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Coordinates: 31°N 99°W / 31°N 99°W / 31; -99 (State of Texas)
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{{Short description|U.S. state}}
{{otheruses}}
{{redirect|Texan|other uses|Texas (disambiguation)|and|Texan (disambiguation)}}
{{US state
{{Pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
| Name = Texas
{{Pp-move}}
| Fullname = State of Texas
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}
| Former = Republic of Texas
{{Use American English|date=March 2023}}
| Former_flag = Previous flag of Texas.svg
{{Infobox U.S. state
| Flag = Flag of Texas.svg
| Flaglink = [[Flag of Texas]]
| name = Texas
| Former = Republic of Texas
| Seal = Texas state seal.png
| Map = Map_of_USA_TX.svg
| image_flag = Flag of Texas.svg
| Nickname = Lone Star State
| flag_link = Flag of Texas
| image_seal = Seal of the state of texas.svg
| Motto = Friendship
| Capital = [[Austin, Texas|Austin]]
| seal_link = Seal of Texas
| image_map = Texas in United States.svg
| LargestCity = [[Houston, Texas|Houston]]
| nickname = The Lone Star State
| Governor = [[Rick Perry]] (R)
| motto = Friendship
| Senators = [[Kay Bailey Hutchison]] (R),<br> [[John Cornyn]] (R)
| anthem = "[[Texas, Our Texas]]"
| PostalAbbreviation = TX
| population_demonym = Texan<br />[[Texian]] (archaic)<!--Texan is meant to link to disambiguation page--><br />[[Tejano]] (usually only used for Hispanics)
| TradAbbreviation = Tex.
| seat = [[Austin, Texas|Austin]]
| OfficialLang = [[English language|English]] (de facto)<br/>''See also [[Languages spoken in Texas|languages of Texas]]''
| LargestCity = [[Houston]]
| AreaRank = 2<sup>nd</sup>
| LargestMetro = [[Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex|Dallas–Fort Worth]]
| TotalAreaUS = 268,581 <!--www.texas.gov Texas Almanac 2006-2007 Edition-->
| LargestCounty = [[Harris County, Texas|Harris]]
| TotalArea = 695,622
| Governor = {{nowrap|[[Greg Abbott]] ([[Republican Party of Texas|R]])}}
| LandAreaUS = 261,797 <!--www.texas.gov Texas Almanac 2006-2007 Edition-->
| Lieutenant Governor = {{nowrap|[[Dan Patrick (politician)|Dan Patrick]] (R)}}
| LandArea = 678,051
| Legislature = [[Texas Legislature]]
| WaterAreaUS = 6,784 <!--www.texas.gov Texas Almanac 2006-2007 Edition-->
| Upperhouse = [[Texas Senate|Senate]]
| WaterArea = 17,570
| Lowerhouse = [[Texas House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
| PCWater = 2.5
| Judiciary = [[Supreme Court of Texas]] (Civil)<br />[[Texas Court of Criminal Appeals]] (Criminal)
| PopRank = 2<sup>nd</sup>
| Senators = {{nowrap|[[John Cornyn]] (R)}}<br />{{nowrap|[[Ted Cruz]] (R)}}
| 2000Pop = 20,851,820
| Representative = 25 [[Republican Party of Texas|Republicans]]<br />13 [[Democratic Party of Texas|Democrats]]
| DensityRank = 28th
| postal_code = TX
| 2000DensityUS = 79.6 <!--quickfacts.census.gov -->
| 2000Density = 30.75
| TradAbbreviation = Tex.
| OfficialLang = [[Languages of Texas|None]]
| AdmittanceOrder = 28<sup>th</sup>
| Languages = * [[Texan English|English]] only: 64.9%
| AdmittanceDate = [[December 29]], [[1845]]
*[[Texan Spanish|Spanish]]: 28.8%<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?text=Language&t=Language%20Spoken%20at%20Home&g=0400000US48&y=2020|title=Languages Spoken at Home|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 5, 2020}}</ref>
| TimeZone = [[Central Standard Time Zone|Central]]: [[UTC]]-6/[[Daylight saving time|-5]]
*[[Languages of Texas|Other]]: 6.3%
| TZ1Where = most of state
| area_rank = 2nd
| TimeZone2 =[[Mountain Standard Time Zone|Mountain]]: [[UTC]]-7/[[Daylight saving time|-6]]
| area_total_sq_mi = 268,596<ref name="facts" />
| TZ2Where = tip of [[West Texas]]
| area_total_km2 = 695,662
| Latitude = 25°50'N to 36°30'N
| area_land_sq_mi = 261,232<ref name="facts" />
| Longitude = 93°31'W to 106°38'W
| area_land_km2 = 676,587
| WidthUS = 773 <!-- http://www.texasalmanac.com/environment/ -->
| area_water_sq_mi = 7,365<ref name="facts" />
| Width = 1,244
| area_water_km2 = 19,075
| LengthUS = 790
| area_water_percent = 2.7
| Length = 1,270
| population_rank = 2nd
| 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| accessdate = November 8 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref>
| population_as_of = 2024
| HighestElevUS = 8,749
| 2020Pop = {{IncreaseNeutral}} 31,290,831<ref name="CensusQuickFacts">{{Cite web |title=QuickFacts: Texas |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/TX | website=Census.gov | publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=December 20, 2024}}</ref>
| HighestElev = 2,667
| population_density_rank = 23rd
| MeanElevUS = 1,700
| MeanElev = 520
| 2000DensityUS = 114
| 2000Density = 42.9
| LowestPoint = [[Gulf of Mexico]]<ref name=usgs/>
| MedianHouseholdIncome = $66,963<ref>{{cite web |title=Texas |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Texas?g=040XX00US48 |website=U.S. Census Bureau |date=2021|access-date=May 17, 2023}}</ref>
| LowestElevUS = 0
| IncomeRank = [[List of U.S. states and territories by income#States and territories ranked by median household income|23rd]]
| LowestElev = 0
| AdmittanceOrder = 28th
| ISOCode = US-TX
| AdmittanceDate = December 29, 1845
| Website = www.texas.gov}}
| timezone1 = [[Central Time Zone (North America)|Central]]
'''Texas''' is a [[U.S. state|state]] located in the [[Southern United States|Southern]] and [[Western United States|Southwestern]] regions of the [[United States|United&nbsp;States&nbsp;of&nbsp;America]]. With an area of 268,581 [[square mile]]s (695,622 [[Square kilometre|km²]]) and a population of 23.5 million in 254 counties, the state is second-largest in both area and population&mdash;behind [[Alaska]] and [[California]], respectively. About half the state's population resides in either the Dallas–Fort Worth or Houston metropolitan areas.
| utc_offset1 = −06:00
| timezone1_DST = [[Central Daylight Time|CDT]]
| utc_offset1_DST = −05:00
| timezone1_location = Majority of state
| timezone2 = [[Mountain Time Zone|Mountain]]
| utc_offset2 = −07:00
| timezone2_DST = [[Mountain Daylight Time|MDT]]
| utc_offset2_DST = −06:00
| timezone2_location = [[El Paso County, Texas|El Paso]], [[Hudspeth County, Texas|Hudspeth]], and northwestern [[Culberson County, Texas|Culberson]] counties
| Latitude = 25°50′ N to 36°30′ N
| Longitude = 93°31′ W to 106°39′ W
| width_mi = 773<ref name="Texas Almanac-2008">{{cite web |year=2008 |title=Environment |website=Texas Almanac |url=http://texasalmanac.com/topics/environment/environment |access-date=June 28, 2020}}</ref>
| width_km = 1,244
| length_mi = 801<ref name="Texas Almanac-2008" />
| length_km = 1,289
| elevation_max_point = [[Guadalupe Peak]]<ref>{{cite ngs |id=CD0994 |designation=El Capitan |access-date=October 20, 2011}}</ref><ref name=USGS>{{cite web|url=https://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html |title=Elevations and Distances in the United States |publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]] |year=2001 |access-date=October 24, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722022527/http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html |archive-date=July 22, 2012}}</ref>{{efn|Elevation adjusted to [[North American Vertical Datum of 1988]]}}
| elevation_max_ft = 8,751
| elevation_max_m = 2667.4
| elevation_ft = 1,700
| elevation_m = 520
| elevation_min_point = [[Gulf of Mexico]]<ref name=USGS />
| elevation_min_ft = 0
| elevation_min_m = 0
| iso_code = US-TX
| website = https://texas.gov
| Capital =
| Representatives =
}}
{{Infobox region symbols|country=United States
| image_flag = Flag of Texas.svg
| image_seal = File:Seal of the state of texas.svg
| state = Texas
| amphibian =
| bird = [[Northern mockingbird]] (''Mimus polyglottos'')
| butterfly =
| crustacean =
| fish = [[Guadalupe bass]] (''Micropterus treculii'')
| flower = [[Bluebonnet (plant)|Bluebonnet]] (''Lupinus'' spp., namely Texas bluebonnet, ''L. texensis'')
| horse =
| insect = [[Monarch butterfly]] (''Danaus plexippus'')
| mammal = [[Texas longhorn]], [[nine-banded armadillo]] (''Dasypus novemcinctus'')
| mushroom = [[Texas star (fungus)|Texas star]] (''Chorioactis geaster'')
| reptile = [[Texas horned lizard]] (''Phrynosoma cornutum'')
| tree = [[Pecan]] (''Carya illinoinensis'')
| beverage =
| colors =
| dance =
| food = [[Chili con carne|Chili]]
| fossil =
| gemstone =
| mineral =
| instrument = [[Guitar]]
| poem =
| rock =
| shell = [[Sinistrofulgur perversum|Lightning whelk]] (''Busycon perversum pulleyi'')
| ship = [[USS Texas (BB-35)|USS ''Texas'']]
| slogan = ''The Friendly State''
| soil = [[Houston Black (soil)|Houston Black]]
| sport = [[Rodeo]]
| game = [[Texas 42]] dominoes
| toy =
| other = Molecule: [[Buckyball]] (For more, see [[List of Texas state symbols|article]])
| image_route = Texas 6.svg
| image_quarter = 2004 TX Proof.png
| quarter_release_date = 2004
}}


'''Texas''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|t|ɛ|k|s|ə|s|audio=En-us-Texas.ogg}} {{respell|TEK|səss}}, {{IPAc-en|local|also|ˈ|t|ɛ|k|s|ᵻ|z}} {{respell|TEK|siz}};<ref>{{Accents of English|551|hide1=y|hide2=y}}</ref> {{langx|es|Texas}} or {{lang|es|Tejas}},{{efn|In [[Peninsular Spanish]], the spelling variant {{lang|es|Tejas}} is also used alongside {{lang|es|Texas}}. According to the {{lang|es|[[Diccionario panhispánico de dudas]]}} by the [[Royal Spanish Academy]] and the [[Association of Academies of the Spanish Language]], the spelling version with {{angbr|j}} aligns with modern-day orthographic conventions and is correct; however, the spelling with {{angbr|x}} is recommended, as it is the one that is used in [[Mexican Spanish]].<ref>"Texas" in ''[[iarchive:diccionariopanhi0000unse|Diccionario panhispánico de dudas]]'' by [[Royal Spanish Academy]] and [[Association of Academies of the Spanish Language]], Madrid: Santillana. 2005. ISBN 978-8-429-40623-8.</ref> See {{section link|Spanish orthography|History}}.}} {{IPA|es|ˈtexas|pron}}) is the most populous [[U.S. state|state]] in the [[South Central United States|South Central]] region of the [[United States]]. It borders [[Louisiana]] to the east, [[Arkansas]] to the northeast, [[Oklahoma]] to the north, [[New Mexico]] to the west, and [[Mexico-United States border|an international border]] with the [[Mexican states]] of [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]], [[Coahuila]], [[Nuevo León]], and [[Tamaulipas]] to the south and southwest. Texas has a coastline on the [[Gulf of Mexico]] to the southeast. Covering {{convert|268,596|mi2|km2}}, and with some 31 million residents as of 2024,<ref name="CensusQuickFacts"></ref> it is the second-largest state by both [[List of U.S. states and territories by area|area]] and [[List of U.S. states and territories by population|population]]. Texas is nicknamed the '''''Lone Star State''''' for its former status as [[Republic of Texas|an independent republic]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The State of Texas |url=https://www.netstate.com/states/intro/tx_intro.htm |access-date=April 11, 2010 |website=Netstate.com}}</ref>
The state's name derives from a word in the [[Caddoan languages|Caddoan language]] of the [[Hasinai]], ''{{unicode|táyshaʔ}}'', "Friend".<ref name="Txfacts">{{cite web|url= http://www.texasalmanac.com/facts/|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.


