://www.cpa.state.tx.us/ecodata/ecoind/ecoind5.html#product</ref> the [[List of U.S. states by GDP (nominal)|second]] highest in the U.S. after [[California]], after recently surpassing New York state.<ref>http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrel/gspnewsrelease.htm</ref> [[Gross state product]] per capita as of 2005 was $42,975. Texas leads the nation in number of cattle, which usually exceed 16 million head. Cotton is the leading crop and the state's second-most-valuable farm product. Texas also leads in national production of grain sorghum, watermelons, cabbages, and spinach. Wheat, corn, and other grains are also important.
+[[Image:Lbj2.jpg|right|thumb|Lyndon B. Johnson, Texan and 36th president of the United States]]
+Like in other [[Solid South|"Solid South"]] states, whites resented the Republican Party after the American Civil War. After regaining power near the end of Reconstruction, the Democratic Party held a monolithic political presence in Texas until the late 20th century. When President [[Lyndon Johnson]] signed the [[Civil Rights Act of 1964]], he reportedly said "We have lost the South for a generation".<ref name="SouthWon">{{cite web |last=Risen |first=Clay |date =2006-03-05 |year=2006 |title=How the South was won |publisher=The Boston Globe |url=http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2006/03/05/how_the_south_was_won/ |accessdate=2008-04-29}}</ref> Scholars attribute the change to the success of Nixon's [[Southern Strategy]].
-[[Image:Texas quarter, reverse side, 2004.jpg|thumb|left|The "tails" side of the Texas quarter]]
+As of the [[United States general elections, 2008|general elections of 2008]], a large majority the members of Texas's [[U.S. House of Representatives|U.S. House]] delegation are Republican, and both [[U.S. Senators]] are Republicans. In the [[111th United States Congress]], Of the 32 [[Texas Congressional Districts|congressional districts in Texas]], 20 are held by Republicans and 12 by Democrats. Texas' Senators are [[Kay Bailey Hutchison]] and [[John Cornyn]]. Since 1994, Texans have not elected a Democrat to a statewide office. The state's Democratic presence comes primarily from [[minority groups]] and urban voters, particularly in Austin, San Antonio, and Houston.
-Texas's growth is often attributed to the availability of jobs, the low cost of housing (housing values in the Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio areas, while generally rising, have not risen at the astronomical rates of other cities such as San Francisco), the lack of a personal [[state income tax]], low taxation and limited regulation of [[business]], a geographic location in the center of the country, limited government (the [[Texas Legislature]] meets only once every two years), favorable climate in many areas of the state, and vast, plentiful supplies of oil and natural gas. The known petroleum deposits of Texas are about 8 billion barrels, which makes up approximately one-third of the known U. S. supply. Texas has 4.6 billion barrels of proven crude [[Petroleum|oil]] reserves.<ref name="Petrol">{{cite web|url= http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/state/tx.html|title= Petroleum Profile: Texas|accessdate= 11|accessmonthday= 07|accessyear= 2006|author= |last=|first=|authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher= |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate=}}</ref> There are currently 33 billionaires residing in Texas today. Dallas has 11 billionaires, the most of any city in Texas.
-[[Image:Texas economy.gif|thumb|right|Houston is shown as having Texas's strongest economy.]]
+The Texas political atmosphere leans towards [[fiscal conservatism|fiscal]] and [[social conservatism]].<ref name="TPoliticalCulture1">{{cite web |title=Texas Political Culture - Introduction |work=Texas Politics |publisher=University of Texas |url=http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/10_1_0.html |format= |accessdate=2008-05-29}}</ref><ref name="TPoliticalCulture2">{{cite web |title=Texas Political Culture - Low Taxes, Low Services Political Culture |work=Texas Politics |publisher=University of Texas |url=http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/10_2_1.html |format= |accessdate=2008-10-13}}</ref> Since 1980, most of Texas voters have supported Republican Presidential candidates. In 2000 and 2004, Republican George W. Bush won Texas with 60.1% of the vote due in part to his a "favorite son" status as a the Governor of the state. [[John McCain]] won the state in [[United States presidential election, 2008|2008]], but in a smaller margin compared to Bush (55%-44%). Austin consistently leans Democratic in both local and statewide elections. [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] and [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]] remains approximately split. Counties along the Rio Grande often vote Democratic.<ref name="2000electionresults">{{cite web |url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2000&fips=48&f=1&off=0&elect=0 |title=2000 Presidential General Election Results - Texas |publisher=www.uselectionatlas.org |accessdate=2008-07-22}}</ref><ref name="2004electionresults">{{cite web |url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2004&fips=48&f=1&off=0&elect=0 |title=2004 Presidential General Election Results - Texas |publisher=www.uselectionatlas.org |accessdate=2007-07-22}}</ref>
-Texas remained largely rural until [[World War II]], with [[ranching|cattle ranching]], oil, and [[farming|agriculture]] as its main industries. The sprawling 320,000 deeded [[acre]] (1,200 km²) ''La Escalera Ranch'' is located 20 miles south of [[Fort Stockton]], [[Texas]] is today one of the largest cattle [[ranches]] in Texas and the Southwestern United States.
+===Administrative divisions===
-[[Cattle ranching]] was never Texas's chief industry – before the oil boom back to the period of the first Anglo settlers, the chief industry was [[cotton]] farming (as in most of the South). After [[World War II]], Texas became increasingly industrialized. Its economy today relies largely on information technology, oil and natural gas, fuel processing, electric power, [[agriculture]], and manufacturing. The major segment of the economy depends largely on the region involved – for example, the [[timber industry]] is a major portion of the [[East Texas]] economy but a non-factor elsewhere, while [[Houston]], the state's largest urban economic enclave stands at the center of the [[petrochemical]], [[biomedical]] research trades, and aerospace (particularly [[NASA]]). Meanwhile, Dallas houses the state's predominant [[Defense industry|defense]] manufacturing interests and the expansive [[information technology]] labor market.
+[[Image:Texas counties map.gif|left|thumb|Map outlining 254 counties of Texas]]
+{{see also|List of Texas counties|List of United States congressional districts#Texas}}
+Texas has 32 congressional districts, the second-most after California. There are 254 [[Counties of the United States|counties]]&mdash;the most nationwide. Each county runs on [[Commissioners' Court]] system consisting of four elected commissioners and a county judge. County government runs similar to a "weak" [[mayor-council]] system; the county judge has no veto authority, but votes along with the other commissioners.
-[[Image:4233-03.jpg|thumb|right|[[Port of Houston]].]]
+Texas does not allow consolidated city-county governments, nor does it have [[metropolitan government]]s. The state permits cities and counties to enter "interlocal agreements" to share services. Counties are not granted [[home rule]] status; their powers are strictly defined by state law. The state does not have [[townships]]&mdash; areas within a county are either incorporated or unincorporated. Incorporated areas are part of a municipality. The county provides limited services to unincorporated areas. Municipalities are classified either "general law" cities or "home rule".<ref name="homerule">McDonald, John V., "An Analysis of Texas' Municipal Home Rule Charters Since 1994" (2000). Applied Research Projects. Paper 124. http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/124/</ref> A municipality may elect home rule status once it exceeds 5,000 population with voter approval. Municipal elections are [[nonpartisan]].<ref name="reqvote">{{cite web |title=Run for Party Nomination to Public Office |work=Texas Politics |publisher=University of Texas |url=http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/4_6_2.html|format=HTML |accessdate=2008-10-12}}</ref>
-Texas has more [[Fortune 500]] company headquarters (56) than any other state except New York, which has 57.<ref>http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2007/states/TX.html</ref> This has been attributed to both the growth in population in Texas and the rise of oil prices in 2005, which resulted in the growth in revenues of many Texas oil drilling and processing companies.
+==Economy==
+[[Image:NASA Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory Astronaut Training.jpg|right|thumb|The [[Johnson Space Center]]]]
+{{main|Economy of 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. Since the discovery of oil, the state's economy reflected the state of the [[petroleum]] industry. 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 associated with [[urban sprawl]].<ref name="economy1">{{cite web |title=Economic Geography |work=Texas Politics |publisher=University of Texas| url=http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/9_3_2.html|format=HTML |accessdate=2008-10-13}}</ref>
-In 2006, for the fifth year in a row, Texas was ranked as the number one state by 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. In 2002, the [[Port of Houston]] was 6th among the top sea ports in the world in terms of total cargo volume;<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.aapa-ports.org/pdf/WORLD_PORT_RANKINGS_2002.xls| title=World Port Rankings 2002, by metric tons and by TEUs| publisher=American Association of Port Authorities| accessdate=2006-07-26}}</ref> ''Air Cargo World'' rated [[Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport]] as "the best air cargo airport in the world".<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.aircargoworld.com/features/0306_2.htm| title= Air Cargo World's Air Cargo Excellence Survey| publisher=Air Cargo World| accessdate=2006-04-29}}</ref>
+Texas has a "low taxes, low services" reputation.<ref name="TPoliticalCulture1"/> According the [[Tax Foundation]], Texan's state and local tax burdens rank among the lowest in the nation, 7th lowest nationally, with state and local taxes costing $3,580 per capita, or 8.7% of resident incomes.<ref name="TaxFound">{{cite web | title = Texas | work = Research Areas | publisher = The Tax Foundation | year = 2008 | url = http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/topic/60.html | format = HTML | accessdate = 2008-10-15}}</ref> Texas, along with only 6 other states, does not have a [[state income tax]].<ref name="TaxFound"/><ref name="incometax>{{cite web | title = State Individual Income Taxes | publisher = Federation of Tax Administrators | url = http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/ind_inc.html | format = HTML | accessdate = 2008-10-12}}</ref> The state has a [[sales tax]] rate, 6.25%, above the national medium, with many localities adding to this percentage.<ref name="TaxFound"/> As for Texas's business tax climate, the state ranks 8th in the nation.<ref name="TaxFound"/> While Texas does not have state [[property tax]]es, local versions generally rate above the national average.<ref name="TaxFound"/> Texas is a "tax donor state"; in 2005, for every dollar Texans pay to the federal government in [[Income tax in the United States|federal income taxes]], the state receives back approximately $0.94 in benefits back.<ref name="TaxFound"/>
-Texans pride themselves in a history of tradition, yet they also seek new social and technological developments. [[Round Rock, Texas|Round Rock]] (an Austin suburb) is the headquarters of [[Dell, Inc.|Dell]] and the surrounding area is known as "Silicon Hills." Dallas is a famously cosmopolitan metropolis and the birthplace of the [[integrated circuit]], and Houston is a global leader in the energy industry. The cultures of San Antonio and El Paso retain their Mexican heritage while Fort Worth maintains its western roots. With a nod to its diversity and its past as a sovereign nation, the state tourism slogan is "Texas: It's like a whole other country."  Since 2003, Texas state officials have placed emphasis on developing the [[economy of Texas]] with various initiatives such as the [[Texas Enterprise Fund]] and the [[Texas Emerging Technology Fund]], which invest money into developing Texas business.
+In 2004, the ''Site Selection magazine'' ranked Texas as the most business friendly state in the nation. A big reason for this ranking comes from the state's three billion dollar, [[Texas Enterprise Fund]].<ref name="1businessclimate">{{cite web |last=Arend |first=Mark |title=The Lone Star States Tops Business Climate Ranking |month =November | year=2004 |url=http://www.siteselection.com/issues/2004/nov/p746/ |accessdate=2008-05-02}}.</ref> In the fourth quarter of 2006, Texas had a [[gross domestic product|gross state product]] of $1.09 trillion, the [[List of U.S. states by GDP (nominal)|second]] highest in the U.S.<ref name="GSP">{{cite web |last=Combs |first=Susan |title=Gross State Product |work=Window on State Government |publisher=Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts |year =2006 |url=http://www.texasahead.org/economy/indicators/ecoind/ecoind5.html#product |format=HTML |accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref><ref name="GSP2">{{cite press release |title=Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by State |publisher=Bureau of Economic Analysis |date =2006-10-26 |url=http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrel/gspnewsrelease.htm |accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref> [[Gross state product]] per capita as of 2005 was $42,975. The state holds the most [[Fortune 500]] company headquarters in the United States.<ref name="texasfortune500_1">{{cite news| title = Texas passes New York on Fortune 500 list | work = Associated Press | publisher = Dallas Morning News| date = 2008-04-22 | url = http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/042208dnbusfortunetexas.20aec09.html| accessdate = 2008-10-14}}</ref><ref name="texasfortune500_2">{{cite web |url=http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/states/T.html|title=Fortune 500 2006 |accessdate=2007-02-16|publisher=CNN|year=2006}}</ref>
-Texas is one of the top filmmaking states in the United States, just after [[California]] and [[New York]]. [[Austin, Texas|Austin]] is now one of the leading filmmaking locations in the country. During 1995-2004, more than $2.75 billion has been spent in Texas for film and television production.
+===Agriculture and mining===
-The [[Texas Film Commission]] was founded for free services to filmmakers, from location research to traveling.<ref name="Film">{{cite web|url= http://www.governor.state.tx.us/divisions/film/faq/economics.htm|title= Texas Film Commission|accessdate= 11|accessmonthday= 07|accessyear= 2006|author= |last=|first=|authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher= |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate=}}</ref>
+[[Image:TexasLonghornCattle.jpg|left|thumb|A [[Texas longhorn (cattle)|Texas longhorn]]]]
+Agriculturally, Texas has the most farms both in number and acreage in the United States.<ref name="netstateecon">{{cite web |title=The Texas Economy |publisher=netstate.com |date =2007-06-05 |url=http://www.netstate.com/economy/tx_economy.htm |format=HTML |accessdate=2008-04-29}}</ref> Texas leads the nation [[livestock]] production.<ref name="netstateecon"/> Cattle is the state's most valuable agricultural product, but the state also leads nationally in production of sheep and goat products. Texas leads as [[King Cotton|king of cotton]] leading that nation in production of its leading crop and second-most-valuable farm product.<ref name="netstateecon"/> The state also grows significant amounts of [[cereal]] crops and [[produce]].<ref name="netstateecon"/> Texas also has a large commercial fishing industry. With mineral resources, Texas leads in creating cement, crushed stone, lime, salt, sand and gravel.<ref name="netstateecon"/>
-{{see also|List of military installations in Texas}}
+===Energy===
+[[Image:Oil well.jpg|right|thumb|An oil well]]
+{{see also|Deregulation of the Texas electricity market}}
+According to the [[Energy Information Administration]], Texans consume the most energy in the nation both in per capita and as a whole.<ref name="Petrol"/> Since 2002, Texas [[Deregulation of the Texas electricity market|deregulated]] its electric service.
-==Demographics==
+The [[Railroad Commission of Texas]], contrary to its name, regulates the state's [[oil industry|oil and gas industry]], gas utilities, pipeline safety, safety in the [[liquefied petroleum gas]] industry, and surface [[coal]] and [[uranium]] mining. Until the 1970s, the commission had enormous control the price of petroleum because of its ability to regulate Texas's 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.<ref name="RRcommission">{{Handbook of Texas |id=RR/mdr1 |name=Railroad Commission}}</ref>
-{{main|Demographics of Texas}}
-[[Image:Texas population map.png|thumb|right|Texas Population Density Map]]
-As of 2006, the state has an estimated population of 23,507,783, an increase of 579,275 (2.5%) from the prior year and an increase of 2,655,993 (12.7%) since the year 2000. In all three subcategories—natural (births less deaths), net [[immigration]], and net migration—Texas has seen an increase in population. The natural increase since the last census was 1,389,275 people (2,351,909 births minus 962,634 deaths), [[Immigration to the United States|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. The state passed New York in the 1990s to become the second-largest U.S. state in population (after California).
-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 immigration to the United States|illegal immigrant]]s (illegal immigrants account for more than one-third of the foreign-born population in Texas and 5.4 percent of the total state population).
+The state has known petroleum deposits of about {{convert|5|Goilbbl|m3}}, which makes up approximately one-fourth of the known U.S. reserves.<ref name="Petrol"/> Texas refineries can process {{convert|4.6|Moilbbl|m3}} of oil a day.<ref name="Petrol">{{cite web |title=Texas Quick Facts |publisher=Energy Information Administration |date =|url=http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=TX|title=Petroleum Profile: Texas|accessdate=2008-04-29}}</ref> With well depletion in the eastern portions of the state, drilling in state has moved westward.<ref name="netstateecon"/> Several [[List of petroleum companies|petroleum companies]] are based in Texas such as: [[Conoco-Phillips]], [[Exxon-Mobil]], [[Halliburton]], [[Valero Energy Corporation|Valero]], and [[Marathon Oil]].
-===Race and ethnic origins===
+Texas leads in [[natural gas]] production producing one-fourth of the nation's supply.<ref name="Petrol"/>
-[[Image:Houston International Festival.jpg|thumb|left|The annual Houston International Festival spotlights a different culture each year]]
-As of the 2005 US Census estimates, the racial distribution in Texas are as follows: 84.14% [[White American|White]]; 12.09% [[African American]] or [[Africans in the United States|African]]; 3.62% [[Asian American|Asian]]; 0.17% [[Native Hawaiian]] or [[Pacific Islander]]; and 1.1% [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|American Indian]] or Alaskan Native.<ref>http://www.census.gov/popest/states/asrh/tables/SC-EST2005-03-48.csv</ref>  Persons of [[Hispanics in the United States|Hispanic]] origin accounted for 35.31 percent of the population and may be of any race.
-The largest reported ancestry groups in Texas include: [[Mexican American|Mexican]] (25.3%), [[German American|German]] (10.9%), [[African American]] (10.5%),  [[English American|English]] (7.2%), and [[Scots-Irish American|Scots-Irish]] (7.2%). Descendants from some of these ancestry groups is underreported.
+The state also leads in [[renewable energy]] sources producing the most [[wind power in Texas|wind power]] nationwide.<ref name="Petrol"/><ref name="wind2">{{cite web |last=Souder |first=Elizabeth |title=Texas leads nation in wind power capacity |newspaper =Dallas Morning News |year=2007 |date =01/08 |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/011808dnbuswindpower.30c78959.html}}</ref>
-Much of east, central, and north Texas is inhabited by [[White (people)|White]] [[Protestant]] heritage, primarily descended from ancestors from [[Great Britain]] and [[Ireland]]. Much of central and southeast-central Texas is inhabited by whites of German descent. African Americans, who historically made up one-third of the state population, are concentrated in those parts of East Texas where the cotton plantation culture was most prominent prior to the [[American Civil War]], as well as in Dallas and Houston.
+===Technology===
+[[Image:GodPod.jpg|left|thumb|Electronic Data Systems headquarters in [[Plano, Texas|Plano]], [[Texas]].]]
+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 Austin area is nicknamed the "Silicon Hills" and the north Dallas area the "[[Silicon Prairie]]". Texas has the headquarters of many high technology companies, such as [[Dell, Inc.]], [[Texas Instruments]], [[Perot Systems]], AT&T, and [[Electronic Data Systems]] (EDS). As for [[emerging technologies]], in 2008, FierceBiotech ranked Texas as one of the top five biotechnology states.<ref name="Biotech1">{{cite web|last=Carroll |first=John |title=Top Five Regions Targeting Biotech Companies - 2008 |publisher=FierceBiotech |date=2008-02-19 |url=http://www.fiercebiotech.com/special-reports/top-five-regions-targeting-biotech-companies-2008-0 |format=HTML |accessdate=2008-05-03}}</ref>
-Other population groups in Texas also exhibit great diversity. Frontier Texas saw settlements of [[Germans]], particularly in [[Fredericksburg, Texas|Fredericksburg]] and [[New Braunfels, Texas|New Braunfels]]. After the [[revolutions of 1848|European revolutions of 1848]], German, [[Polish American|Polish]], [[Swedish American|Swedish]], [[Norwegian American|Norwegian]], [[Czech American|Czech]] and [[French Americans|French]] immigration grew, and continued until [[World War I]]. The influence of the diverse [[Immigration to the United States|immigrants]] from Europe survives in the names of towns, styles of architecture, genres of music, and varieties of cuisine. Lavaca County is predominantly [[Czechs|Czech]].
+[[Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center]] (JSC), operated by the [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration]] (NASA), located in Southeast Houston, sits as the crown jewel of Texas's aeronautics industry. [[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]], [[Texas]] hosts both [[Lockheed Martin|Lockheed Martin's]] [[Lockheed Martin Aeronautics|Aeronautics division]] and [[Bell Helicopter Textron]].<ref name="LM1">{{cite web |title=Locations |publisher=Lockheed Martin |accessdate=2008-05-22 |url=http://www.lockheedmartin.com/aeronautics/about/Locations.html}}</ref><ref name="Bell">{{cite web |title=About Bell Helicopter |publisher=Bell Helicopter |accessdate=2008-05-22 |url=http://www.bellhelicopter.com/en/company/}}</ref> Lockheed builds the [[F-16 Fighting Falcon]], the largest Western fighter program, and its successor, the [[F-35 Lightning II]] in Fort Worth.<ref name="Downside">{{cite web |last=Rosenwald |first=Michael S. |date=2007-12-17 |year=2007 |title=Downside of Dominance? |publisher=The Washington Post |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/16/AR2007121601522.html |accessdate=2008-05-22}}</ref>
-More than one-third of Texas residents are of [[Hispanic]] origin and may be of any racial group. Its population in Texas is increasing as more [[illegal immigration|illegal immigrants]]—primarily from far southern Mexico and Central America—look for work in Texas. Some are recent arrivals from Latin America, while others, known as [[Tejanos]] in English, have ancestors who have lived in Texas since before Texan independence, or at least for several generations. Hispanics dominate south, south-central, and west Texas and are a significant part of the residents in San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas. The influx of illegal immigration is partially responsible for Texas having a population younger than the union average.