[[Spain]] was the [[Spanish Texas|first European country]] to claim and control Texas. Following [[French colonization of Texas|a short-lived colony]] controlled by France, Mexico controlled the land until 1836 when Texas won its independence, becoming the [[Republic of Texas]]. In 1845, Texas joined the United States of America as the 28th state.<ref>{{cite web |title=Twenty-ninth Congress: Resolutions |url=http://legisworks.org/sal/9/stats/STATUTE-9-Pg108a.pdf |url-status=dead |date=1845 |access-date=May 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525081934/http://legisworks.org/sal/9/stats/STATUTE-9-Pg108a.pdf |archive-date=May 25, 2017 |website=legisworks.org}}</ref> The [[Texas annexation|state's annexation]] set off a chain of events that led to the [[Mexican–American War]] in 1846. Following victory by the United States, Texas remained a [[slave state]] until the [[American Civil War]], when it declared its secession from [[Union (American Civil War)|the Union]] in early 1861 before officially joining the [[Confederate States of America]] on March{{nbsp}}2. After the Civil War and the restoration of its representation in the federal government, Texas entered a long period of economic stagnation.
Texas is internationally known for its energy and aeronautics industries, and for its use of ship channel at the [[Port of Houston]]&mdash;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 numerous [[Fortune 500]] companies located in major metropolitan areas.<ref name="texasfortune500">{{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> The [[Texas Medical Center]] contains the world's largest concentration of research and healthcare institutions.<ref name="texasmedical">{{Cite web|url=http://www.tmc.edu/tmc-introduction.html|title=Texas Medical Center|accessdate=2006-12-26|publisher=Texas Medical Center|year=2006}}</ref>

Historically, five major industries shaped the [[Texas economy]] prior to [[World War II]]: cattle, bison, cotton, timber, and oil.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ramos |first1=Mary G. |last2=Reavis |first2=Dick J. |title=Texas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EgCE8AHvYUQC&pg=PA125 |publisher=Fodor's Travel Publications |year=2004 |page=125 |isbn=978-0-676-90502-1}}</ref> Before and after the Civil War, the cattle industry—which Texas came to dominate—was a major economic driver and created the traditional image of the Texas cowboy. In the later 19th century, cotton and lumber grew to be major industries as the cattle industry became less lucrative. Ultimately, the discovery of major [[petroleum]] deposits ([[Spindletop]] in particular) initiated [[Texas oil boom|an economic boom]] that became the driving force behind the economy for much of the 20th century. Texas developed a diversified economy and [[high tech]] industry during the mid-20th century. {{As of|2022}}, it has the most [[Fortune 500|''Fortune'' 500]] company headquarters (53) in the United States.<ref name="Austin 2022">{{cite web | title=Texas leads nation as home to the most Fortune 500 companies | website=FOX 7 Austin | date=May 24, 2022 | url=https://www.fox7austin.com/news/texas-home-to-most-fortune-500-companies | access-date=October 31, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Miranda 2022">{{cite web | last=Miranda | first=Cynthia | title=Texas houses the most Fortune 500 companies in the nation | website=KETK.com | date=May 25, 2022 | url=https://www.ketk.com/news/local-news/texas-houses-the-most-fortune-500-companies-in-the-nation/ | access-date=October 31, 2022 | archive-date=March 26, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326035403/https://www.ketk.com/news/local-news/texas-houses-the-most-fortune-500-companies-in-the-nation/ | url-status=dead }}</ref> With a growing base of industry, the state leads in many industries, including [[tourism]], [[Agriculture in Texas|agriculture]], [[petrochemicals]], [[Energy in Texas|energy]], [[Computer industry|computers]] and [[Consumer electronics|electronics]], [[aerospace]], and [[biomedical sciences]]. Texas has led the U.S. in [[List of U.S. states and territories by exports|state export revenue]] since 2002 and has the [[List of U.S. states by GDP|second-highest]] [[gross state product]].

The [[Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex]] and [[Greater Houston]] areas are the nation's fourth and fifth-most populous [[Metropolitan statistical area|urban regions]] respectively. Its capital city is [[Austin, Texas|Austin]]. Due to its size and geologic features such as the [[Balcones Fault]], Texas contains diverse [[Geography of Texas|landscapes]] common to both the U.S. [[Southern United States|Southern]] and the [[Southwestern United States|Southwestern regions]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Sansom |first=Andrew |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LEHH7ovVVDgC&pg=PA25 |title=Water in Texas: An Introduction |publisher=[[University of Texas Press]] |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-292-71809-8 |page=25}}</ref> Most population centers are in areas of former [[prairie]]s, [[grassland]]s, forests, and the [[coastline]]. Traveling from east to west, terrain ranges from coastal [[swamp]]s and [[piney woods]], to rolling plains and rugged hills, to the desert and mountains of the [[Big Bend (Texas)|Big Bend]].

==Etymology==
The name ''Texas'', based on the [[Caddo language|Caddo word]] {{lang|cad|táy:shaʼ}} ({{IPA|/tə́jːʃaʔ/}}) 'friend', was applied, in the spelling {{lang|es|Tejas}} or {{lang|es|Texas}},<ref>José Arlegui, ''Chronica de la provincia de N.S.P.S. Francisco de Zacatecas Front Cover'' (1737), [https://books.google.com/books?id=oor1HSP8-SQC&pg=PA53 p. 53].</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Texas |url=https://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Texas |website=Online Etymology Dictionary |publisher=Douglas Harper |access-date=February 25, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite Handbook of Texas |last=Fry |first=Phillip L. |title=Texas, Origin of Name |id=pft04 |orig-year=July 15, 2010 |date=March 7, 2016}}</ref><ref name="facts">{{cite web |title=Facts |edition=2010–2011 |work=[[Texas Almanac]] |url=http://texasalmanac.com/topics/facts-profile |first=Robert |last=Plocheck |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110228054833/http://www.texasalmanac.com/topics/facts-profile |archive-date=February 28, 2011 |date=November 20, 2017}}</ref> by the Spanish to the [[Caddo]] themselves, specifically the [[Hasinai]] Confederacy.<ref>{{cite book |last=Davis |first=Lucile |title=The Caddo of Texas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RN5VZEYH784C |publisher=Rosen Publishing |year=2003 |page=5 |isbn=9780823964352}}</ref>

During [[Spanish Texas|Spanish colonial rule]], in the 18th century, the area was known as {{lang|es|Nuevas Filipinas}} ('[[New Philippines]]') and {{lang|es|Nuevo Reino de Filipinas}} ('New Kingdom of the Philippines'),<ref name="Teja-2010" /> or as {{lang|es|provincia de los Tejas}} ('province of the {{lang|es|Tejas}}'),<ref>Oakah L. Jones, ''Los Paisanos: Spanish Settlers on the Northern Frontier of New Spain'', University of Oklahoma Press (1996), [https://books.google.com/books?id=i-eo6Rpbhw0C&pg=PA277 p. 277], citing a document dated November 5, 1730.</ref> later also {{lang|es|provincia de Texas}} (or {{lang|es|de Tejas}}), ('province of Texas').<ref>Joseph de Laporte, ''El viagero universal: Ó, Noticia del mundo antiguo y nuevo'' vol. 27 (1799), [https://books.google.com/books?id=HrxHAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA114 p. 114].</ref><ref name="Teja-2010">{{cite Handbook of Texas |last=Teja |first=Jesús de la |title=New Philippines |id=usn01 |date=June 15, 2010}}</ref> It was incorporated as {{lang|es|[[Mexican Texas|provincia de Texas]]}} into the [[First Mexican Empire|Mexican Empire]] in 1821, and declared [[Republic of Texas|a republic]] in 1836. The [[Royal Spanish Academy]] recognizes both spellings, {{lang|es|Tejas}} and {{lang|es|Texas}}, as Spanish-language forms of the name.<ref>"Texas. Grafía recomendada para el nombre de este estado norteamericano. Su pronunciación correcta es [téjas], no [téksas]. Se recomienda escribir asimismo con x el gentilicio correspondiente: texano. Son también válidas las grafías con j (Tejas, tejano), de uso mayoritario en España." ''Diccionario panhispánico de dudas'',
Real Academia Española (2005), s.v. [http://lema.rae.es/dpd/?key=texas Texas].</ref>

The English pronunciation with {{IPA|/ks/}} is unetymological, contrary to the historical value of the letter [[x]] ({{IPAslink|ʃ}}) in [[Spanish orthography]]. Alternative etymologies of the name advanced in the late 19th century connected the name ''Texas'' with the Spanish word {{lang|es|teja}}, meaning 'roof tile', the plural {{lang|es|tejas}} being used to designate Indigenous [[Pueblo]] settlements.<ref name=Dimitry>Charles Dimitry, "American Geographical Nomenclature", ''Appletons' Journal'' 15 (1876), [https://books.google.com/books?id=3C8-AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA758 758f.]</ref> A 1760s map by [[Jacques-Nicolas Bellin]] shows a village named ''Teijas'' on the [[Trinity River (Texas)|Trinity River]], close to the site of modern [[Crockett, Texas|Crockett]].<ref name=Dimitry/>


==History==
==History==
===Precontact era===
{{Texas History}}
{{main|History of Texas}}
{{main|History of Texas}}
{{further|Pre-Columbian Mexico|Native American tribes in Texas}}
Texas boasts that "[[Six flags over Texas|Six Flags]]" have flown over its soil: the [[Fleur-de-lis]] of [[France]], the national flags of [[Spain]], [[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>


[[File:Early indian west.jpg|thumb|Early Native American tribal territories]]Texas lies between two major cultural spheres of [[Pre-Columbian North America]]: the [[Southwestern tribes|Southwestern]] and the [[Plains Indians|Plains]] areas. [[Archaeologists]] have found that three major Indigenous cultures lived in this territory, and reached their developmental peak before the first European contact. These were:{{sfn|Richardson|Wintz|Boswell|Anderson|2021|p=9}} the [[Ancestral Puebloans]] from the upper [[Rio Grande]] region, centered west of Texas; the [[Mississippian culture]], also known as [[Mound Builders]], which extended along the [[Mississippi River Valley]] east of Texas; and the civilizations of [[Mesoamerica]], which were centered south of Texas. Influence of [[Teotihuacan]] in northern Mexico peaked around AD 500 and declined between the 8th and 10th centuries.
[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] 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]], Huaco 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>


When Europeans arrived in the Texas region, the language families present in the state were Caddoan, [[Atakapa]]n, Athabaskan, [[Coahuiltecan]], and Uto-Aztecan, in addition to several language isolates such as [[Tonkawa language|Tonkawa]]. Uto-Aztecan Puebloan and [[Jumanos|Jumano]] peoples lived neared the Rio Grande in the western portion of the state and the Athabaskan-speaking Apache tribes lived throughout the interior. The agricultural, mound-building Caddo controlled much of the northeastern part of the state, along the [[Red River of the South|Red]], [[Sabine River (Texas–Louisiana)|Sabine]], [[Neches River|and Neches River]] basins.<ref name="Carter 1995">{{Cite book |last=Carter |first=Cecile Elkins |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1253386080 |title=Caddo Indians where we come from |date=1995 |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |isbn=0-585-17049-5 |oclc=1253386080}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.7560/711501 |title="The Caddo Nation" |date=1993 |publisher=University of Texas Press |doi=10.7560/711501 |isbn=978-0-292-79978-3}}</ref> Atakapan peoples such as the [[Akokisa]] and [[Bidai]] lived along the northeastern Gulf Coast; the [[Karankawa people|Karankawa]] lived along the central coast.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Aten |first=Lawrence E. |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/254092448 |title=Indians of the upper Texas coast |date=1983 |publisher=Academic Pr |isbn=0-12-065740-6 |oclc=254092448}}</ref> At least one tribe of [[Coahuiltecan]]s, the [[Aranama people|Aranama]], lived in southern Texas. This entire culture group, primarily centered in northeastern [[Mexico]], is now extinct.
[[Image:Stephen f austin.jpg|thumb|right|[[Stephen F. Austin]]]]On [[November 6]], [[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> Before 1821, Texas was part of the Spanish dominions of [[New Spain]].<ref>{{Handbook of Texas|id=SS/nps1|name=Spanish Texas}}</ref> [[Moses Austin]] bought 200,000 acres (800 km²) of land of his choice.<ref name="HBOT MEX">{{Handbook of Texas|id=MM/npm1|name=Mexican Texas}}</ref> In 1821, Texas became part of the newly independent Republic of [[Mexico]] and, in 1824, became the northern section of [[Coahuila y Tejas]]. On [[January 3]], [[1823]], [[Stephen F. Austin]] began a colony of 300 American families along the [[Brazos River]]. This group became known as the "Old Three Hundred." The "Conventions" of 1832 and 1833 responded 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"/>


No culture was dominant across all of present-day Texas, and many peoples inhabited the area.{{sfn|Richardson|Wintz|Boswell|Anderson|2021|p=10}} Native American tribes who have lived inside the boundaries of present-day Texas include the [[Alabama people|Alabama]], [[Apache]], [[Atakapa]]n, [[Bidai]], [[Caddo]], [[Aranama people|Aranama]], [[Comanche]], [[Choctaw]], [[Coushatta]], [[Hasinai]], [[Jumano people|Jumano]], [[Karankawa people|Karankawa]], [[Kickapoo people|Kickapoo]], [[Kiowa]], [[Tonkawa]], and [[Wichita people|Wichita]].{{sfn|Richardson|Wintz|Boswell|Anderson|2021|p=12}}<ref>{{cite Handbook of Texas|id=bzi04|title=Indians|first=George|last=Klos|date=June 15, 2010}}</ref> Many of these peoples migrated from the north or east during the colonial period, such as the [[Choctaw]], Alabama-Coushatta, and [[Lenape|Delaware]].<ref name="Carter 1995"/>
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 region was primarily controlled by the Spanish until the [[Texas Revolution]]. They were most interested in relationships with the Caddo, who were—like the Spanish—a settled, agricultural people. Several Spanish missions were opened in Caddo territory, but a lack of interest in Christianity among the Caddo meant that few were converted. Positioned between French Louisiana and Spanish Texas, the Caddo maintained relations with both, but were closer with the French.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Barr |first=Juliana |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1148108904 |title=Peace Came in the Form of a Woman : Indians and Spaniards in the Texas Borderlands. |date=November 2009 |publisher=University of North Carolina Press |isbn=978-1-4696-0470-1 |oclc=1148108904}}</ref> After Spain took control of Louisiana, most of the missions in eastern Texas were closed and abandoned.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Galán |first=Francis X. |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1128731300 |title=Los Adaes : the first capital of Spanish Texas |year=2020 |publisher=Texas A&M University Press |isbn=978-1-62349-878-8 |oclc=1128731300}}</ref> The United States obtained Louisiana following the 1803 [[Louisiana Purchase]] and began convincing tribes to self-segregate from whites by moving west; facing an overflow of native peoples in Missouri and Arkansas, they were able to negotiate with the Caddo to allow several displaced peoples to settle on unused lands in eastern Texas. These included the [[Muscogee]], [[Houma people|Houma Choctaw]], [[Lenape]] and [[Mingo|Mingo Seneca]], among others, who came to view the Caddoans as saviors.<ref name="Glover">Glover, William B. "A History of the Caddo Indians". Reprinted from 'The Louisiana Historical Quarterly'; Vol. 18, No. 4. October 1935</ref><ref>Swanton, John R. Indians of the Southeastern United States (Washington: United States Government Printing Office, 1946) p. 139</ref>
[[Image:Wpdms republic of texas.png|250px|thumb|left|Republic of Texas. The present-day outlines of the U.S. states are superimposed on the boundaries of 1836&ndash;1845]]
On [[March 2]], [[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 [[April 21]], [[1836]], the Texans 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"/>


The temperament of Native American tribes affected the fates of European explorers and [[settler]]s in that land.<ref name="Richardson-2005"/> Friendly tribes taught newcomers how to grow local crops, prepare foods, and hunt [[game (food)|wild game]]. Warlike tribes resisted the settlers.<ref name="Richardson-2005">{{cite book |first1=Rupert N. |last1=Richardson |first2=Adrian |last2=Anderson |first3=Cary D. |last3=Wintz |first4=Ernest |last4=Wallace |title=Texas: the Lone Star State |edition=9th |publisher=Prentice Hall |isbn=978-0-1318-3550-4 |pages=10–16|year=2005 }}</ref> Prior treaties with the Spanish forbade either side from militarizing its native population in any potential conflict between the two nations. Several outbreaks of violence between Native Americans and Texans started to spread in the prelude to the Texas Revolution. Texans accused tribes of stealing livestock. While no proof was found,<ref name="Carter 1995" /> those in charge of Texas at the time attempted to publicly blame and punish the Caddo, with the U.S. government trying to keep them in check. The Caddo never turned to violence because of the situation, except in cases of self-defense.<ref name="Glover"/>
Texans wanted [[Texas Annexation|annexation]] to the [[United States|U.S]]. 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 [[December 29]], [[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>


By the 1830s, the U.S. had drafted the Indian Removal Act, which was used to facilitate the Trail of Tears. Fearing retribution, Indian Agents all over the eastern U.S. tried to convince all Indigenous peoples to uproot and move west. This included the Caddo of Louisiana and Arkansas. Following the Texas Revolution, the Texans chose to make peace with the Indigenous people, but did not honor former land claims or agreements.{{Citation needed|date=January 2023}} The first president of Texas, [[Sam Houston]], aimed to cooperate and make peace with Native tribes, but his successor, [[Mirabeau B. Lamar]], took a much more hostile stance. Hostility towards Natives by white Texans prompted the movement of most Native populations north into what would become [[Indian Territory]] (modern Oklahoma).<ref name="Carter 1995"/><ref name="Glover"/> Only the [[Alabama–Coushatta Tribe of Texas|Alabama-Coushatta]] would remain in the parts of Texas subject to white settlement, though the Comanche would continue to control most of the western half of the state until their defeat in the 1870s and 1880s.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gwynne |first=S. C. |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/968100096 |title=Empire of the Summer Moon. |date=2011 |publisher=Constable & Robinson |isbn=978-1-84901-820-3 |oclc=968100096}}</ref>
During the [[American Civil War]], the state legislature authorized secession from the U.S. on [[February 1]], [[1861]], and Texas was accepted as a state by the provisional government of the [[Confederate States of America]] on [[March 1]], [[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 [[May 12]], [[1865]], well after Lee's surrender on [[April 9]], [[1865]] at [[Appomattox Court House]], [[Virginia|Va]].<ref>{{Handbook of Texas|id=PP/qfp1|name=Battle of Palmito Ranch}}</ref>


===Colonization===
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 [[June 19]], [[1865]] in Galveston by General Gordon Granger; nearly 1-1/2 years after the original announcement of [[January 1]], [[1863]].<ref>{{Handbook of Texas|id=JJ/lkj1|name=Juneteenth}}</ref> On March 30, 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>
{{main|New France|Louisiana (New France)|French colonization of Texas|French and Indian War|Treaty of Paris (1763)|New Spain|Spanish Texas|Seminole Wars|Adams–Onís Treaty|Mexican War of Independence|Treaty of Córdoba|First Mexican Empire|Mexican Texas|Provisional Government of Mexico (1823–24)|1824 Constitution of Mexico|First Mexican Republic|Siete Leyes|Centralist Republic of Mexico}}
The first historical document related to Texas was a map of the [[Gulf Coast]], created in 1519 by Spanish explorer [[Alonso Álvarez de Pineda]].<ref>{{harvp|Chipman|1992|p=243}}; {{harvp|Weber|1992|p=34}}</ref> Nine years later, shipwrecked Spanish explorer [[Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca]] and his cohort became the first Europeans in what is now Texas.<ref>{{cite Handbook of Texas|id=fca06|title=Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca|first=Donald E. |last=Chipman|orig-year=June 12, 2010 |date=August 3, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite Handbook of Texas|id=nps01|title=Spanish Texas|first=Donald E. |last=Chipman|orig-year=June 15, 2010 |date=January 23, 2017}}</ref> Cabeza de Vaca reported that in 1528, when the Spanish landed in the area, "half the natives died from a disease of the bowels and blamed us."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.americanjourneys.org/aj-070/summary/index.asp |title=The Journey of Alvar Nuńez Cabeza de Vaca |website=American Journeys |publisher=Wisconsin Historical Society |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005010422/http://www.americanjourneys.org/aj-070/summary/index.asp |archive-date=October 5, 2012}}</ref> Cabeza de Vaca also made observations about the way of life of the Ignaces Natives of Texas.{{Efn|Cabeza de Vaca wrote, "They went about with a firebrand, setting fire to the plains and timber so as to drive off the mosquitos, and also to get lizards and similar things which they eat, to come out of the soil. In the same manner they kill deer, encircling them with fires, and they do it also to deprive the animals of pasture, compelling them to go for food where the Indians want."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Davidson |first1=James West |first2=Mark H |last2=Lytle |title=After the Fact: The Art of Historical Detection |volume=1 |publisher=McGraw Hill|date=2010 |chapter=Chapter 1 |page=7 |isbn=978-0-0733-8548-8 |edition=6th}}</ref>}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Davidson |first1=James West |title=After the Fact: The Art of Historical Detection |last2=Lytle |first2=Mark H |date=2010 |publisher=McGraw Hill |isbn=978-0-0733-8548-8 |edition=6th |volume=1 |page=7 |chapter=Chapter 1}}</ref> [[Francisco Vázquez de Coronado]] described another encounter with native people in 1541.{{Efn|Vázquez de Coronado wrote, "Two kinds of people travel around these plains with the cows; one is called [[Querecho Indians|Querechos]] and the others [[Teyas Indians|Teyas]]; they are very well built, and painted, and are enemies of each other. They have no other settlement or location than comes from traveling around with the cows. They kill all of these they wish and tan the hides, with which they clothe themselves and make their tents, and they eat the flesh, sometimes even raw, and they also even drink the blood when thirsty. The tents they make are like field tents, and they set them up over poles they have made for this purpose, which come together and are tied at the top, and when they go from one place to another they carry them on some dogs they have, of which they have many, and they load them with the tents and poles and other things, for the country is so level, as I said, that they can make use of these, because they carry the poles dragging along on the ground. The sun is what they worship most."<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Winship |editor-first=George Parker |title=The Journey of Coronado, 1540–1542|publisher=A.S. Barnes & Company |date=1904 |pages=210–211 |url=https://archive.org/stream/journeycoronado00winsrich#page/210/mode/2up}}</ref>}}<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/stream/journeycoronado00winsrich#page/210/mode/2up |title=The Journey of Coronado, 1540–1542 |date=1904 |publisher=A.S. Barnes & Company |editor-last=Winship |editor-first=George Parker |pages=210–211}}</ref>