+===Commerce===
+Texas's [[Affluence in the United States|affluence]] stimulates a strong commercial sector consisting of retail, wholesale, banking and insurance, and construction industries. Examples of Fortune 500 companies not based on Texas traditional industries are: [[AT&T]], [[Men's Warehouse]], [[Landry's Restaurants]], [[Kimberly-Clark]], [[Blockbuster]], [[Whole Foods Market]], and [[Tenet Healthcare]].<ref name="fortune500_2">{{cite web |title=Texas |publisher=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune Magazine]] |date=2007-04-30 |url=http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2007/states/TX.html |format=HTML |accessdate=2008-05-03}}</ref>
+Nationally, the Dallas–Fort Worth area, home to the second shopping center ever built in the United States, [[Highland Park Village]], has the most [[shopping centers]] per capita than any metropolitan area.<ref name="VisitDallas_Shopping">{{cite web | title = Dallas Shopping | publisher = Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau | url = http://www.visitdallas.com/downloads/1224091342.02416300_679fbde386/DallasShopping.pdf | format = PDF | accessdate = 2008-02-20}}</ref>
-In recent years, the [[Asian American|Asian]] population in Texas has grown—primarily in Houston and Dallas. People with ancestry from [[Cambodian American|Cambodia]], [[Indian American|India]], [[Vietnamese American|Vietnam]], [[Chinese people|China]], [[Filipino people|the Philippines]], [[Korean people|Korea]], and [[Japanese people|Japan]] make up the largest Asian American groups in Texas.
+[[North American Free Trade Agreement]] (NAFTA) contributes to Mexico, the state's largest trading partner, importing a third of the state's exports. NAFTA has encouraged the formation of controversial [[maquiladoras]] on the Texas/Mexico border.<ref name="economy2">{{cite web|title=Recent Economic Transformations |work=Texas Politics |publisher=University of Texas |url=http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/9_3_3.html|format=HTML |accessdate=2008-10-13}}</ref>
-===Largest cities===
+==Transportation==
-{{see also|List of cities in Texas|Population of Texas cities in 2000|List of Texas metropolitan areas}}
+{{main|Transportation in Texas}}
+Texans have historically had difficulties traversing Texas due to the state's large size and rough terrain. Texas has compensated by building both the America's largest [[highway]] and railway systems in terms of mileage, as well as the largest number of airports.<ref name="AdvaTransport">{{cite web |title=Texas-Transportation |publisher=Advamag, Inc. |year =2007 |url=http://www.city-data.com/states/Texas-Transportation.html |format=HTML |accessdate=2006-05-04}}</ref> The [[regulatory authority]], the [[Texas Department of Transportation]] (TxDOT), "work[s] cooperatively to provide safe, effective and efficient movement of people and goods."<ref name="texdotmission">{{cite web |title=Mission and Vision |publisher=Texas Department of Transportation |url=http://www.dot.state.tx.us/about_us/mission.htm |format=HTML |accessdate=2008-04-29}}</ref> Though most widely known for maintenance of the state's immense highway system, the agency also regulates [[aviation]],<ref name="texdotaviation">{{cite web |title=Aviation Division |publisher=Texas Department of Transportation |url=http://www.dot.state.tx.us/services/aviation/default.htm |format=HTML |accessdate=2008-04-29}}</ref> and [[public transportation]] systems.<ref name="texdottransport">{{cite web |title=Transportation Division |publisher=Texas Department of Transportation |url=http://www.dot.state.tx.us/services/public_transportation/default.htm |format=HTML |accessdate=2008-04-29}}</ref>
-The largest cities figure prominently in the economy, culture, and heritage of Texas, the American [[Southern United States|South]] and [[Western United States|Southwest]]. As of 2000, six incorporated places in Texas had populations greater than 500,000, of which two are [[global city|global cities]]: Houston and Dallas.<ref>http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/citylist.html</ref> Texas has a total of [[List of Texas metropolitan areas|25 metropolitan areas]], with four having populations over 1 million and two over 5 million.
-Texas is the only state in the U.S. to have three cities with populations exceeding 1 million: Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas; which are also among the 10 largest cities of the [[United States]]. [[Austin, Texas|Austin]] and Fort Worth are in the top 20 largest U.S. cities.<ref>[[List of United States cities by population]]</ref>
+Texas's central location within the North American continent has made it an important [[transportation hub]]. From the Dallas/Fort Worth area, trucks can reach 93 percent of the nation's population within 48 hours, and 37 percent within 24.<ref name="JDFTransport">{{cite web |title=5 Reasons To Choose the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex As A Distribution Hub |publisher=JDF Distribution |url=http://jdfdistribution.com/pdf/dallas-for-distribution.pdf?doc=dfd.pdf |format=PDF|accessdate=2008-10-14}}</ref> Texas benefits from its central location between four of the continent's major economic centers: New York, Los Angeles, Mexico City, and Toronto.<ref name="JDFTransport"/> Texas has the most [[Special Economic Zone|foreign trade zones]] (FTZ), in the nation, 33.<ref name="FTZ1">{{cite web | publication-date = August 2007 |title=Texas and General Foreign Trade Zones Information |publisher=Office of the Governor of Texas |url=http://www.texasone.us/site/DocServer/Texas_FTZs_Document_2007.pdf?docID=2221 |accessdate=2008-06-21}}</ref> In 2004 a combined total of $298 billion of goods passed though Texas FTZ's.<ref name="FTZ1"/>
-[[Image:Downtown Houston 7.jpg|thumb|Houston]]
+===Highways===
-[[Image:Downtown-san-antonio.jpeg|thumb|San Antonio]]
+[[Image:45intoI-10 2.jpg|thumb|left|I-10 and I-45 interchange in Houston]]
-[[Image:Xvisionx Dallas Stemmons.jpg|thumb||Dallas]]
+{{main|Texas state highways}}
-{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"
+Texans have heavily traveled their [[freeway]]s since the 1948 opening of the [[Gulf Freeway]] in Houston.<ref name="txfwy">
-|- style="background:#efefef;"
+{{cite web | title = Interstate 45 South, the Gulf Freeway | publisher = TexasFreeway.com | date=2001-05-28 | url = http://www.texasfreeway.com/Houston/photos/45s/i45s.shtml | format = HTML | accessdate = 2008-10-15}}</ref> As of 2005 {{convert|79535|mi|km|0}} of public highway crisscrossed Texas (up from {{convert|71000|mi|km|0}} in 1984).<ref name="highwaymiles">{{cite web |title=LoneStarRoads - Highways of Texas |publisher=AARoads |date=2008-02-09 |url=http://www.aaroads.com/texas/ |format=html |doi= |accessdate=2008-04-20}}</ref> There are currently 17 [[List of Toll Roads in the United States#Texas|toll roads in Texas]], with several additional [[tollway]]s proposed.<ref name="tollways2">{{cite web |title=Global List of Toll Facilities - United States |publisher=International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association |year =2005 |url=http://www.ibtta.org/Information/content.cfm?ItemNumber=2530 |format=HTML |accessdate=2008-04-20}}</ref> In the west Texas, both I-10 and [[Interstate 20 (Texas)|I-20]] have speed limits of [[Speed_limits_in_the_United_States#75_mph_and_80_mph_limits|{{convert|80|mph|km/h}}]], the highest in the nation.<ref name="speedlimit">{{cite web |title=Texas Raises Rural Speed Limits to 80 MPH{{ndash}} |publisher=FOXNews.com / Associated Press |date=2006-05-08 |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,197072,00.html |format=HTML |accessdate=2008-05-12}}</ref>
-! Texas<br/>rank !! U.S.<br/>rank !! align=center |City !! Population<br/><small> within<br/>city limits</small> !! Land Area<br/><small> sq miles (km²)</small> !! Texas<br/>Region !! U.S.<br/>Region
-|-
-| 1 || 4 ||align=left | [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] || '''2,144,491''' || 601.7 sq mi<br/>(1,558 km²) || [[East Texas]] || [[Southern United States|South]]
-|-
-| 2 || 7 ||align=left | [[San Antonio, Texas|San Antonio]] || '''1,256,509''' || 412.1 sq mi<br/>(1,067 km²) || [[South Texas]]  || [[Western United States|Southwest]]
-|-
-| 3 || 9 ||align=left | [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]] || '''1,213,825''' || 385.0 sq mi<br/>(997 km²) || [[North Texas]] || [[Southern United States|South]]
-|-
-| 4 || 16 ||align=left | [[Austin, Texas|Austin]] || '''709,893''' || 258.4 sq mi <br/>(669 km²) || [[Central Texas]] || [[Western United States|Southwest]]
-|-
-| 5 || 19 ||align=left | [[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]] || '''624,067''' || 298.9 sq mi <br/>(774 km²) || [[North Texas]] || [[Western United States|Southwest]]
-|-
-| 6 || 21 ||align=left | [[El Paso, Texas|El Paso]] || '''609,415''' || 250.5 sq mi <br/>(649 km²) || [[West Texas]] || [[Western United States|Southwest]]
-|-
-| 7 || 50 ||align=left | [[Arlington, Texas|Arlington]] || '''362,805''' || 99.0 sq mi <br/>(257 km²) || [[North Texas]] || [[Western United States|Southwest]]
-|-
-| 8 || 64 ||align=left | [[Corpus Christi, Texas|Corpus Christi]] || '''283,474''' || 460.2 sq mi <br/>(1,192 km²) || [[South Texas]] || [[Southwestern United States|Southwest]]
-|-
-| 9 || 70 ||align=left | [[Plano, Texas|Plano]] || '''250,096''' || 71.6 sq mi <br/>(186 km²) || [[North Texas]] || [[Southern United States|South]]
-|-
-| 10 || 86 ||align=left | [[Garland, Texas|Garland]] || '''216,346''' || 57.1 sq mi <br/>(148 km²) || [[North Texas]] || [[Southern United States|South]]
-|}
-==Culture==
+===Airports===
-{{main|Culture of Texas}}
+{{see also|List of airports in Texas}}
-[[Image:Big Tex.JPG|thumb|right|[[Big Tex]] has presided over every [[State Fair of Texas|Texas State Fair]] since 1952]]
+[[Image:Dfw airport.jpg|thumb|right|Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport]]
-Due to immigration in the United States history, the culture of Texas has been a [[melting pot]] of different cultures around the world. Texas is a diverse and an international place to live, in part because of its many academic institutions and strong biomedical, energy, manufacturing and aerospace industries.
+Texas has the most airports of any state in the nation.<ref name="AdvaTransport"/> Largest of these is [[Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport]] (DFW), the second largest in the United States, and fourth largest in the world.<ref name="DFWAir">{{cite web |url=http://www.dfwairport.com/visitor/index.php?ctnid=24254 |title=Facts about DFW |accessdate=2008-10-14 |work=Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport}}</ref> In traffic, DFW is the busiest in the state, fourth in the United States,<ref name="GreatPlacesAvi">{{cite web|title=10 Great Places for Aviation and Aerospace|author=Jennifer LeClaire|work=Southern Business and Development|url=http://www.sb-d.com/archivesite/www.sb-d.com/issues/spring2007/features/10GreatPlacesForAviationAndAerospace.html|accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref> and sixth worldwide.<ref name="DFWAir2">{{cite web|title=Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport |work=USAToday| url=http://destinations.usatoday.com/dallas/| accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref> The airport serves 135 domestic destinations and 40 international. [[AMR Corporation]]s [[American Airlines|American]] / [[American Eagle Airlines|American Eagle]], the world's largest airline in total passengers-miles transported<ref name="AA1">Aviation Week and Space Technology, January 15, 2007, p. 349, </ref> and passenger fleet size,<ref name="AMR">{{cite web |title=American airlines information pictures and facts |publisher=aviationexplorer.com |date=2008-04-11 |url=http://www.aviationexplorer.com/american_airlines.htm |format=HTML |accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref> uses DFW as its largest and main [[Airline hub|hub]].
-There are many popular events held in Texas celebrating cultures of Texans. The annual [[Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo]] is held over 20 days from late February through early March. The event begins with trail rides that originate from several points throughout the state, all of which convene at [[Reliant Park]] for a barbecue cook-off. The rodeo includes typical rodeo events, as well as concert performances from major artists and carnival rides. The World’s first rodeo was held in [[Pecos, Texas]] on 4 July 1883. The [[Southwestern Livestock Show and Rodeo]] in [[Fort Worth, Texas]] lasts three weeks in late January and early February. It has many traditional rodeos, but also a cowboy rodeo, and a Mexican rodeo in recent years that each have a large fan base. The [[State Fair of Texas]] is held in [[Dallas, Texas]] each year at Fair Park.
+Texas's second-largest air facility Houston's [[George Bush Intercontinental Airport]] (IAH) serves as Houston based [[Continental Airlines]]'s largest hub. IAH offers service to the most Mexican destinations of any U.S. airport.<ref name="GBAir1">{{cite web|title=About George Bush Intercontinental Airport|publisher=Houston Airport System|url=http://www.houstonairportsystem.org/iahAbout|format=HTML|accessdate=2008-06-28}}</ref><ref name="GBAir2">{{cite press release|title=Houston Emerges As The Premier Gateway In The U.S. For Travelers To Mexico|publisher=Houston Airport System|date=2005-04-12|url=http://www.fly2houston.com/0/8178/0/1906D1940/|accessdate=2006-12-30}} </ref> IAH ranks third among U.S. airports with scheduled non-stop domestic and international service.<ref name="GBAir1"/>
-Texas has a vibrant live [[Music of Austin|music scene]] in [[Austin, Texas|Austin]] boasting more music venues per capita than any other U.S. city, befitting the city's official slogan as ''The Live Music Capital of the World''. Austin's music revolves around the many [[nightclub]]s on [[6th Street (Austin)|6th Street]] and an annual [[film]], music, and [[multimedia]] festival known as [[South by Southwest]]. The longest-running concert music program on American television, ''[[Austin City Limits]]'', is videotaped on [[The University of Texas at Austin]] campus or in Zilker Park. Austin City Limits and [[Waterloo Records]] run the [[Austin City Limits Music Festival]], an annual music and art festival held at [[Zilker Park]] in Austin.
+[[Southwest Airlines]], headquartered in Dallas, Texas, began its operations at [[Dallas Love Field]].<ref name="SW1">{{cite web |url=http://www.southwest.com/about_swa/airborne.html |title=We Weren't Just Airborne Yesterday |date=2007-05-02|publisher=Southwest Airlines |accessdate=2007-06-09}}</ref> It ranks as the largest airline in the United States by number of passengers carried domestically per year and the [[World's largest airlines#By scheduled passengers carried|largest airline in the world]] by number of passengers carried.<ref name="IATA">{{cite web |url=http://www.iata.org/pressroom/wats/wats_passengers_carried.htm |title=Scheduled Passengers Carried |author=[[International Air Transport Association]] |accessdate=2007-06-10}}</ref> The [[Wright Amendment]] of 1979, limits the airline's growth from its original hub.<ref name="wright">{{cite web |url=http://www.asp.usatoday.com/community/profile.htm?UID=ebb13abbd48dd5df |title=Flights up, fares down one year after Wright Amendment changes |publisher=[[USA Today]] |date =2007-10-01 |url=http://blogs.usatoday.com/sky/2007/10/wright.html |format=HTML |accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref>
-Over the past couple of decades, [[San Antonio, Texas|San Antonio]] evolved into what has been billed as the "Nashville of [[Tejano music]]." The [[Tejano Music Awards]] have provided a forum to create greater awareness and appreciation for Tejano music and culture.
+===Ports===
+[[Image:PortofHouston.jpg|thumb|left|Port of Houston.]]
+{{main|List of ports in the United States}}
+Over 1,000 [[ports|seaports]] dot Texas's coast with over {{convert|1000|mi|km}} of [[channels]].<ref name="ports1">{{cite web |title=About Texas Ports |publisher=Texas Ports Association |url=http://www.texasports.org/ |accessdate=2008-05-07}}</ref> Ports employ nearly one-million people and handle an average of 317 million [[metric tons]].<ref name="portbenefits">{{cite web |title=Benefits of Texas Ports |publisher=Texas Ports Association |url=http://www.texasports.org/benefits/ |accessdate=2008-05-07}}</ref> Texas ports connect with the rest of the US Atlantic seaboard with the [[Gulf Intracoastal Waterway|Gulf]] section of the [[Intracoastal Waterway]].<ref name= "ports1"/> Galveston served as the state's primary port until the [[Galveston Hurricane of 1900|hurricane of 1900]]. With the completion of the Houston Ship Channel in 1919, the [[Port of Houston]] replaced Galveston and today is the busiest port in the United States in foreign tonnage, second in overall tonnage, and [[List of world's busiest ports by cargo tonnage|tenth]] worldwide in tonnage.<ref name="porthouston">{{cite web |date=2008-03-31 |year=2008 |title=General Information |publisher=The Port of Houston Authority |url=http://www.portofhouston.com/geninfo/overview1.html |accessdate=2008-05-07}}</ref> The [[Houston Ship Channel]] currently spans {{convert|530|ft|m}} wide by {{convert|45|ft|m}} deep by {{convert|50|mi|km}} long.<ref name="HGnav">"Welcome to the Houston-Galveston Navigation Channel Project Online Resource Center" (description), [[USACE]], December 2005, [http://www.swg.usace.army.mil/items/hgnc/ USACE]</ref>
-{{see also|List of people from Texas|List of Texas symbols|Don't Mess with Texas|Gone to Texas}}
+===Railroads===
+[[Image:METRORail 5.jpg|thumb|right|[[METRORail]] in Houston]]
+{{seealso|List of Texas railroads}}
+Part of the state's [[Cowboy#Texas_tradition|tradition]] originates from [[Cattle drives in the United States|cattle drives]] in which [[wrangler]]s herded livestock to [[Rail transport|railroad]]s in Kansas. The first railroad in Texas completed in 1872, the [[Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad]], diminished the need for these drives. Since 1911, Texas has led the nation in railroad length. Railroads led Texas cities to develop radially. Texas railway mileage peaked in 1932 at {{convert|17078|mi|km}}, but declined to {{convert|14006|mi|km}} by 2000.<ref name="AdvaTransport"/> The [[Railroad Commission of Texas]], originally regulated state railroads, but in 2005, the state reassigned these duties to TxDOT.<ref name="RRCMove">{{cite web |title=Former Rail Division|publisher=Texas Railroad Commission |date=2005-10-01 |url=http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/divisions/rail_moved/index.html?/rail.html |format=HTML |accessdate=2008-05-04}}</ref>
-===Arts and theatre===
+Both Dallas and Houston feature [[light rail]] systems. [[Dallas Area Rapid Transit]] (DART) built the first light rail system in the [[Southwest United States]].<ref name="DARTLightRail">{{cite web |last=Myerson |first=Allen R. |date =1996-06-14 |year=1996 |title=Dallas Opening Southwest's First Rail Transit |publisher=[[New York Times]] |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D01EFD81739F937A25755C0A960958260 |accessdate=2008-05-11}}</ref> The [[commuter rail]] service, the [[Trinity Railway Express]] (TRE), links Fort Worth and Dallas, provided by the [[Fort Worth Transportation Authority]] (the T) and DART.<ref name="TRE">{{cite web |title=Trinity Railroad Express |url=http://www.trinityrailwayexpress.org/ |format=HTML |accessdate=2008-06-11}}</ref> The [[Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas|Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County]], [[Texas]] (METRO) operates lines in the Houston area.
-[[Image:IMG 1244.JPG|thumb|left|[[Hobby Center for the Performing Arts]] in Houston]]
-Known for the vibrancy of its [[visual arts|visual]] and [[performing arts]], the [[Houston Theatre District]]—a 17-block area in the heart of [[Downtown Houston]]—is ranked second in the country behind [[New York City]] in the number of theatre seats in a concentrated downtown area with 12,948 seats for live performances and 1,480 movie seats.<ref>http://www.houstontheaterdistrict.org/en/cms/?68</ref>
-[[Houston, Texas|Houston]] is also one of only five cities in the United States 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]]).<ref>http://www.visithoustontexas.com/arts_and_culture.asp?pageid=232</ref> Houston, Texas is widely recognized as the nation's third most important city for contemporary [[visual arts]].
+[[Amtrak]] provides Texas limited intercity passenger rail service both in size and frequency. Just three scheduled routes serve the state: the daily ''[[Texas Eagle]]'' {{nowrap|(Chicago&ndash;San Antonio)}}; the tri-weekly ''[[Sunset Limited]]'' {{nowrap|(New Orleans&ndash;Los Angeles)}}, with stops in Texas; and the daily ''[[Heartland Flyer]]'' {{nowrap|(Fort Worth&ndash;Oklahoma City)}}. Past attempts to create a Texas [[high-speed rail]] system have met [[High-speed rail in the United States#Texas|many obstacles]].<ref name="HSRail">{{cite web |url=http://www.thsrtc.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=2&Itemid=3 |title=''Texas High Speed Rail and Transportation Corporation |accessdate=2008-10-31 |date=2008-06-19 |format= HTML |publisher=''Texas High Speed Rail and Transportation Corporation}}</ref>
-Fort Worth and Dallas serve as epicenters of the North Texas region's art scene. [[Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth|The Modern]] (formerly the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth), founded in 1892, is the oldest art museum in Texas. 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 [[Arts District, Dallas|Arts District]] of [[Downtown Dallas]] is home to several arts venues. Notable venues in the district include the [[Dallas Museum of Art]], the [[Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center]], [[The Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art]], and the [[Nasher Sculpture Center]].
+==Culture==
+{{main|Culture of Texas}}
+{{see also|List of people from Texas|List of Texas symbols}}
+[[Image:Big Tex.JPG|thumb|right|[[Big Tex]] has presided over every Texas State Fair since 1952]]
+Historically, Texas culture comes from a blend of Southwestern (Mexican), Southern (Dixie), and Western (frontier) influences. A popular food item, the [[Burrito#Breakfast burrito|breakfast burrito]], draws from all three influences, having a soft flour tortilla wrapped around bacon and scrambled eggs or other hot, cooked fillings. Adding to Texas's traditional culture, established in the 18th and 19th Centuries, immigration has made Texas a [[melting pot]] of cultures from around the world.
-Also within Dallas is the notable [[Deep Ellum]] district which originally became popular during the 1920s and 1930s as the prime [[jazz]] and [[blues]] hotspot in the [[Southern United States]]. The name Deep Ellum is thought to have originally derived from local tongues saying "Deep Elm," but that came out as "Deep Ellum." Artists such as [[Blind Lemon Jefferson]], [[Robert Johnson (musician)|Robert Johnson]], Huddie "[[Leadbelly]]" Ledbetter, and [[Bessie Smith]] played in original Deep Ellum clubs like The Harlem and The Palace. Today, Deep Ellum 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 in the area is the city's [[wiktionary:lax|lax]] stance on [[graffiti]], thusly several public ways including tunnels, sides of buildings, sidewalks, and streets are covered in murals.