The expedition of [[Hernando de Soto]] entered into Texas from the east, seeking a route to Mexico. They passed through the Caddo lands but turned back after reaching the River of Daycao (possibly the Brazos or Colorado), beyond which point the Native peoples were nomadic and did not have the agricultural stores to feed the expedition.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hudson |first=Charles M. |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/981166517 |title=Knights of Spain, warriors of the sun : Hernando De Soto and the South's ancient chiefdoms |year=2018 |publisher=University of Georgia Press |isbn=978-0-8203-5160-5 |oclc=981166517}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Clayton |first1=Lawrence A. |last2=Knight |first2=Vernon J. |last3=Moore |first3=Edward C. |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/47010055 |title=The De Soto chronicles : the expedition of Hernando de Soto to North America in 1539-1543 |date=1995 |publisher=University of Alabama Press |isbn=0-585-36805-8 |oclc=47010055}}</ref>
The first major oil well in Texas was drilled at [[Spindletop]], a little hill south of [[Beaumont, Texas|Beaumont]], on the morning of [[January 10]], [[1901]]. Other oil fields were later discovered nearby in [[East Texas]], in [[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|Civil War]], was dealt a double blow by [[the Great Depression]] and the [[Dust Bowl]].


European powers ignored the area until accidentally settling there in 1685. Miscalculations by [[René-Robert Cavelier de La Salle]] resulted in his establishing the colony of [[French colonization of Texas|Fort Saint Louis]] at [[Matagorda Bay]] rather than along the [[Mississippi River]].{{sfnp|Weber|1992|p=149}} The colony lasted only four years before succumbing to harsh conditions and hostile natives.{{Sfnp|Chipman|1992|p=83}} A small band of survivors traveled eastward into the lands of the Caddo, but La Salle was killed by disgruntled expedition members.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Joutel |first=Henri |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/962854705 |title=The La Salle expedition to Texas : the journal of Henri Joutel, 1684-1687 |year=1998 |publisher=Texas State Historical Association |isbn=0-87611-165-7 |oclc=962854705}}</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>


In 1690 Spanish authorities, concerned that France posed a competitive threat, constructed several [[Spanish missions in Texas|missions]] in [[East Texas]] among the Caddo.{{sfnp|Chipman|1992|p=89}} After Caddo resistance, the Spanish missionaries returned to Mexico.{{sfnp|Weber|1992|p=155}} When France began settling [[Louisiana (New France)|Louisiana]], in 1716 Spanish authorities responded by founding a new series of missions in East Texas.<ref>{{harvp|Chipman|1992|pp=111–112}}; {{harvp|Weber|1992|p=160}}</ref> Two years later, they created [[San Antonio]] as the first Spanish civilian settlement in the area.{{sfnp|Weber|1992|p=163}}
==Geography==
[[File:LaFora 1771 2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Nicolas de La Fora's 1771 map of the northern frontier of [[New Spain]] clearly shows the Provincia de los Tejas.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bolton |first=Herbert Eugene |date=1915 |title=Texas in the Middle 18th Century|publisher=University of California Press |page=facing p. 382 |url=https://archive.org/stream/texasinmiddleei00boltgoog#page/n420/mode/2up}}</ref>|left]]
{{main|Geography of Texas}}
[[Image:El_Capitan_base_2005-03-12.jpg|thumb|250px|left|[[El Capitan (Texas)|El Capitan]]]]
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]].


Hostile native tribes and distance from nearby Spanish colonies discouraged settlers from moving to the area. It was one of New Spain's least populated provinces.{{sfnp|Chipman|1992|p=205}} In 1749, the Spanish peace treaty with the [[Lipan Apache people|Lipan Apache]] angered many tribes,{{sfnp|Weber|1992|p=193}} including the Comanche, Tonkawa, and Hasinai.{{sfnp|Weber|1992|p=189}} The Comanche signed a treaty with Spain in 1785 and later helped to defeat the Lipan Apache and Karankawa tribes.<ref>{{harvp|Weddle|1995|p=164}}; {{harvp|Chipman|1992|p=200}}</ref>{{sfnp|Weddle|1995|p=163}} With numerous missions being established, priests led a peaceful conversion of most tribes. By the end of the 18th century only a few [[nomad]]ic tribes had not converted.{{sfnp|Chipman|1992|p=202}}
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, and [[New Mexico]] and the [[Mexico|Mexican]] states of [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]], [[Coahuila]], [[Nuevo León]], and [[Tamaulipas]] to the south.
[[File:Stephen f austin.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Stephen F. Austin]] was the first American ''[[empresario]]'' given permission to operate a colony within [[Mexican Texas]].]]
[[File:Mexico 1824 (equirectangular projection).png|thumb|upright=1.35|Mexico in 1824. [[Coahuila y Tejas]] is the northeasternmost state.]]


When the United States [[Louisiana Purchase|purchased Louisiana]] from France in 1803, American authorities insisted the agreement also included Texas. The boundary between New Spain and the United States was finally set in 1819 at the [[Sabine River (Texas–Louisiana)|Sabine River]], the modern border between Texas and Louisiana.{{sfnp|Weber|1992|pp=291–299}} Eager for new land, many U.S. settlers refused to recognize the agreement. Several [[filibuster (military)|filibusters]] raised armies to invade the area west of the Sabine River.{{sfnp|Davis|2006|p=46}} Marked by the [[War of 1812]], some men who had escaped from the Spanish, held (Old) Philippines had immigrated to and also passed through Texas (New Philippines)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://texascultures.housing.utexas.edu/assets/pdfs/GTC_filipinotexans.pdf|title=Most of the Filipinos in Texas are comparatively recent arrivals. Strong economic and political ties with the Spanish empire from the 16th to the 19th centuries brought few known individuals to the Americas, but United States control in the early 20th century was responsible for Filipino settlement in every metropolitan area in the state. Considering the Spanish trade with the Philippines—the Manila galleons operated between Acapulco and Manila from 1565 to 1815—travelers from the islands may have been in Mexico after the mid-16th century|website=Texascultures.housing.utexas.edu|access-date=April 17, 2021|archive-date=March 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190303090219/http://texascultures.housing.utexas.edu/assets/pdfs/GTC_filipinotexans.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> and reached [[Louisiana]] where [[Ethnic groups in the Philippines|Philippine exiles]] aided the United States in the defense of [[New Orleans]] against a [[British Empire|British]] invasion, with [[Filipino people|Filipino]]s in the [[Saint Malo, Louisiana|Saint Malo]] settlement assisting [[Jean Lafitte]] in the [[Battle of New Orleans]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=From Manila to the Marigny: How Philippine pioneers left a mark at the 'end of world' in New Orleans|url=https://nola.verylocal.com/from-manila-to-the-maringny-how-philippine-pioneers-left-a-mark-at-the-end-of-world-in-new-orleans/89392/|last=Hinton|first=Matthew|date=October 23, 2019|website=Very Local New Orleans}}</ref>
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]].


In 1821, the [[Mexican War of Independence]] included the Texas territory, which became part of Mexico.{{sfnp|Weber|1992|p=300}} Due to its low population, the territory was assigned to other [[administrative divisions of Mexico|states and territories of Mexico]]; the core territory was part of the state of [[Coahuila y Tejas]], but other parts of today's Texas were part of [[Tamaulipas]], [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]], or the Mexican Territory of [[Santa Fe de Nuevo México]].{{sfnp|Manchaca|2001|p=162}}
Some regions of Texas are associated with the South more than the Southwest (primarily [[East Texas]] and [[North Texas]]), while other regions share more similarities with the Southwest than the South (primarily [[West Texas]] and [[South Texas]]). The [[Texas Panhandle]] and [[South Plains]] regions don't fit either category; they seem to have more in common with parts of the [[Midwestern United States]]. 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.


Hoping more settlers would reduce the near-constant Comanche raids, [[Mexican Texas]] liberalized its immigration policies to permit immigrants from outside Mexico and Spain.{{sfnp|Manchaca|2001|p=164}} Large swathes of land were allotted to ''[[empresario]]s'', who recruited settlers from the United States, Europe, and the Mexican interior, primarily the U.S. Austin's settlers, the [[Old Three Hundred]], made places along the [[Brazos River]] in 1822.{{sfnp|Manchaca|2001|p=198}} The population of Texas grew rapidly. In 1825, Texas had about 3,500 people, with most of Mexican descent.{{sfnp|Edmondson|2000|p=75}} By 1834, the population had grown to about 37,800 people, with only 7,800 of Mexican descent.{{sfnp|Manchaca|2001|p=172, 201}}
{{see also|Texas Irrigation Canals}}


Many immigrants openly flouted Mexican law, especially the prohibition against [[slavery]]. Combined with United States' attempts to purchase Texas, Mexican authorities decided in 1830 to prohibit continued immigration from the United States.{{sfnp|Edmondson|2000|p=78}} However, [[illegal immigration]] from the United States into Mexico continued to increase the population of Texas.{{sfnp|Manchaca|2001|p=200}} New laws also called for the enforcement of [[duty (economics)|customs duties]] angering native Mexican citizens (''[[Tejano]]s'') and recent immigrants alike.{{sfnp|Davis|2006|p=77}}
===Geology===
The [[Anahuac Disturbances]] in 1832 were the first open revolt against Mexican rule, coinciding with a revolt in Mexico against the nation's president.{{sfnp|Davis|2006|p=85}} [[Texian]]s sided with the [[federalism|federalists]] against the government and drove all Mexican soldiers out of East Texas.{{sfnp|Davis|2006|pp=86–89}} They took advantage of the lack of oversight to agitate for more political freedom. Texians met at the [[Convention of 1832]] to discuss requesting independent statehood, among other issues.{{sfnp|Davis|2006|p=92}} The following year, Texians reiterated their demands at the [[Convention of 1833]].<ref>{{cite Handbook of Texas |id=mjc10 |title=Convention of 1833 |first=Ralph W. |last=Steen |date=June 12, 2010}}</ref>
{{main|Geology of Texas}}


===Republic===
[[Image:LlanoEstacadoShadedRelief.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Shaded Relief Map of the [[Llano Estacado]].]]
{{main|Texas Revolution|Convention of 1836|Texas Declaration of Independence|Treaties of Velasco|Republic of Texas}}
Texas is the southernmost part of the [[Great Plains]], which ends in the south against the folded [[Sierra Madre Occidental]] of Mexico. It is mostly [[sedimentary rocks]], with east Texas underlain by a [[Cretaceous]] and younger sequence of sediments, the trace of ancient shorelines east and south until the active continental margin of the [[Gulf of Mexico]] is met. This sequence is built atop the subsided crest of the [[Appalachian Mountains]]&mdash;[[Ouachita Mountains]]&mdash;Marathon Mountains zone of [[Pennsylvanian]] [[continental collision]], which collapsed when [[rifting]] in [[Jurassic]] time opened the Gulf of Mexico. West from this [[orogeny|orogenic]] crest, which is buried beneath the [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]]&mdash;[[Waco, Texas|Waco]]&mdash;[[Austin, Texas|Austin]]&mdash;[[San Antonio, Texas|San Antonio]] trend, the sediments are [[Permian]] and [[Triassic]] in age. [[Petroleum|Oil]] is found in the Cretaceous sediments in the east, the Permian sediments in the west, and along the Gulf coast and out on the Texas [[continental shelf]]. A few exposures of [[Precambrian]] [[igneous]] and [[metamorphic]] rocks are found in the central and western parts of the state, and [[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, Texas|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.)
Within Mexico, tensions continued between federalists and centralists. In early 1835, wary [[Texians]] formed Committees of Correspondence and Safety.<ref>{{cite book |last=Huson |first=Hobart |title=Captain Phillip Dimmitt's Commandancy of Goliad, 1835–1836: An Episode of the Mexican Federalist War in Texas, Usually Referred to as the Texian Revolution|publisher=Von Boeckmann-Jones Co. |year=1974 |page=4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=THI8AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA4}}</ref> The unrest erupted into armed conflict in late 1835 at the [[Battle of Gonzales]].{{sfnp|Hardin|1994|p=12}} This launched the [[Texas Revolution]]. Texians elected delegates to the [[Consultation (Texas)|Consultation]], which created a provisional government.{{sfnp|Winders|2004|p=72}} The provisional government soon collapsed from infighting, and Texas was without clear governance for the first two months of 1836.<ref>{{harvp|Winders|2004|pp=90, 92}}{{harvp|Hardin|1994|p=109}}</ref>
[[File:SantaAnnaSurrender.jpg|thumb|''Surrender of Santa Anna''. Painting by William Henry Huddle, 1886.]]