+===Arts===
+{{further|[[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]].<ref name="houstontheater">{{cite web |title=About Houston Theater District |publisher=[[Houston Theater District]] |url=http://www.houstontheaterdistrict.org/en/cms/?68 |format=HTML |accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref> Known for the vibrancy of its [[visual arts|visual]] and [[performing arts]], the [[Houston Theatre District]]&mdash;a 17-block area in the heart of [[Downtown Houston]]&mdash;ranks 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.<ref name="houstontheater"/>
-===Sports===
+Founded in 1892, [[Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth]], also called "The Modern", is Texas's oldest art museum. Fort Worth also has 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 [[Arts District, Dallas|Arts District]] of [[Downtown Dallas]] has 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]].<ref name="Dallasarts">{{cite web |title=Dallas Arts District |publisher=Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau |accessdate=2008-05-29 |url=http://www.visitdallas.com/visitors/listing-details?id=492}}</ref>
-[[Image:Tbia.jpg|thumb|right|[[Rangers Ballpark in Arlington]], home of the Texas Rangers]]
-Texas is known for its love of [[American football]] and is noted for the intensity with which people follow [[High school football|high school]] and [[college football]] teams—often dominating over all else for the purposes of socializing and leisure. The [[Dallas Cowboys]] is sometimes referred to as "America's Team."
-[[Baseball]] has a strong presence in Texas, with [[Major League Baseball]] teams the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] and [[Houston Astros]] are both equally popular, geographically, in the state. [[Minor league baseball]] is also closely followed in Texas—especially in the smaller metropolitan areas.
+[[Image:HoustonTX HobbyCenter.jpg|thumb|left|[[Hobby Center for the Performing Arts]] in Houston]]
+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 name Deep Ellum comes from local people pronouncing "Deep Elm" as "Deep Ellum".<ref name="DeepElm">{{Handbook of Texas|id=DD/hpd1|name=Deep Ellum}}</ref> Artists such as [[Blind Lemon Jefferson]], [[Robert Johnson (musician)|Robert Johnson]], Huddie "[[Leadbelly]]" Ledbetter, and [[Bessie Smith]] played in early Deep Ellum clubs.<ref name="DeepElm2">{{cite web |title=Dallas History Items: Deep Ellum |publisher=Dallas Historical Society |url=http://www.dallashistory.org/history/dallas/deep_ellum.htm |accessdate=2008-07-25}}</ref>
-[[Basketball]] is also popular, and Texas hosts three [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] teams: the [[Houston Rockets]], the [[San Antonio Spurs]], and the [[Dallas Mavericks]]. All three of those NBA teams have reached the NBA Finals. The Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs though, are the only ones to have won a championship. Additionally, Texas is home to two [[Women's National Basketball Association|WNBA]] teams, the [[Houston Comets]] and the [[San Antonio Silver Stars]]. The Comets were the winners of the first four [[WNBA]] Championships in league history, in the 1997–2000 seasons.
+Austin, the [[Music of Austin|''The&nbsp;Live&nbsp;Music&nbsp;Capital&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;World'']], boasts the most venues per capita citywise.<ref name="livemusic">{{cite web|url=http://www.cityofaustin.org/music/|title=Live Music Capital of the World|accessdate=2007-06-12|publisher=City of Austin}}</ref> The city's music revolves around the [[nightclub]]s on [[6th Street (Austin)|6th Street]] and events like the [[film]], music, and [[multimedia]] festivals, [[South by Southwest]]. The longest-running concert music program on American television, ''[[Austin City Limits]]'' and its similarly named [[Austin City Limits Music Festival|music festival]] run at [[Zilker Park]].<ref name="AustinCL">{{cite web | last = Bernardini | first = Deb | authorlink = http://dbmpr.com/ | title = Television’s longest running concert series begins season 33 Tapings with performances by Norah Fones, Wilco, Femi Kuti, Arcade Fire and more | url = http://dbmpr.com/pressroom/acl/ACLFinalPR.doc.pdf | format = PDF | accessdate = 2008-10-15}}</ref>
-Many Texas universities have rich athletic traditions. Originally, most Texas [[Division I]] schools were part of the [[Southwest Conference]] until it dissolved in 1996. Four of the largest programs in Texas are now part of the [[Big 12 Conference]]: the [[Baylor Bears]], [[Texas A&M Aggies]], [[Texas Longhorns]], and [[Texas Tech Red Raiders]]. In addition to the four [[Big 12 schools]], Texas is home to six other Division I (Bowl Sub-Division) teams: the [[TCU Horned Frogs]] of the [[Mountain West Conference]]; the [[SMU Mustangs]], the [[Houston Cougars]], the [[Rice Owls]] and the [[University of Texas at El Paso|UTEP Miners]], all of [[Conference USA]]; and the [[North Texas Mean Green]] of the [[Sun Belt Conference]]. Texas's total of ten Division I-FBS schools is greater than that of any other state.
+Over the past couple of decades, San Antonio has evolved into the "Nashville of [[Tejano music]]." The [[Tejano Music Awards]] have provided a forum to create greater awareness and appreciation for Tejano music and culture.<ref name="TejanoMA">{{cite web |title=Tejano Music Awards |publisher=Texas Talent Musicians Association |year =2008 |url=http://www.tejanomusicawards.com/ |format=HTML |accessdate=2008-05-12}}</ref>
-Other popular sports in Texas include [[golf]] (which can be played year-round because of the Texas's mild climate), fishing, and [[auto racing]]. [[Lacrosse]], originally played by some of the indigenous tribes, is a visible sport and growing. [[Football (soccer)|Soccer]] is a popular participatory sport, especially among children, but as a [[spectator sport]] it does not yet have a large following despite two Texan teams in [[Major League Soccer]]. [[Hockey]] has been a growing participatory sport in the Dallas/Fort Worth area since the [[Minnesota North Stars]] became the [[Dallas Stars]] in 1993. Minor league professional hockey has become quite popular in the last decade; Texas is home to seven of the [[Central Hockey League]]'s seventeen teams.
+===Sports===
+{{main|Sports in Texas}}
+{{further|[[List of Texas sports teams]], and [[List of University Interscholastic League events]]}}
+[[Image:Tbia.jpg|thumb|right|[[Rangers Ballpark in Arlington]], home of the Texas&nbsp;Rangers]]
+While [[American football]] has long been considered “king” in the state, Texans today enjoy a wide variety of sports.<ref name="FBKing">{{cite news|last=Brady |first=Erik |title=Football still king, but hoops teams in Texas grab attention |publisher=[[USA TODAY]] |date=2003-04-04 |url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/2003-04-03-texas-double_x.htm |accessdate=2008-04-11}} </ref> Texans have a plethora of [[professional sports]] teams to cheer for. Texas has two [[National Football League|NFL]] teams, the [[Dallas Cowboys]] and the [[Houston Texans]]; two [[Major League Baseball]] teams, the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] and [[Houston Astros]]; three [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] teams: the [[Houston Rockets]], the [[San Antonio Spurs]], and the [[Dallas Mavericks]]; two [[Women's National Basketball Association|WNBA]] teams: the [[Houston Comets]] and the [[San Antonio Silver Stars]]; one National Hockey League team, the [[Dallas Stars]]. Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area is one of only [[U.S. cities with teams from four major sports|thirteen American cities]] that hosts sports teams from all the [[Major North American professional sports leagues|"Big Four" professional leagues]]. Other professional teams include the [[Arena Football League]], and [[Major League Soccer]], and the [[Mexican 1st Division]].
-{{further|[[List of Texas sports teams]]}}
+[[College athletics|Collegiate athletics]] have deep significance in Texas culture. The state has the most [[Division I-FBS]] schools in America, ten. The four largest programs in the state, the [[Baylor Bears]], [[Texas A&M Aggies]], [[Texas Longhorns]], and [[Texas Tech Red Raiders]], belong to the [[Big 12 Conference]]. According to a survey of Division I-A coaches the [[College rivalry|rivalry]] between the [[University of Oklahoma]] and the University of Texas, the [[Red River Shootout]], ranks the third best in the nation.<ref name="RRShootout">{{cite news |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/colleges/redrivershootout/texas/stories/100705dnspofbwnewrivalrylede.1c8619ce.html |title=UT-OU : Best Rivalry? |work=Dallas Morning News |last=Davis |first=Brian |date=2005-10-07 |accessdate=2006-07-11}}</ref> A fierce rivalry, the [[Lone Star Showdown]], also exists between the two state's largest universities, Texas A&M University and the University of Texas.[[Image:Lone Star Showdown 2006 McGee on goal-line.jpg|left|thumb|2006 Lone Star Showdown football game at [[Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium]]]]<!--This image contains trademarked symbols, the ATM and the longhorn, and is only being used to illustrate said symbols within context—>
-==Architecture==
+Collegiate teams nationwide see Texas as an American Football recruiting hotbed. In 2006, 170 players in the NFL came from Texas high schools.<ref name="HSrecruit">{{cite web |last=Talman |first=John |title=Lone Star Competition |newspaper =[[Rivals.com]] |year=2006 |date=2006-03-15 |url=http://rivals100.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=880&CID=523700}}.</ref> The [[University Interscholastic League]] (UIL) organizes most primary and secondary school competitions. Events organized by UIL include athletics as well as the arts and academic subjects such as [[mathematics]].<ref name="UIL">{{cite web| title = University Interscholastic League| publisher = University of Texas| url = http://www.uil.utexas.edu/| format = HTML| accessdate = 2008-09-28}}</ref>
-Texas is home to many works of [[architecture]], both traditional and contemporary. Many world class architects and [[Pritzker Prize]] winners have left their enriching marks on Texan cities and landscapes. [[Frank Lloyd Wright]] had 4 buildings in Texas,<ref>http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/1469/flw_tx.html</ref> while [[Tadao Ando]]'s [[Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth|Modern Art Museum]] and [[Louis Kahn]]'s famous [[Kimbell Art Museum]] are permanent landmarks of the city of [[Fort Worth]]. Other super architects such as [[I.M. Pei]] and [[Philip Johnson]] have numerous works across the state of Texas. Among their famous works one can mention the [[Fort Worth Water Gardens]], [[Amon Carter Museum]], [[Chapel of St. Basil]], [[Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center]], and [[Thanks-Giving Square]]. In Austin, [[Gordon Bunshaft]]'s [[Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum]] (also a Pritzker Prize winner) is particularly noteworthy, while [[Steven Holl]], [[Robert A. M. Stern]], [[Richard Meier]], and [[César Pelli]] are other architect legends who designed buildings that grace the [[Dallas]] and [[Houston]] areas. [[Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank|Sir Norman Foster]]'s [[Dallas Center for the Performing Arts]] is the latest addition to such architectural landmarks in Texas.
-Some facilities even harbor the marks of multiple architects. Houston's [[Museum of Fine Arts, Houston|Museum of Fine Arts]] for example, was designed by [[Pritzker Prize]] winner [[Rafael Moneo]], landscape architect extraordinnaire [[Isamu Noguchi]], and the pioneering master of [[Modern Architecture]] [[Mies van der Rohe]].