Mexican President [[Antonio López de Santa Anna]] personally led an army to end the revolt.{{sfnp|Hardin|1994|p=102}} General [[José de Urrea]] defeated all the Texian resistance along the coast culminating in the [[Goliad massacre]].<ref>{{Cite Handbook of Texas |last=Roell |first=Craig H. |title=Coleto, Battle of |orig-year=June 12, 2010 |date=July 12, 2016 |id=qec01}}</ref> López de Santa Anna's forces, after a [[Siege of the Alamo|thirteen-day siege]], overwhelmed Texian defenders at the [[Battle of the Alamo]]. News of the defeats sparked panic among Texas settlers.{{sfnp|Todish|Todish|Spring|1998|p=68}}
===Climate===
[[File:Wpdms republic of texas.svg|thumb|right|The [[Republic of Texas]] with present-day borders superimposed]]
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 climatic 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, Texas|El Paso]].


The newly elected Texian delegates to the [[Convention of 1836]] quickly signed a [[Texas Declaration of Independence|declaration of independence]] on March 2, forming the [[Republic of Texas]]. After electing interim officers, the Convention disbanded.<ref>Roberts and Olson (2001), p. 144.</ref> The new government joined the other settlers in Texas in the [[Runaway Scrape]], fleeing from the approaching Mexican army.{{sfnp|Todish|Todish|Spring|1998|p=68}}
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 7.8 inches of rain per year while the average annual precipitation is 59 inches in [[Orange, Texas]].<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 °F in the mountains of West Texas and on [[Galveston Island]] to around 100 °F in the [[Rio Grande Valley]]. Nighttime summer temperatures range from the upper 50s °F 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 80 °F in [[Galveston, Texas|Galveston]].<ref>[http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/outdoors/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USTX0499?from=search Monthly Averages for Galveston, TX]. weather.com.</ref>


After several weeks of retreat, the [[Texian Army]] commanded by [[Sam Houston]] attacked and defeated López de Santa Anna's forces at the [[Battle of San Jacinto]].{{sfnp|Todish|Todish|Spring|1998|p=69}} López de Santa Anna was captured and forced to sign the [[Treaties of Velasco]], ending the war.{{sfnp|Todish|Todish|Spring|1998|p=70}} The [[Constitution of the Republic of Texas]] prohibited the government from restricting slavery or freeing slaves, and required free people of African descent to leave the country.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tarlton Law Library: Constitution of the Republic of Texas (1836): General Provisions|url=https://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/constitutions/republic-texas-1836/general-provisions|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=tarlton.law.utexas.edu |quote=No free person of African descent, either in whole or in part, shall be permitted to reside permanently in the Republic, without the consent of Congress, and the importation or admission of Africans or negroes into this Republic, excepting from the United States of America, is forever prohibited, and declared to be piracy.}}</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 October 24, 2006. </ref> Tornadoes are most frequent in the northern half of the state from April-July, although tornadoes can happen anywhere in the state, except perhaps for the Big Bend area.


Political battles raged between two factions of the new Republic. The nationalist faction, led by [[Mirabeau B. Lamar]], advocated the continued independence of Texas, the expulsion of the [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]], and the expansion of the Republic to the [[Pacific Ocean]]. Their opponents, led by Sam Houston, advocated the annexation of Texas to the United States and peaceful co-existence with Native Americans. The conflict between the factions was typified by an incident known as the [[Texas Archive War]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Archives War |website=Texas Treasures- The Republic |publisher=The Texas State Library and Archives Commission |date=November 2, 2005 |url=https://www.tsl.state.tx.us/treasures/republic/archwar/archwar.html |access-date=January 3, 2009 |archive-date=January 7, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107025915/http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/treasures/republic/archwar/archwar.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> With wide popular support, Texas first applied for annexation to the United States in 1836, but its status as a slaveholding country caused its admission to be controversial and it was initially rebuffed. This status, and Mexican diplomacy in support of its claims to the territory, also complicated Texas's ability to form foreign alliances and trade relationships.<ref name="seeds">{{cite book |title=Seeds of Empire: Cotton, Slavery, and the Transformation of the Texas Borderlands, 1800–1850 |year=2015 |isbn=978-1469624242 |publisher=The University of North Carolina Press |author=Andrew J. Torget}}</ref>
{{see also|Catastrophic Texas Hurricanes since 1900}}


The [[Comanche]] Indians furnished the main Native American opposition to the Texas Republic, manifested in multiple [[Comanche Wars|raids on settlements]].<ref>This had also been their policy toward neighboring tribes before the arrival of the settlers.
==Government and politics==
{{cite book|last=Gwinnett|first=S.C.|title=Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History|isbn=978-1-4165-9106-1|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/empireofsummermo00gwyn|year=2010|publisher=Simon and Schuster }}</ref> Mexico launched two small expeditions into Texas in 1842. The town of San Antonio was captured twice and Texans were defeated in battle in the [[Dawson massacre]]. Despite these successes, Mexico did not keep an occupying force in Texas, and the republic survived.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Calvert|first1=Robert A.|last2=León|first2=Arnoldo De|last3=Cantrell|first3=Gregg|title=The History of Texas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mS5NPwAACAAJ&pg=PP1|year=2002|publisher=Harlan Davidson|isbn=978-0-88295-966-5}}</ref> The cotton price crash of the 1840s depressed the country's economy.<ref name="seeds" />
{{main|Government of Texas}}
===Government===
[[Image:Texascapitol.jpg|250px|left|thumb|[[Texas State Capitol]]]]
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 2002). Texas has 32 representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives: 19 Republicans and 13 Democrats.


===Statehood===
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. Texas is one of only 3 states that is allowed by law to fly its flag at the same height as the U.S. Flag. Virginia and Hawaii are two of the others.
{{main|History of Texas (1845–1860)}}
{{further|Texas annexation|Admission to the Union|Mexican–American War|Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo}}
{{see also|List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union}}


[[File:3c Texas Centennial Sam Houston, Stephen Austin, and Alamo, 1936 issue.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|On March 2, 1936, the U.S. Post Office issued a [[commemorative stamp]] commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Texas Declaration of Independence, featuring Sam Houston (left), Stephen Austin and the Alamo.]]
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. Unlike many other states, all of these positions are elected by the populace, with the exception of the Secretary of State (who is appointed by the Governor). Thus, it is possible for the Governor and Lieutenant Governor could be of different [[Political parties in the United States|political parties]]. The comptroller decides if expected state income is sufficient to cover the proposed state budget. Except for the secretary of state&mdash;who is appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate&mdash;each of these officials is elected (the three Railroad Commission members are voted at-large; the State Board of Education members are voted in single-member districts). There are also many state agencies and numerous boards and commissions. Partly because of many elected officials, the governor's powers are quite limited in comparison to other state governors or the U.S. President<!-- partial reference: Texas State Almanac 2001-02, p. 435-->. In popular lore and belief the lieutenant governor, who heads the Senate and appoints its committees, has more [[power (sociology)|power]] than the governor. 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. In reality, the [[Speaker of the House]] is the most powerful member of the state government.
Texas was finally [[Texas annexation|annexed]] when the expansionist [[James K. Polk]] won the [[1844 United States presidential election|election of 1844]].<ref>Buescher, John. [http://www.teachinghistory.org/history-content/ask-a-historian/23927 "Senatorial Division"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101055351/https://teachinghistory.org/history-content/ask-a-historian/23927 |date=November 1, 2020 }}, [http://www.teachinghistory.org/ Teachinghistory.org], accessed August 21, 2011. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711054633/http://teachinghistory.org/ |date=July 11, 2011 }}</ref> On December 29, 1845, the [[United States Congress|U.S. Congress]] admitted Texas to the U.S.<ref name="TAnnexation">{{cite Handbook of Texas|id=mga02|title=Annexation|first=C. T. |last=Neu|orig-year=June 9, 2010 |date=December 2, 2015}}</ref>
After Texas's annexation, Mexico broke diplomatic relations with the United States. While the United States claimed Texas's border stretched to the Rio Grande, Mexico claimed it was the [[Nueces River]] leaving the [[Rio Grande Valley (Texas)|Rio Grande Valley]] under contested Texan sovereignty.<ref name="TAnnexation" /> While the former Republic of Texas could not enforce its border claims, the United States had the military strength and the political will to do so. President Polk ordered General [[Zachary Taylor]] south to the Rio Grande on January 13, 1846. A few months later Mexican troops routed an American cavalry patrol in the disputed area in the [[Thornton Affair]] starting the [[Mexican–American War]]. The first battles of the war were fought in Texas: the [[Siege of Fort Texas]], [[Battle of Palo Alto]] and [[Battle of Resaca de la Palma]]. After these decisive victories, the United States invaded Mexican territory, ending the fighting in Texas.<ref name="Mwar">{{cite Handbook of Texas|id=qdm02|title=Mexican War|first= K. Jack |last=Bauer|orig-year=June 15, 2010 |date=March 28, 2016}}</ref>


[[File:Remember Your Regiment, U.S. Army in Action Series, 2d Dragoons charge in Mexican War 1846.jpg|thumb|left|Captain [[Charles A. May]]'s squadron of the 2nd Dragoons slashes through the Mexican Army lines. [[Battle of Resaca de la Palma|Resaca de la Palma]], Texas, May 1846.]]
The [[Legislature of Texas]], like the legislature of every other state except [[Nebraska]], is bicameral (that is, it has two chambers). The House of Representatives has 150 members, while the Senate has 31. The speaker of the house, currently Tom Craddick ([[United States Republican Party|R]]-[[Midland, Texas|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.
The [[Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo]] ended the two-year war. In return for US$18,250,000, Mexico gave the U.S. undisputed control of Texas, ceded the [[Mexican Cession]] in 1848, most of which today is called the American Southwest, and Texas's borders were established at the Rio Grande.<ref name="Mwar" />