+Texans also enjoy the [[rodeo]]. The annual [[Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo]], the largest rodeo in the world, begins with trail rides that originate from several points throughout the state, that convene at [[Reliant Park]]. On July 4, 1883, [[Pecos, Texas|Pecos]], Texas hosted the world’s first rodeo.<ref name="HoustonRodeo">{{cite web |title=Houston Rodeo Tickets |publisher=Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo |year =2008 |url=http://www.houstonrodeoonline.com/ |format=HTML |accessdate=2008-04-20}}</ref> The [[Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show]] in Fort Worth, Texas has a cowboy, a Mexican and many traditional rodeos. Dallas hosts the [[State Fair of Texas]] each year at [[Fair Park]].<ref name="statefair">{{cite web |title=Fair Park, TX |publisher=City of Dallas |accessdate=2008-05-22 |url=http://www.dallascityhall.com/FairPark/art_architectural.html}}</ref>
-<center>
-<gallery>
-</gallery>
-</center>
-Texas is also home to some of the [[List of tallest buildings in the United States|tallest]] [[skyscrapers]] in the United States.
+==Healthcare==
+{{see also|List of hospitals in Texas}}
-The Houston skyline has been ranked fourth-most impressive in the United States when ranked by breadth and height,<ref>[http://homepages.ipact.nl/~egram/skylines.html The World's Best Skylines]''Egbert Gramsbergen and Paul Kazmierczak, 2006''</ref> being the country's third-tallest skyline (after Chicago and New York City) and one of the top 10 in the world;<ref>[http://ultrapolisproject.com/Tallest_Skylines_Cities_2005.htm Calculated Average Height of the Ten Tallest (CAHTT)]''UltrapolisProject.com''</ref><ref>[http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?p=2278728 Tallest Cities of the World?]''SkyscraperPage Forum, August 30, 2006''</ref> however, because it is spread over a few miles, most pictures of the city show only the main downtown area. Houston has a [[Houston Downtown Tunnel System|system of tunnels and skywalks]] linking buildings in downtown. The tunnel system also includes shops, restaurants, and convenience stores.
+[[The Commonwealth Fund]] ranks the Texas [[healthcare system]] the third worst in the nation.<ref name="insurancenet">{{cite web |last=Perotin |first=Maria M. |title=Texas is Near Bottom of Healthcare Rankings |newspaper =[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]] |year=2007 |date=2007-06-13 |url=http://www.insurancenewsnet.com/article.asp?a=top_lh&id=80824 |accessdate=2008-04-22}}</ref> Texas ranks close to last in access to healthcare, quality of care, avoidable hospital spending, and equity among various groups.<ref name="insurancenet"/> Causes of the state's poor rankings include: politics, a high poverty rate, and illegal immigration, Texas having the highest rate in the nation.<ref name="CausesHealthcare">{{cite web |last=Roberson |first=Jason |title=Politics, poverty, immigration entangle Texas health care |newspaper =[[Dallas Morning News]] |year=2007 |date=2008-12-04 |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/120407dnbustexashealth.29ab7e6.html}}</ref> 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.<ref name="codered">{{cite web |title=Code Red: The Critical Condition of Health in Texas |url=http://www.coderedtexas.org/ |format=HTML |accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref> Texas also has controversial [[non-economic damages caps]] for [[medical malpractice]] lawsuits, set at $250,000, in an attempt to "curb rising malpractice premiums, and control escalating healthcare costs".<ref name="tort">{{cite web |last=Odom |first=Lamar |last2 =Garcia |first2 =Anthony |last3 =Milburn |first3 =Pamela |year=2005 |title=The Ethicality of Capping Non-Economic Damages to Control Rising Healthcare Costs: Panacea or False and Misleading Practice? |edition =1 |volume=3 |publisher=The Internet Journal of Healthcare Administration |isbn=1531–2933 |url=http://www.ispub.com/ostia/index.php?xmlFilePath=journals/ijhca/vol3n1/capping.xml |accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref>
-:''Images shown below are the eight [[List of tallest buildings in Texas|tallest buildings in Texas]].''
-<center><gallery>
-</gallery></center>
-{{see also|Architecture of Houston}}
-==Transportation==
-{{main|Transportation in Texas}}
-The [[Texas Department of Transportation]] (TxDOT, pronounced "tex-dot") is a [[government]]al agency and its purpose is to "provide safe, effective, and efficient movement of people and goods" throughout the state. 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]] in the state and overseeing [[public transport]]ation systems.
-===Highways===
-{{main|Texas state highways}}
-[[Image:45intoI-10 2.jpg|thumb|left|I-10 and I-45 interchange in Houston]]
-Texas [[freeway]]s have been heavily traveled since the 1948 opening of the [[Gulf Freeway]] in [[Houston]], and they are often under construction to meet the demands of continuing growth. As of 2005, there were {{convert|79535|mi|km|0}} of public highway in Texas (up from 71,000 in 1984). Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) planners have sought ways to reduce rush hour congestion, primarily through [[High occupancy vehicle|High-occupancy vehicle]] (HOV) lanes for vans and carpools. The "[[Texas T]]"—an innovation originally introduced in Houston—is a ramp design that allows vehicles in the HOV lane, which is usually the center lane, to exit directly to transit centers or to enter the freeway directly into the HOV lane without crossing multiple lanes of traffic. Timed freeway entrances, which regulate the addition of cars to the freeway, are also common. Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and El Paso have extensive networks of freeway cameras linked to transit control centers to monitor and study traffic.
-One characteristic of Texas's freeways are its [[frontage road]]s (also known as service roads, access roads or feeder roads), which in Texas can be found even in the most remote areas. Frontage roads provide access to the freeway from businesses alongside, such as gas stations and retail stores, and vice versa. Alongside most freeways along with the frontage roads are two to four lanes in each direction parallel to the freeway permitting easy access to individual city streets. New landscaping projects and a longstanding ban on new billboards are ways [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] has tried to control the potential side effects of convenience.
-Another common characteristic found near Texas overpasses are the [[Texas U-turn]]s which is a lane allowing cars traveling on one side of a one-way frontage road to U-turn into the opposite frontage road (typically crossing over or under a freeway or expressway) without being stopped by traffic lights or crossing the highway traffic at-grade.
-In the western part of the state [[I-10]] and [[I-20]] both have a speed limit of 80 MPH, the highest in the nation.
-===Airports===
-[[Image:Dfw airport.jpg|thumb|right|[[Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport]]]]
-The [[Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport]], located nearly equidistant from [[downtown Dallas|downtown]] [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]] and downtown [[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]], is the largest airport in the state, the second largest in the United States, and fourth largest in the world.<ref>{{cite web
-|url = http://www.dfwairport.com/visitor/facts.htm
-|title = Facts about DFW
-|accessdate = 2007-08-04
-|work = Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
-}}</ref> In terms of traffic, DFW is the busiest in the state, third busiest in the United States, and sixth busiest in the world. {{Fact|date=March 2007}} The airport serves 135 domestic destinations and 37 international, and is the largest and main [[Airline hub|hub]] for [[American Airlines]] (900 daily departures), the world's largest [[airline]], and also the largest hub for [[American Eagle Airlines|American Eagle]].
-Texas's second-largest air facility is Houston's [[George Bush Intercontinental Airport]] (IAH). The airport is the ninth-busiest in the United States for total passengers, and nineteenth-busiest worldwide. [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] is the headquarters of [[Continental Airlines]], and the airport is Continental Airlines' largest hub, with over 750 daily departures (the majority of which are operated by Continental Airlines). A long list of cities within Texas, as well as international destinations are served directly from this airport. With 30 destinations in [[Mexico]], IAH offers service to more Mexican destinations than any other U.S. airports. IAH currently ranks second among U.S. airports with scheduled non-stop domestic and international service (221 destinations), trailing only [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]] Hartsfield with 250 destinations.
-Some of the other airports that are served by airlines include [[Dallas Love Field]], [[McAllen-Miller International Airport]], Houston [[Hobby Airport]], [[San Antonio International Airport]], [[Austin-Bergstrom International Airport]], [[Corpus Christi International Airport]], [[El Paso International Airport]], [[Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport]], [[Valley International Airport]] in [[Harlingen, Texas|Harlingen]], and [[Midland International Airport]] in [[Midland, Texas]].
-===Passenger rail transportation===
+The [[Trust for America's Health]] ranked Texas 15th highest adult [[obesity]] rate, 27.2 percent.<ref name="healthyamericans">{{cite web| title = Texas| work = State Data| publisher = Trust for America's Health| year = 2008| url= http://healthyamericans.org/states/states.php?measure=highschooloverweight&sort=data| format = HTML| accessdate = 2008-10-14}}</ref> 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, Texas|Arlington]] 14th.<ref name="obese2">
-[[Image:METRORail 5.jpg|thumb|left|METRORail in Houston]]
+{{cite web |title=America's Fittest Cities 2007 |newspaper =Men's Health |year=2008 |url=http://www.mensfitness.com/city_rankings/462 |accessdate=2008-04-21}}.</ref> Texas had only city Austin, ranked 21st, in the top 25 among the "fittest cities" in America.<ref name="obese2"/> The same survey has evaluated the state's obesity initiatives favorably with a "B+".<ref name="obese2"/>
-[[Dallas Area Rapid Transit]] (DART), the Dallas area public transportation authority, began operating the first [[light rail]] system in the [[Southwest United States]] in 1996 and continues to expand its coverage. The DART lightrail currently covers {{convert|48|mi|km|0}} of track. The DART light rail system remained the only one in Texas until METRORail opened in Houston in 2004.
-The [[Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas]] (METRO) operates [[light rail]] service in [[Harris County, Texas|Harris County]], which includes [[Houston, Texas|Houston]]. METRO's light rail in Houston started on January 1 2004. Currently the track runs about {{convert|8|mi|km|0}} from [[Downtown Houston]] to the [[Texas Medical Center]] and [[Reliant Park]]. METRO also operates bus service in Harris County and to two cities in [[Fort Bend County, Texas|Fort Bend County]]. METRO is in the process of adding over 30 more miles of light rail, as well as 28 miles of commuter rail by the year 2015.
+===Medical research===
-Intercity passenger rail service in Texas is at the moment very limited from both network and frequency viewpoint, with just three [[Amtrak]] trains serving the state: the daily ''[[Texas Eagle]]'' {{nowrap|(Chicago–San Antonio)}}, the tri-weekly ''[[Sunset Limited]]'' {{nowrap|(New Orleans–Los Angeles)}}, and the daily ''[[Heartland Flyer]]'' {{nowrap|(Fort Worth–Oklahoma City)}}.
-==Healthcare and medicine==
 [[Image:FlightHoustontoDallas086.jpg|thumb|right|Aerial of Texas Medical Center in Houston]]
-Texas is home to three of the world's elite research medical centers: the renowned [[Texas Medical Center]] in Houston, [[University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas|UT Southwestern Medical Center]] in Dallas, and the [[South Texas Medical Center]] in San Antonio—all hosting some of the world's most prestigious schools in the health sciences.
+Many elite research medical centers reside in Texas. The state has eight [[List_of_colleges_and_universities_in_Texas#Health_Science_Schools|medical schools]],<ref name="MedicalSchools">{{cite web |title=Texas Medical Schools and Hospitals |publisher=Texas Medical Association |date =2006-08-03 |url=http://www.texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=86 |format=HTML |accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref> three dental schools,<ref name="dentalschool">{{cite web |url=http://www.dentist.net/dentalschools.asp |title=Dental Schools in the United States |accessdate=2008-10-31 |format=HTML |publisher=Dentist.net}}</ref> and one [[optometry]] school.<ref name="optometry">{{cite web |url=http://healthguideusa.org/optometry/texas_optometry_schools.htm |title=Texas Optometry Schools |accessdate=2008-10-31 |format=HTML |publisher=Health Guide USA}}</ref> Texas has two [[Biosafety Level 4]] (BSL-4) laboratories: one at [[The University of Texas Medical Branch]] (UTMB) in Galveston,<ref name="biosafety4">{{cite web|url=http://www.bioscrypt.com/news/press/item-728/|date=October 14, 2004|title=University Selects Bioscrypt for Biosafety Level 4 Lab|publisher=Bioscrypt|accessdate=2006-04-29}}</ref> and the other at the [[Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research]] in San Antonio&mdash;the first privately owned BSL-4 lab in the United States.<ref name="biosafety4_2">{{cite web|url=http://www.sfbr.org/pages/about_resources2.php|title=Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) Laboratory|publisher=Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research|accessdate=2006-04-29}}</ref>
-[[Houston, Texas|Houston]] is the seat of the internationally-renowned [[Texas Medical Center]], which contains the world's largest concentration of [[research]] and [[healthcare]] institutions. There are 45 member institutions in the Texas Medical Center<ref>[http://www.texmedctr.tmc.edu/root/en/GetToKnow/FactsandFigures/FactsAndFigures.htm Facts and Figures].  ''Texas Medical Center''. 2006. Last Retrieved 2007-03-17.</ref> —all are [[non-profit organization]]s, and are dedicated to the highest standards of patient and preventive care, research, [[education]], and local, national, and international community well-being. These institutions include 13 renowned hospitals and two specialty institutions, two [[medical school]]s, four [[nursing school]]s, and schools of [[dentistry]], public health, [[pharmacy]], and virtually all health-related careers. It is where one of the first, and still the largest, air emergency services was created—a very successful inter-institutional transplant program was developed—and more [[heart surgery|heart surgeries]] are performed there than anywhere else in the world.
+The [[Texas Medical Center]], in Houston, holds the world's largest concentration of [[research]] and [[healthcare]] institutions, with 45 member institutions.<ref name="TexasMC">{{cite web| title = ''Texas Medical Center'' Facts and Figures | publisher = Texas Medicial Center | year = 2008 | url =http://www.texmedctr.tmc.edu/root/en/GetToKnow/FactsandFigures/Facts+and+Figures.htm | format = HTML | accessdate = 2008-10-15}}</ref> Texas Medical Center performs the most heart transplants in the world.<ref name="HeartTransplants">{{cite web |title=Background Statistics > People and Politics (most recent) by state |publisher=State Master |date =2008-05-08 |url=http://www.statemaster.com/graph/bac_bac-background-people-and-politics |format=HTML |accessdate=2008-05-08}}</ref> San Antonio's South Texas Medical Center facilities rank sixth in clinical medicine research impact in the United States<ref name="UTSAFactsheet">{{cite web |date=2007-04-03 |year=2007 |title=Health Science Center ranks sixth in clinical medicine |edition =7 |volume=XL |publisher=University of Texas Health Science Center |url=http://www.uthscsa.edu/hscnews/singleformat.asp?newID=2353 |accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref> with the [[UTHSCSA|University of Texas Health Science Center]] being another highly ranked research and educational institution.<ref name="Tmedicialcenter2">{{cite web |title=Medical center's research ranks high |publisher=San Antonio Express-News |accessdate=2008-05-15 |url=http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/MYSA040407_medical_center_EN_2dc65c3e_html751.html}}</ref><ref name="DentalSchool">{{cite web |title=International report gives Dental School high marks |publisher=HSC NEWS |accessdate=2008-05-15 |url=http://www.uthscsa.edu/hscnews/singleformat.asp?newID=1742}}</ref> Also in Houston, highly regarded academic institution, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, centers around cancer patient care, research, education and prevention.<ref name="MDAnderson">{{cite web |title=About MD Anderson |publisher=[[The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center]] |url=http://www.mdanderson.org/about_mda/ |format=HTML |accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref>
-[[San Antonio]]'s [[South Texas Medical Center]] facilities rank sixth in clinical medicine research impact in the [[United States]]<ref>http://www.uthscsa.edu/hscnews/singleformat.asp?newID=2353</ref> with the [[UTHSCSA|University of Texas Health Science Center]] recognized as a "world leading research and educational institution".<ref>See: [http://www.utsystem.edu/news/CampusDescriptions/UTHSCSA.htm] and its teaching hospital: [http://www.universityhealthsystem.com/news/press-releases/PR-07-07-06.html]</ref> The South Texas Medical Center hosts no less than 12 hospitals, 45 medical institutions, and 3 universities, housing the nation's top schools in [[pharmacy]]<ref>[[UT Austin]]'s School of Pharmacy:
+Both the [[American Heart Association]] and the [[University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center]] call Dallas home. The Southwestern Medical Center ranks "among the top academic medical centers in the world".<ref name="UTSWAboutUs">{{cite web |title=About UT Southwestern |publisher=University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center |url=http://www8.utsouthwestern.edu/home/about/index.html |format=HTML |accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref> The [[University of Texas Southwestern Medical School|institution's medical school]] employs the most medical school [[Nobel laureates]] in the world.<ref name="UTSWFactsheet">{{cite web |title=UT Southwestern Fact Sheet |publisher=University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center |year =2008 |url=http://www8.utsouthwestern.edu/vgn/images/portal/cit_56417/43/32/2800592006_Fact_Sheet.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-04-28}}</ref><ref name="UTSWAboutUs"/>
-*Consistently ranks among the top 2 schools in America:[http://www.utexas.edu/opa/news/2005/04/rankings01.html][http://www.pharmacychoice.com/education/ranking.cfm]
-*Almost one third of its faculty is based at the [[University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio]]: [http://www.utexas.edu/pharmacy/general/facilities.html][http://www.utexas.edu/pharmacy/general/directories/sadir.html]</ref> and [[dentistry]].<ref>Current international ranking: [http://www.uthscsa.edu/hscnews/singleformat.asp?newID=1742]. The last time ''[[US News and World Report]]'' ranked any dental school (1997), [[UTHSCSA]] ranked the top dental school of the United States.
-</ref>
-[[Dallas]] is home to the [[American Heart Association]] and the [[University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas|UT Southwestern Medical Center]], "among the top academic medical centers in the world".<ref>See: http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept37361/files/281435.html</ref> The [[University of Texas Southwestern Medical School]] at the center has the largest number of [[Nobel laureates]] working in any medical school in the world.<ref>http://www8.utsouthwestern.edu/vgn/images/portal/cit_56417/43/32/2800592006_Fact_Sheet.pdf</ref><ref>http://www8.utsouthwestern.edu/home/about/index.html</ref>
+==Education==
+{{main|Education in Texas}}
+The [[American Legislative Exchange Council]] ranked Texas 26 among the 50 states for education in 2007. Texas students ranked higher than average in mathematics, but lower in reading. Between 2005&ndash;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. Texas paid instructors $38,130, below the national average. The state provided 89.22%  of the funding for education, the federal government 10.8%.<ref name="reportcard">{{cite web| title = Texas| work = 2007 Report Card on American Education| publisher = American Legislative Exchange Council| year = 2007| url = http://www.alec.org/am/pdf/states/texas2007.pdf|accessdate=2008-04-08| format = PDF| accessdate = 2008-10-14}}</ref>
-Texas has eight medical schools,<ref>http://www.texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=86</ref> three dental schools, and one [[optometry]] school, all involved in research and clinical operations. Some of the more well known of these academic and research health institutions are [[Baylor College of Medicine]], [[University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston|The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston]], [[University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas|UT Southwestern]], [[University of Texas Medical Branch]], and [[The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center]]. The M. D. Anderson Cancer Center is widely considered one of the world’s most productive and highly-regarded academic institutions devoted to cancer patient care, research, education and prevention.<ref>According to: [http://www.mdanderson.org/departments/newsroom/display.cfm?id=463611D3-78F7-11D4-AEC400508BDCCE3A&method=displayFull&pn=afcd9854-1323-11d5-810f00508b603a14]</ref>
+The [[Texas Education Agency]] (TEA) administers the state's public school systems. Texas has [[List of school districts in Texas|over 1,000]] [[school district]]s&mdash;all districts except the [[Stafford Municipal School District]] are independent from [[municipal government]] and many cross city boundaries.<ref name="Stafford">{{cite press release|title=Comptroller Strayhorn to Review Stafford Municipal School District|publisher=Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn|date=2003-09-16|format=HTML|url=http://www.cpa.state.tx.us/news/30916stafford.html|accessdate=2008-06-28}}</ref> School districts have the power to [[taxation|tax]] their residents and to assert [[eminent domain]] over privately owned property. Due to court-mandated equitable school financing for school districts, the state has a controversial tax redistribution system called the"[[Robin Hood plan]]". This plan transfers property tax revenue from wealthy school districts to poor ones.<ref name="robinhood">{{cite web| last=Saghaye-Biria| first=Hakimeh| title=Robin Hood Plan is Working|date=2001-04-22|publisher= World Internet News Cooperative| url= http://soc.hfac.uh.edu/artman/publish/article_137.shtml| accessdate=2008-06-23}}</ref> The TEA has no authority over [[private school|private]] or [[homeschooling|home school]] activities.<ref name="homeschool">{{cite web | publication-date =2007-11-01|title=Home School Information Letter|publisher=Texas Education Agency |url=http://www.tea.state.tx.us/home.school/homeltr.html|accessdate=2008-06-24}}</ref>
-Texas has two [[Biosafety Level 4]] laboratories: one at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston,<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.bioscrypt.com/about/press/press-2004-10-14.shtml| year=October 14 2004| title=University Selects Bioscrypt for Biosafety Level 4 Lab| publisher=Bioscrypt| accessdate=2006-04-29}}</ref> and the other at the [[Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research]] in San Antonio—the first privately owned BSL-4 lab in the United States.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.sfbr.org/pages/about_resources2.php| title=BIOSAFETY LEVEL 4 (BSL-4) LABORATORY| publisher=Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research| accessdate=2006-04-29}}</ref>
+Texas students take the [[standardized test]], the [[Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills]] (TAKS), both in [[primary education|primary]] and [[secondary education|secondary school]]. TAKS assess students' attainment of [[reading (activity)|reading]], [[writing]], [[math]], [[science]], and [[social studies]] skills required under Texas education standards and the [[No Child Left Behind Act]]. In spring 2007, Texas legislators replaced the TAKS for freshmen in the 2011&ndash;2012 school year and onward with End of Course exams for core high school classes.<ref name="TAKS">{{cite news|url=http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/admin/eoc/index.html|title="End-of-Course (EOC) Assessments: Implementation" |last=Texas Education Agency|first= |work=Assessment Division|date=2007-10-22|accessdate=2007-10-22}}</ref>
-In May 2006, Texas initiated the program "code red" in response to the report that Texas—at 25.1 percent—has the largest number of un-insured population of any state.<ref>http://www.utsystem.edu/hea/codered/</ref>
+===Colleges and universities===
+{{further|[[List of colleges and universities in Texas]]}}
+[[Image:SMU.JPG|thumb|right|Southern Methodist University in Dallas]]
+The second [[List of Presidents of the Republic of Texas|president of the Republic of Texas]], [[Mirabeau B. Lamar]], is called the ''Father of Texas Education''. During his term, the state set aside three [[League (unit)|leagues]] of land for each county for equipping public schools.  An additional 50 leagues of land set aside for the support of two universities would later become the basis of the state’s [[Permanent University Fund]]. Lamar's actions set the foundation for a Texas-wide public school system.<ref name=hen37>Hendrickson (1995), p. 37.</ref>  Discoveries of valuable minerals, principally oil, on this land is basis of the state’s two largest [[university system]]s, the [[University of Texas System]] and the [[Texas A&M University System]].  The PUF principal in fall 2005 was approximately $15 billion, second in size only to [[Harvard University]]'s endowment.<ref>{{cite web|title=2007 NACUBO Endowment Study|publisher=National Association of College and University Business Officers|url=http://www.nacubo.org/Images/All%20Institutions%20Listed%20by%20FY%202007%20Market%20Value%20of%20Endowment%20Assets_2007%20NES.pdf|format=PDF|accessdate=2008-11-12}}</ref>
-{{see also|List of hospitals in Texas}}
+In addition to the state's two Permanent University Fund university systems, Texas has four other state university systems and four independent public universities.<ref name="UniSystems">{{cite web | last = Heath | first = Ben | publisher = Daily Texan | date = 2003-07-07 | url = http://www.utsystem.edu/news/clips/dailyclips/2003/0706-0712/UTSystem-DT-BillRequires-070703.pdf | format = PDF | accessdate =2007-10-12}}</ref><ref name="unisystems2">{{cite web | title = Senate Subcommittee on Higher Education Testimony Regarding the Benefits of a Stand Alone Institution | publisher = Sam Houston State University | date = 2008-06-25 | url =http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/Senate/commit/c535/20080625/062508_SFA_Testimony_Dr_Pattillo.pdf | format = PDF | accessdate =2008-10-12}}</ref> These University systems are the [[University of Houston System|University of Houston]], [[University of North Texas System|University of North Texas]], [[Texas State University System|Texas State]], and [[Texas Tech University System|Texas Tech]]. Texas's controversial alternative [[affirmative action]] plan, [[Texas House Bill 588]], guarantees Texas students who graduated in the [[Class rank|top ten percent]] of their [[high school]] class automatic admission to state-funded universities. The bill encourages [[Multiculturalism|diversity]] while avoiding problems stemming from the ''[[Hopwood v. Texas]]'' (1996) case.