The [[Compromise of 1850]] set Texas's boundaries at their present position: Texas ceded its claims to land which later became half of present-day [[New Mexico]],<ref name="comp1850" /> a third of [[Colorado]], and small portions of [[Kansas]], [[Oklahoma]], and [[Wyoming]] to the federal government, in return for the assumption of $10 million of the old republic's debt.<ref name="comp1850">{{cite Handbook of Texas|id=nbc02|title=Compromise of 1850|first=Roger A. |last=Griffin|orig-year=June 12, 2010 |date=March 21, 2016}}</ref> Post-war Texas grew rapidly as migrants poured into the cotton lands of the state.<ref>{{cite Handbook of Texas|id=afc03|title=Cotton Culture|first1=Karen Gerhardt |last1=Britton |first2=Fred C. |last2=Elliott |first3=E. A. |last3=Miller|date=June 12, 2010}}</ref> They also brought or purchased enslaved African Americans, whose numbers tripled in the state from 1850 to 1860, from 58,000 to 182,566.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/09/visualizing-slavery/ |first=Susan |last=Schulte |title=Visualizing Slavery: A Map of Slavery Interactive Feature |work=The New York Times |date=December 9, 2010}}</ref>
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.
[http://www.example.com link title]


===Civil War to late 19th century===
===Law===
{{main|History of Texas (1865–1899)}}
The justice system in Texas has a reputation for strict sentencing. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, of the 21 counties in the United States where more than a fifth of the residents are prison inmates, 10 are in Texas. As mentioned above, Texas has 254 counties which affects the significance of this statistic.
{{further|Ordinance of Secession|Confederate States of America|Texas in the American Civil War}}
Texas re-entered war following the [[1860 United States presidential election|election of 1860]]. During this time, Black people comprised 30 percent of the state's population, and they were overwhelmingly enslaved.<ref name=HOT>{{cite Handbook of Texas |id=pkaan |first=W. Marvin |last=Dulaney |title=African Americans |orig-year=June 9, 2010 |date=July 25, 2016}}</ref> When [[Abraham Lincoln]] was elected, South Carolina seceded from the Union; five other [[Deep South]] states quickly followed. A state convention considering secession opened in Austin on January 28, 1861. On February 1, by a vote of 166–8, the convention adopted an [[Ordinance of Secession]]. Texas voters approved this Ordinance on February 23, 1861. Texas joined the newly created Confederate States of America on March 4, 1861, ratifying the permanent [[Constitution of the Confederate States|C.S. Constitution]] on March 23.<ref name="facts" /><ref>{{cite Handbook of Texas|id=mjs01|title=Secession Convention|first=Walter L. |last=Buenger|orig-year=June 15, 2010 |date=March 8, 2011}}</ref>


Not all Texans favored secession initially, although many of the same would later support the Southern cause. Texas's most notable [[Southern Unionist|Unionist]] was the state governor, [[Sam Houston]]. Not wanting to aggravate the situation, Houston refused two offers from President Lincoln for Union troops to keep him in office. After refusing to swear an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy, Houston was deposed.<ref>{{cite Handbook of Texas |id=fho73| name=Houston, Samuel |first=Thomas H. |last=Kreneck |orig-year=June 15, 2010 |date=March 30, 2017}}</ref>
Texas leads the nation in executions by far, with 381 executions from 1976 to 2006. The second-highest ranking state is [[Virginia]], with 94. Only capital murder (which is murder with an aggravating circumstance such as theft or sexual assault of the person murdered, murder of an elderly person or child, or murder in the commission of a felony)[http://tlo2.tlc.state.tx.us/statutes/docs/PE/content/htm/pe.005.00.000019.00.htm#19.03.00] is eligible for the death penalty. Prior to 2005, the alternate sentence was life with the possibility of parole after 40 calendar years; a 2005 law change changed the alternate sentence to life without parole.


While far from the [[Eastern Theater of the American Civil War|major battlefields]] of the [[American Civil War]], Texas contributed large numbers of soldiers and equipment.<ref name="CivilwarHB">{{cite Handbook of Texas |id=qdc02 |title=Civil War |first=Ralph A. |last=Wooster |orig-year=June 12, 2010 |date=January 30, 2017}}</ref> Union troops briefly [[First Battle of Galveston|occupied]] the state's primary port, Galveston. Texas's border with Mexico was known as the "backdoor of the Confederacy" because trade occurred at the border, bypassing the Union blockade.<ref>{{cite book |last=Federal Writers' Project |title=Texas, A Guide to the Lone Star State: Brownsville |publisher=Native American Books Distributor |date=December 1997 |page=206 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zUI26u0B_VEC&pg=PA206 |isbn=978-0-403-02192-5}}</ref> The Confederacy repulsed all Union attempts to shut down this route,<ref name="CivilwarHB" /> but Texas's role as a supply state was marginalized in mid-1863 after the Union capture of the [[Mississippi River]]. The [[Battle of Palmito Ranch|final battle of the Civil War]] was fought at [[Palmito Ranch Battlefield|Palmito Ranch]], near Brownsville, Texas, and saw a Confederate victory.<ref>{{cite Handbook of Texas|id=qfp01|title=Palmito Ranch, Battle of |first=Jeffrey William |last=Hunt |orig-date=1952 |date=April 20, 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230410145326/https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/palmito-ranch-battle-of |archive-date= Apr 10, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Marvel |first=William |date=June 12, 2006|title=Battle of Palmetto Ranch: American Civil War's Final Battle|url=https://www.historynet.com/battle-of-palmetto-ranch-american-civil-wars-final-battle.htm|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=HistoryNet|language=en-US |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122140801/https://www.historynet.com/battle-of-palmetto-ranch-american-civil-wars-final-battle.htm |archive-date= Jan 22, 2021 }}</ref>
A 2002 ''[[Houston Chronicle]]'' poll of Texans found that when asked "Do you support the death penalty?", 69.1 percent responded that they did, 21.9 percent did not support, and 9.1% were not sure or gave no answer.


Texas descended into anarchy for 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 marked the early months of [[Reconstruction Era|Reconstruction]].<ref name="CivilwarHB" /> [[Juneteenth]] commemorates the announcement of the [[Emancipation Proclamation]] in Galveston by General Gordon Granger, almost two and a half years after the original announcement.<ref>{{cite web|title=Historical Barriers to Voting |website=Texas Politics |publisher=University of Texas |url=https://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/6_5_3.html |access-date=October 13, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080402060131/http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/html/vce/0503.html |archive-date=April 2, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite Handbook of Texas|id=lkj01|title=Juneteenth|first=Teresa Palomo |last=Acosta|orig-year=June 15, 2010 |date=October 6, 2017}}</ref> President Johnson, in 1866, declared the civilian government restored in Texas.<ref>{{cite book |last=Johnson |first=Andrew |author-link=Andrew Johnson |date=August 20, 1866 |title=Proclamation Declaring the Insurrection at an End |series=American Historical Documents |publisher=President of the United States |url=https://www.bartleby.com/43/42.html |access-date=April 28, 2008}}</ref> Despite not meeting Reconstruction requirements, Congress resumed allowing elected Texas representatives into the federal government in 1870. Social volatility continued as the state struggled with agricultural depression and labor issues.<ref>{{cite Handbook of Texas|id=mzr01|title=Restoration|first=Carl H. |last=Moneyhon |orig-year=June 15, 2010 |date=January 30, 2017}}</ref>
Well-known for their role in the history of Texas law enforcement, the [[Texas Ranger Division]] of the [[Texas Highway Patrol]] continue today to provide special law enforcement services to the state.


Like most of the South, the Texas economy was devastated by the War. However, since the state had not been as dependent on slaves as other parts of the South, it was able to recover more quickly. The culture in Texas during the later 19th century exhibited many facets of a frontier territory. The state became notorious as a haven for people from other parts of the country who wanted to escape debt, war tensions, or other problems. "Gone to Texas" was a common expression for those fleeing the law in other states. Nevertheless, the state also attracted many businessmen and other settlers with more legitimate interests.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pettit|first=Gwen|title=Between the Creeks|url=https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth752794/m2/1/high_res_d/Between%20_the_Creeks_by_Gwen_Pettit_compiled_by_Melinda_Fisher.pdf|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=texashistory.unt.edu|quote=The Southern states, especially the hills of Tennessee and Alabama, were impoverished; war tensions still split neighborhoods. Soon, empty houses had crude signs that stated that the former inhabitants had "Gone to Texas." Church records, also, had the phrase, "Gone to Texas" by numerous names on their roles. So many families left Maury County, Tenn., to settle in eastern Collin County, just across East Fork, that several communities, such as Culleoka, have names directly from south Maury County. That group joined relatives that had come here in the 1850s. Most new immigrants had some link to Collin County, which brought them here. They stayed with relatives and friends until they could find a place to settle. Landowners recruited farmers from the old states by persuading relatives and former neighbors to come. However, numerous families, in the pioneer tradition, loaded their children and belongings in a wagon and headed toward the unknown west. Clarksville, Bonham and Dallas newspapers reported how many wagons passed through each day and how many were camped on the "jockey yards" waiting to find a place to settle. Some of these had sold farms and had money to buy land, but most of these immigrants became tenant farmers and worked on shares.}}</ref>
{{Further|[[Capital punishment in Texas]]}}
{{see also|List of military installations in Texas}}


The cattle industry continued to thrive, though it gradually became less profitable. Cotton and lumber became major industries creating new economic booms in various regions. Railroad networks grew rapidly as did the port at Galveston as commerce expanded. The lumber industry quickly expanded and was Texas' largest industry prior to the 20th century.<ref>{{cite web|title= Lumber Industry|url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/lumber-industry|access-date=December 28, 2020|publisher=TSHA |work=Handbook of Texas |first1= Robert S. |last1=Maxwell |orig-date=1976 |date=February 15, 2012 |quote=But relatively, the industry's status is far below its dominant position at the beginning of the twentieth century. Then it was the state's largest manufacturing enterprise, first among Texas industries in generating income, and the largest employer of labor in the Lone Star State.}}</ref>
===Politics===
{{main|Politics of Texas}}
[[Image:Rick perry.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Governor [[Rick Perry]]]]
Texas politics are dominated by fiscal and social conservatism. The political climate is currently dominated by the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], which has strong majorities in the Texas Senate and House of Representatives, reversing the trend of the previous 130 years of Democratic Party rule. Every executive branch official elected statewide is Republican, as is every member of Texas's two courts of last resort; no Democrat has won a statewide election since 1994. The majority of the state's delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives is Republican, as are both U.S. Senators.


===Early to mid-20th century===
Like the [[Southern states]], Texas historically was a one-party state of the [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic Party]]. The Democrats controlled a majority in the [[Texas House of Representatives|Texas House]] and in the state's Congressional delegation until the 2002 and 2004 elections, respectively.
[[File:Lucas_gusher.jpg|thumb|upright|Spindletop, the first major oil gusher]]
In 1900, Texas suffered the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history during the [[1900 Galveston hurricane|Galveston hurricane]].<ref name="deadhurr" /> On January 10, 1901, the first major [[oil well]] in Texas, [[Spindletop]], was found south of [[Beaumont, Texas|Beaumont]]. Other fields were later discovered nearby in [[East Texas Oil Field|East Texas]], [[West Texas]], and under the [[Gulf of Mexico]]. The resulting "[[Texas oil boom|oil boom]]" transformed Texas.<ref>{{cite Handbook of Texas|id=dos03|title=Spindletop Oilfield|first1=Robert |last1=Wooster |first2=Christine Moor |last2=Sanders |orig-year=June 15, 2010 |date=April 2, 2019 }}</ref> Oil production averaged three million barrels per day at its peak in 1972.<ref>{{cite Handbook of Texas|id=doogz|title=Oil and Gas Industry|first=Roger M. |last=Olien |orig-year=June 15, 2010 |date=August 19, 2016}}</ref>


In 1901, the Democratic-dominated state legislature passed a bill requiring payment of a [[Poll tax (United States)|poll tax]] for voting, which effectively [[Disenfranchisement after the Reconstruction Era|disenfranchised]] most Black and many poor White and [[Latinos|Latino]] people. In addition, the legislature established [[white primaries]], ensuring minorities were excluded from the formal political process. The number of voters dropped dramatically, and the Democrats crushed competition from the Republican and Populist parties.<ref>{{cite journal |jstor=791091 |title=Nixon v. Condon. Disfranchisement of the Negro in Texas |journal=The Yale Law Journal |volume=41 |issue=8 |pages=1212–1221 |date=June 1932 |doi=10.2307/791091|issn=0044-0094 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/6_5_3.html |title=Texas Politics: Historical Barriers to Voting |publisher=University of Texas at Austin |date=2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080402060131/http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/html/vce/0503.html |archive-date=April 2, 2008}}</ref> The [[Socialist Party of Texas|Socialist Party]] became the second-largest party in Texas after 1912,<ref>{{cite Handbook of Texas |id=was01|title=Socialist Party|first=Barr|last=Alwyn|date=June 15, 2010}}</ref> coinciding with a large socialist upsurge in the United States during fierce battles in the labor movement and the popularity of national heroes like [[Eugene V. Debs]]. The socialists' popularity soon waned after their vilification by the federal government for their opposition to U.S. involvement in [[World War I]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=World War I and the Suppression of Dissent {{!}} Wendy McElroy|url=https://www.independent.org/news/article.asp?id=1207|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=The Independent Institute}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title='War against war': Americans for peace in World War I – National Constitution Center|url=https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/war-against-war-americans-for-peace-in-world-war-i|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=National Constitution Center – constitutioncenter.org |quote=Morris Hillquit sought to keep alive the ties of his Socialist Party to its comrades abroad. Senator Robert La Follette filled many a speech with praise for progressives in other countries who shared his hatred for militarism. Henry Ford chartered an ocean liner to transport himself and dozens of other activists across the Atlantic, where they lobbied neutral governments to embrace a peace plan they would press on the warring powers. These Americans, like most critics of the war elsewhere in the world, wanted to create a new global order based on cooperative relationships between nation states and their gradual disarmament. Militarism, they argued, isolated peoples behind walls of mutual fear and loathing. Until April 1917, this formidable coalition of idealists—or realists—did much to keep the nation at peace. They may even have had a majority of Americans on their side until just weeks before Congress, at Wilson's behest, voted to declare war. To prevent that from happening, peace activists pressed for a national referendum on the question, confident that "the people" would recoil from fighting and paying the bills in order to help one group of European powers conquer another.}}</ref>
There are thirty-two [[Texas Congressional Districts|congressional districts in Texas]], the second most after California. Texas's congressional districts were redrawn in 2003 by the Republican-dominated legislature. Districts are usually drawn after the national census every 10 years, but an impasse in the Texas Legislature resulted in the districts being drawn by the courts in 2001. The legislature, with controversial help from U.S. Congressman Tom DeLay, redrew the districts after the Republicans gained a larger share of the legislature. A court challenge to the legality of the non-Census-timed redistricting was upheld by the Republican-dominated Texas Supreme Court; the [[United States Supreme Court]] remanded the map to a three-judge federal panel to redraw the 23rd District, which it ruled unconstitutionally diluted Hispanic voting strength in violation of the [[Voting Rights Act]]. The court otherwise upheld the rest of the districts on the map in question and noted that after a map meets all legal rules and laws, one drawn by the state's elected officials is preferred over one drawn by federal judges. The Democratic challengers of the map had pointed to an early 1990's map drawn by federal judges as one that should be kept in use.


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, Black people left Texas in the [[Great Migration (African American)|Great Migration]] to get work in the Northern United States or California and to escape segregation.<ref name=HOT/> In 1940, Texas was 74% [[Non-Hispanic Whites|White]], 14.4% Black, and 11.5% Hispanic.<ref>{{cite book|last=Jillson|first=Cal|title=Texas Politics: Governing the Lone Star State|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fQFZCrbc9mIC&pg=PA11|year=2011|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-203-82941-7|page=11}}</ref>
==Administrative divisions==
[[Image:Texas counties map.gif|300px|right|thumb|Map of Texas counties]]
Texas has a total of 254 [[Counties of the United States|counties]]&mdash;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 [[partisan]].


[[World War II]] had a dramatic impact on Texas, as federal money poured in to build military bases, munitions factories, detention camps and Army hospitals; 750,000 Texans left for service; the cities exploded with new industry; and hundreds of thousands of poor farmers left the fields for much better-paying war jobs, never to return to agriculture.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lee|first1=James Ward|last2=Barnes|first2=Carolyn N.|last3=Bowman|first3=Kent Adam|title=1941: Texas Goes to War|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JwBnAAAAMAAJ&pg=PP1|year=1991|publisher=University of North Texas Press|isbn=978-0-929398-29-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Fairchild|first=Louis|title=They Called It the War Effort: Oral Histories from World War II Orange, Texas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=syZDE5pBzjoC&pg=PP1|edition=second|year=2012|publisher=Texas A&M University Press|isbn=978-0-87611-259-5}}</ref> Texas manufactured 3.1 percent of total United States military armaments produced during World War II, ranking eleventh among the 48 states.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Peck|first1=Merton J.|author-link1=Whiz Kids (Department of Defense)|last2=Scherer|first2=Frederic M.|author-link2=Frederic M. Scherer|title=The weapons acquisition process: an economic analysis|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wfNHAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA111|year=1962|publisher=Division of Research, Graduate School of Business Administration, Harvard University|page=111}}</ref>
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.


Texas modernized and expanded its [[Education in Texas#Public colleges and universities|system of higher education]] through the 1960s. The state created a comprehensive plan for higher education, funded in large part by oil revenues, and a central state apparatus designed to manage state institutions more efficiently. These changes helped Texas universities receive federal research funds.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Blanton |first=Carlos Kevin |title=The Campus and the Capitol: John B. Connally and the Struggle over Texas Higher Education Policy, 1950–1970 |journal=Southwestern Historical Quarterly |volume=108 |issue=4 |pages=468–497 |year=2005 |issn=0038-478X}}</ref>
Texas does not have townships&mdash;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.


===Mid-20th to early 21st century===
{{see also|List of Texas counties|List of Texas county name etymologies|List of Texas county seat name etymologies}}
Beginning around the mid-20th century, Texas began to transform from a rural and agricultural state to one urban and industrialized.<ref name="Calvert-2017">{{cite Handbook of Texas |last=Calvert |first=Robert A. |title=Texas Since World War II |id=npt02 |orig-year=June 15, 2010 |date=January 30, 2017}}</ref> The state's population grew quickly during this period, with large levels of migration from outside the state.<ref name="Calvert-2017"/> As a part of the [[Sun Belt]], Texas experienced strong economic growth, particularly during the 1970s and early 1980s.<ref name="Calvert-2017"/> Texas's economy diversified, lessening its reliance on the [[petroleum industry]].<ref name="Calvert-2017"/> By 1990, [[Latin Americans|Hispanics and Latino Americans]] overtook Blacks to become the largest minority group.<ref name="Calvert-2017"/> Texas has the largest Black population with over 3.9 million.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Tamir |first1=Christine |title=The Growing Diversity of Black America |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2021/03/25/the-growing-diversity-of-black-america/ |website=Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends Project |date=March 25, 2021}}</ref>


During the late 20th century, the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] replaced the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] as the dominant party in the state.<ref name="Calvert-2017"/> Beginning in the early 21st century, metropolitan areas including [[Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex|Dallas–Fort Worth]] and [[Greater Austin]] became centers for the [[Texas Democratic Party]] in statewide and national elections as liberal policies became more accepted in urban areas.<ref name="City Journal-2016">{{cite web|date=September 12, 2016|title=Red State, Blue Cities|url=https://www.city-journal.org/html/red-state-blue-cities-14731.html |access-date=October 9, 2020|website=City Journal}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Chart of the Week: The most liberal and conservative big cities|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/08/08/chart-of-the-week-the-most-liberal-and-conservative-big-cities/ |access-date=October 9, 2020|website=Pew Research Center|date=August 8, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=February 22, 2018|title=Meet the Next Texans, a population boom that will change our politics|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2018/02/22/meet-the-next-texans-a-population-boom-that-will-change-our-politics/|access-date=October 9, 2020|website=Dallas News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Tan|first=Anjelica|date=January 26, 2020|title=Why Republicans may lose Texas|url=https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/479998-why-republicans-may-lose-texas|access-date=October 20, 2020|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]}}</ref>
==Economy==
{{main|Economy of Texas}}


From the mid-2000s to 2019, Texas gained an influx of business relocations and regional headquarters from companies in [[California]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Fechter|first=Joshua|date=December 28, 2018|title=Texas leads in job imports but figures show a mixed bag|url=https://www.expressnews.com/business/local/article/Texas-leads-in-job-imports-but-figures-show-a-13495988.php|access-date=December 29, 2020|newspaper=San Antonio Express-News|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Here are the California companies that relocated to Dallas-Fort Worth in 2020 |date=Dec 10, 2020 |first1=Bill |last1=Hethcock |url-access=subscription |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2020/12/10/california-relocations-dallas.html|access-date=December 29, 2020|website=Dallas Business Journal }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=North Texas among the regions benefitting from 'Bay Area exodus'|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2018/10/11/north-texas-among-the-regions-benefitting-from-bay.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=December 29, 2020|website=Dallas Business Journal |date=Oct 11, 2018 |first1=Mark |last1=Calvey }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=December 13, 2020|title=Tesla's Musk and Oracle Corp. follows 687,000 other Californians who've moved to Texas in last decade|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/relocation-by-teslas-musk-and-oracle-corp-follows-687000-other-californians-whove-moved-to-texas-in-last-decade/ |agency=The Dallas Morning News|access-date=December 29, 2020|website=[[The Seattle Times]]}}</ref> Texas became a major destination for migration during the early 21st century and was named the most popular state to move for three consecutive years.<ref>{{cite web |last=Collman |first=Ashley |title=These are the top 10 states that people are moving to |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/us-states-people-are-moving-to-2019-5 |date=May 28, 2019 |access-date=October 9, 2020|website=[[Business Insider]]}}</ref> Another study in 2019 determined Texas's growth rate at 1,000 people per day.<ref>{{cite web |last=Méndez |first=María|date=May 8, 2019|title=Where is Texas' growing population coming from?|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2019/05/08/texas-keeps-growing-where-are-newest-transplants-coming/|access-date=October 13, 2020 |website=The Texas Tribune}}</ref>
[[Image:Cotton harvest.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Cotton harvesting in Texas]]
In 2007 Texas had a [[gross domestic product|gross state product]] of $1.045 trillion, 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 beef, 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. Texas's growth is often attributed to the availability of jobs, the low cost of housing (housing values in the Dallas and Houston 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.