-==Education==
+The [[University of Texas]] and [[Texas A&M University]] are [[Flagship university|flagship universities]] of the state of Texas.  Both were established by the [[Texas Constitution]] and hold stakes in the Permanent University Fund. The state is considering expanding the number of flagship universities by elevating some of its emerging research universities—such as [[University of Houston]] and [[Texas Tech University]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Venable|first=Amanda|title=Texas State not considered for top-tier status|work=The University Star|url=http://star.txstate.edu/content/texas-state-not-considered-top-tier-status|accessdate=2008-11-12}}</ref>
-{{main|Education in Texas}}
-[[Image:Lovett Hall.jpg|thumb|left|Rice University]]
-There are more than 100 colleges and universities and dozens of institutions engaged in research and development in Texas. [[University of Texas at Austin|The University of Texas at Austin]], [[Texas A&M University]], and [[University of Houston]] are Texas's three largest comprehensive doctoral degree-granting institutions with a combined enrollment of over 130,000. The state is also home to [[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]]''.<ref>[http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/natudoc/tier1/t1natudoc_brief.php America's Best Colleges 2006]. ''U.S. News & World Report''</ref> Additionally, [[Baylor University]]—the oldest university in the state—was chartered by the Republic of Texas.
-The state's public school systems are administered by the [[Texas Education Agency]] (TEA). Texas has over 1,000 [[school district]]s—all but one of the school districts in Texas are separate from any form of [[municipal government]]. School districts may (and often do) cross city and county boundaries—an exception to this rule is [[Stafford Municipal School District]]. School districts have the power to [[taxation|tax]] their residents and to use [[eminent domain]].
-Texas also has numerous [[private schools]] of all types. 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. Many private schools will obtain accreditation and perform achievement tests as a means of encouraging future parents that the school is genuinely interested in educational performance.
+While Texas did not form public universities until its statehood, the former republic chartered two [[Private university|private universities]]: [[Baylor University]] and [[Southwestern University]].<ref name="privateuni">{{cite web |title=About Baylor |publisher=Baylor University |accessdate=2008-05-21 |url=http://www.baylor.edu/about/}}</ref><ref name="southwestern">{{cite web |title=Southwestern History |publisher=Southwestern University |accessdate=2008-10-12 |url=http://www.southwestern.edu/about/about-history.html}}</ref> Other prominent private institutions include [[Rice University]] in Houston,  [[Texas Christian University]] in Fort Worth, and [[Southern Methodist University]] in Dallas.
-It is generally considered to be among the least restrictive states in which to [[homeschooling|home school]]. Neither TEA nor the local school district has authority to regulate home school activities. There is no minimum number of days in a year, or hours in a day, that must be met, and achievement tests are not required for home school graduating seniors. The validity of home schooling was challenged in Texas, but a landmark case, ''Leeper v. Arlington ISD'', ruled that home schooling was legal and that the state had little or no authority to regulate the practice.
+Universities in Texas currently host two [[Presidential library|presidential libraries]]: [[George Bush Presidential Library]] at Texas A&M University and the [[Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum]] at the University of Texas. An agreement has been reached to create a third; the [[George W. Bush Presidential Library]] at Southern Methodist University.
-{{further|[[List of colleges and universities in Texas]] and [[List of school districts in Texas]]}}.
+==See also==
+{{portal|Texas|Flag of Texas.svg|left=no}}
+*[[List of Texas-related topics]]
-==Notes==
+==Footnotes==
 {{reflist|2}}
 ==References==
-''Cummins, Light Townsend, and Alvin R. Bailey. A Guide to the History of Texas. Reference guides to state history and research. New York: Greenwood Press, 1988.''ISBN 9780313245633
+{{refbegin}}
+*{{citation|last=Chipman|first=Donald E.|title=Spanish Texas, 1519–1821|publisher=[[University of Texas Press]]|location=[[Austin, TX]]|date=1992|isbn=0292776594}}
-''Campbell, Randolph B. Gone to Texas A History of the Lone Star State. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.''ISBN 9780195138436
+*{{citation|last=Hendrickson|first=Kenneth E., Jr.|title=The Chief of Executives of Texas: From Stephen F. Austin to John B. Connally, Jr.|publisher=[[Texas A&M University Press]]|location=[[College Station, Texas]]|date=1995|isbn=0890966419}}
+*{{citation|last=Weber|first=David J.|title=The Spanish Frontier in North America|publisher=[[Yale University Press]]|location=[[New Haven, CT]]|series=Yale Western Americana Series|date=1992|isbn=0300051980}}
-''Jordan-Bychkov, Terry G. Trails to Texas Southern Roots of Western Cattle Ranching. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1981.''ISBN 9780803225541
+*{{citation|last=Weddle|first=Robert S.|title=Changing Tides: Twilight and Dawn in the Spanish Sea, 1763–1803|series=Centennial Series of the Association of Former Students Number 58|publisher=[[Texas A&M University Press]]|location=[[College Station, TX]]|date=1995|isbn=0890966613}}
+{{refend}}
 ==External links==
-All links retrieved November 28, 2007
+{{Texas History}}
-{{sisterlinks|Texas}}
+{{sisterlinks}}
-*[http://www.texas.gov/ The State of Texas]
+;State Government
-*[http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/ The Handbook of Texas Online] ''- Published by the Texas State Historical Association'' thousands of scholarly articles on every aspect of Texas history
+*[http://www.texasonline.com/portal/tol The State of Texas]
-*[http://www.wikimapia.org/#y=32620870&x=-97119141&z=6&l=0&m=a Satellite image from Wikimapia]
+*[http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/Texas 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''.
-*[http://www.traveltex.com/ Texas Tourism] - ''Texas: It's like a whole other country''
+*[http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu Texas Politics]. An online textbook from the College of Liberal Arts, The University of Texas.
-*[http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ref/abouttx/index.html About Texas] - ''Many Texas subject area links from the Texas State Library''
+;U.S. Government
-*[http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/ The Handbook of Texas Online] ''- Published by the Texas State Historical Association''
+*[http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=TX Energy Profile for Texas- Economic, environmental, and energy data]
-*[http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/index.html Texas Politics]: Texas government resource provided by the University of Texas at Austin
+*[http://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=TX USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Texas]
-*[http://www.tx.gov/ Texas Online] - ''The Texas Government web portal.''
+*[http://www.ers.usda.gov/statefacts/TX.htm Texas State Facts]
-*[http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/ Texas Legislature Online]
+*[http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/tx/ South and West Texas, a National Park Service ''Discover Our Shared Heritage'' Travel Itinerary]
-*[http://www.statemaster.com/state/TX Statistics about Texas]
+;Other
-*[http://texashistory.unt.edu/ The Portal to Texas History]
+*[http://www.thestoryoftexas.com/ The Texas State History Museum]
-*[http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/director_staff/texas_rangers/ State Department of Public Safety, Texas Ranger Division]
+*[http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/ The Handbook of Texas Online]{{ndash}} Published by the ''Texas State Historical Association''
-*[http://www.thc.state.tx.us/ Texas Historical Commission] - ''Official website''
+*[http://texinfo.library.unt.edu/texasregister/default.htm ''Texas Register''], hosted by the ''University of North Texas Libraries''
-*[http://www.texasranger.org/ Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum]
-*[http://texinfo.library.unt.edu/texasregister/default.htm ''Texas Register''], hosted by the University of North Texas Libraries
-*[http://www.npsot.org/ The Native Plant Society of Texas]
-*[http://www.texasprairie.org/ The Native Prairies Association of Texas]
 *[http://dmoz.org/Regional/North_America/United_States/Texas/ Open Directory: Texas]
-*[http://www.ers.usda.gov/StateFacts/TX.htm Texas State Facts]
+*{{wikitravel}}
-*[http://www.texaswideopenforbusiness.com/ Texas Economy]
+*[http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/tx/ South and West Texas: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary]
-*[http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/txcrime.htm Texas Crime Rates 1960 - 2006]
+{{Template group
-*[http://www.disastercenter.com/texas/crime/index.html Texas Law Enforcement Agency Uniform Crime Reports 1980 to 2005]
+|list =
-*[http://hubpages.com/hub/adventuresinphotography Texas Photographs]
-*[http://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=TX USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Texas]
-<br clear=all/>
 {{Texas|expand}}
 {{United States}}
-{{Confederate2}}
 {{US South}}
+{{Six flags of Texas}}
-{{coor title d|31|N|100|W|region:US-TX_type:state_scale:10000000}}
+{{Confederate States of America}}
+{{coord|31|N|100|W|region:US-TX_type:adm1st_scale:10000000|display=title}}
+}}
 [[Category:Geography]]
 [[Category:United States]]
+{{Credit|254025366}}
-{{credit|174268471}}