During the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Texas]], the first confirmed case of the virus in Texas was announced on March 4, 2020.<ref>{{cite web|title=DSHS Announces First Case of COVID-19 in Texas|url=https://www.dshs.texas.gov/news/releases/2020/20200304.aspx|accessdate=October 9, 2020|website=dshs.texas.gov}}</ref> On April 27, 2020, Governor [[Greg Abbott]] announced phase one of re-opening the economy.<ref>{{cite web|title=Governor Abbott Announces Phase One To Open Texas, Establishes Statewide Minimum Standard Health Protocols|url=https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-announces-phase-one-to-open-texas-establishes-statewide-minimum-standard-health-protocols|access-date=October 9, 2020|website=gov.texas.gov}}</ref> Amid a rise in COVID-19 cases in autumn 2020, Abbott refused to enact further lockdowns.<ref>{{cite web|last=Rosenzweig-Ziff|first=Patrick Svitek and Dan |date=November 18, 2020|title=Coronavirus cases in Texas are soaring again. But this time Gov. Greg Abbott says no lockdown is coming.|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2020/11/18/texas-coronavirus-lockdown/|access-date=November 20, 2020|website=The Texas Tribune}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Texas, Florida and South Dakota governors refuse lockdowns as coronavirus resurges|date=November 18, 2020 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/texas-florida-south-dakota-governors-refuse-lockdowns-coronavirus-resurges-n1248042|access-date=November 20, 2020|publisher=[[NBC News]]}}</ref> In November 2020, Texas was selected as one of four states to test Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine distribution.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fischer |first1=Courtney|last2=Abrahams|first2=Tom|date=November 17, 2020|title=Texas among states chosen to test Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine distribution|url=https://abc13.com/8036302/|access-date=February 16, 2021|website=ABC13 Houston}}</ref> As of February 2, 2021, there had been over 2.4 million confirmed cases in Texas, with at least 37,417 deaths.<ref>{{cite news|title=Texas Coronavirus Map and Case Count|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/texas-coronavirus-cases.html|access-date=December 29, 2020|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=April 2020}}</ref>
Texas remained largely rural until [[World War II]], with [[ranching|cattle ranching]], oil, and [[farming|agriculture]] as its main industries. Cattle ranching (though important) was never Texas's chief industry &ndash; 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).


During February 13–17, 2021, the state faced a major weather emergency as [[Winter Storm Uri]] hit the state, as well as most of the Southeastern and Midwestern United States.<ref>{{cite web|date=February 19, 2021|title=Explained: How a winter storm caused widespread blackouts in energy-rich Texas|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/texas-winter-storm-blackout-7192677/|access-date=February 20, 2021|website=The Indian Express}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Miserable winter weather is still hitting Texas and now it's spreading to the East Coast|date=February 18, 2021 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/18/weather/winter-storm-weather-thursday/index.html|access-date=February 20, 2021|publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref> Historically high power usage across the state caused the state's power grid to become overworked and [[ERCOT]] (the main operator of the [[Texas Interconnection]] grid) declared an emergency and began to implement rolling blackouts across Texas, causing a [[2021 Texas power crisis|power crisis]].<ref>{{cite web|title=ERCOT calls for rotating outages as extreme winter weather forces generating units offline|url=http://www.ercot.com/news/releases/show/225210|access-date=February 20, 2021|website=ercot.com|archive-date=March 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302070732/http://www.ercot.com/news/releases/show/225210|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Douglas|first=Erin|date=February 18, 2021|title=Texas was "seconds and minutes" away from catastrophic monthslong blackouts, officials say|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/18/texas-power-outages-ercot/|access-date=February 20, 2021|website=The Texas Tribune}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Texas Republicans criticized for misleading claims that renewable energy sources caused massive outages|date=February 18, 2021 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/18/politics/texas-power-outages-political-fallout/index.html|access-date=February 20, 2021|publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref> Over 3 million Texans were without power and over 4 million were under boil-water notices.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hanson|first=Blake|date=February 18, 2021|title=With half of Texas under a boil water notice, state efforts shift to emerging water crisis|url=https://www.fox4news.com/news/with-half-of-texas-under-a-boil-water-notice-state-efforts-now-shifting-to-emerging-water-crisis|access-date=February 20, 2021|website=FOX 4|language=en-US}}</ref>
In [[1926]], [[San Antonio, Texas|San Antonio]] had over 120,000 people, the largest population of any city in Texas. 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 &ndash; for example, the [[timber industry]] is a major portion of the [[East Texas]] economy but a non-factor elsewhere, while aerospace and defense manufacturing is primarily centered within the [[Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex]].


==Geography==
The state has two major economic centers: [[Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex|Dallas]] and [[Houston]]. Houston stands at the center of the [[petrochemical]], [[biomedical]] research trades, and aerospace (particularly [[NASA]]) while Dallas functions as the center of the [[Defense industry|defense]] manufacturing and [[information technology]] labor market in Texas.
{{main|Geography of Texas}}
[[Image:4233-03.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Port of Houston]]]]
[[File:Sam Rayburn Reservoir.jpg|thumb|[[Sam Rayburn Reservoir]]]]
[[As of 2006]], Texas, for the first time, has more Fortune 500 company headquarters (56) than any other state (California has 55; ironically, it was due to the move of [[Fluor Corp.]] from California to Texas). 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.
[[File:Texas hill country.jpg|alt=|thumb|[[Texas Hill Country]]]]
Texas is the [[List of U.S. states and territories by area|second-largest]] U.S. state by area, after [[Alaska]], and the largest state within the [[contiguous United States]], at {{convert|268820|sqmi|km2}}. If it were an independent country, Texas would be the [[List of countries by area|39th-largest]].<ref>{{cite web|date=May 31, 2017|title=How Big is Texas Compared to Countries Around the World? Huge.|url=https://www.wideopencountry.com/how-big-is-texas/|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=Wide Open Country|language=en-US}}</ref> It ranks 26th worldwide amongst [[List of the largest country subdivisions by area|country subdivisions by size]].


Texas is in the [[South Central United States|south central]] part of the United States. The [[Rio Grande]] forms a natural border with the Mexican states of [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]], [[Coahuila]], [[Nuevo León]], and [[Tamaulipas]] to the south. The [[Red River of the South|Red River]] forms a natural border with Oklahoma and Arkansas to the north. The [[Sabine River (Texas-Louisiana)|Sabine River]] forms a natural border with Louisiana to the east. The [[Texas Panhandle]] has an eastern border with Oklahoma at [[100th meridian west|100° W]], a northern border with Oklahoma at [[Parallel 36°30' 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" />
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>


With 10 [[Köppen climate classification|climatic regions]], 14 [[Agricultural soil science|soil regions]] and 11 distinct [[Ecoregion|ecological regions]], regional classification becomes complicated with differences in soils, topography, geology, rainfall, and plant and animal communities.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.texasep.org/html/lnd/lnd_1reg.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080603175718/http://www.texasep.org/html/lnd/lnd_1reg.html |archive-date=June 3, 2008 |title=Tx Environmental Profiles |access-date=July 14, 2006}}</ref> One classification system divides Texas, in order from southeast to west, into the following: [[Gulf Coastal Plains]], Interior Lowlands, [[Great Plains]], and Basin and Range Province.<ref name="Physical Regions of Texas">{{cite web|date=October 4, 2019|title=Physical Regions of Texas|url=https://texasalmanac.com/topics/environment/physical-regions-texas|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=texasalmanac.com}}</ref>
Texans pride themselves in a history of tradition, yet they seek new social and technological developments also. [[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 heritage. 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.®" (The slogan is used only in domestic advertising, a different slogan is used for marketing to Latin American countries.)


The Gulf Coastal Plains region wraps around the Gulf of Mexico on the southeast section of the state. Vegetation in this region consists of thick piney woods. The Interior Lowlands region consists of gently rolling to hilly forested land and is part of a larger pine-hardwood forest. The [[Cross Timbers|Cross Timbers region]] and [[Caprock Escarpment]] are part of the Interior Lowlands.<ref name="Physical Regions of Texas" />
Texas is one of the top filmmaking states in the United States, just after [[California]] and [[New York]]. [[Austin, Texas]] is now one of the leading filmmaking locations in the country. In the past 10 years alone (1995-2004), more than $2.75 billion has been spent in Texas for film and television production.
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>


[[File:Martin-Dies-Jr-State-Park.jpg|thumb|[[Steinhagen Reservoir]]]]
Since 2003, Texas state officials have been committed to 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.


The Great Plains region in Central Texas spans through the state's [[Texas Panhandle|panhandle]] and [[Llano Estacado]] to the state's [[Texas Hill Country|hill country]] near [[Lago Vista, Texas|Lago Vista]] and [[Austin, Texas|Austin]]. This region is dominated by [[prairie]] and [[steppe]]. "Far West Texas" or the "[[Trans-Pecos]]" region is the state's Basin and Range Province. The most varied of the regions, this area includes Sand Hills, the [[Edwards Plateau|Stockton Plateau]], desert valleys, wooded mountain slopes and desert grasslands.<ref>{{cite web|title=Texas Ecoregions |url=https://tpwd.texas.gov/education/hunter-education/online-course/wildlife-conservation/texas-ecoregions|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=Texas Parks & Wildlife Department |language=en-us}}</ref>
==Demographics==
{{main|Demographics of Texas}}
[[Image:Texas_population_map.png|thumb|right|300px|Texas Population Density Map]]
The [[center of population]] of Texas is located in [[Bell County, Texas|Bell County]], in the town of [[Holland, Texas|Holland]].<ref>http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt</ref>


Texas has 3,700 named streams and 15 major rivers,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/water/habitats/rivers/ |title=Rivers in Texas |website=Tpwd.state.tx.us |date=November 16, 2007 |access-date=April 11, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite Handbook of Texas |first=Hal P. |last=Bybee |id=rnr07 |title=Rivers |date=June 15, 2010}}</ref> with the [[Rio Grande]] as the largest. Other major rivers include the [[Pecos River|Pecos]], the [[Brazos River|Brazos]], [[Colorado River (Texas)|Colorado]], and [[Red River of the South|Red River]]. While Texas has few natural lakes, Texans have built more than a hundred [[List of lakes in Texas|artificial reservoirs]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/recreational/lakes/lakelist.phtml |title=Alphabetical List of Texas Lakes |website=Tpwd.state.tx.us |date=January 28, 2010 |access-date=April 11, 2010}}</ref>
As of 2005, 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&mdash;natural (births less deaths), net immigration, and net migration&mdash;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 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]]).


The size and unique history of Texas make its regional affiliation debatable; it can be considered a Southern or a Southwestern state, or both. 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]]. Notable extremes range from [[East Texas]] which is often considered an extension of the [[Deep South]], to [[Trans-Pecos|Far West Texas]] which is generally acknowledged to be part of the [[Southwestern United States|interior Southwest]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-daily-post/is-texas-southern-western-or-truly-a-lone-star/ |website=[[Texas Monthly]] |title=Is Texas Southern, Western, or Truly a Lone Star? |last=Nova Lomax |first=John |date=March 3, 2015 |access-date=September 6, 2016}}</ref>
As of 2004, the state has 3.5 million foreign-born residents (15.6% of the state population), of which an estimated 1.2 million are [[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).


===Race and ethnic origins===
===Geology===
{{main|Geology of Texas}}
[[File:Palo Duro lighthouse.jpg|alt=|thumb|[[Palo Duro Canyon]]]]
[[File:Summitanthonysnose1b.jpg|thumb|[[Franklin Mountains State Park]]]]
[[File:Big Bend National Park PB112599.jpg|thumb|[[Big Bend National Park]]]]
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&nbsp;million years old.<ref>{{cite web|title=Geology|url=https://www.nhnct.org/geology/geo1.html|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=nhnct.org}}</ref>


This margin existed until [[Laurasia]] and [[Gondwana]] collided in the [[Pennsylvanian (geology)|Pennsylvanian]] subperiod to form [[Pangea]].<ref>{{cite web|date=2016|title=Late Cretaceous and Tertiary Burial History, Central Texas|url=https://static1.squarespace.com/enwiki/static/56e481e827d4bdfdac7fbe0f/t/58c1e3fac534a59cc49605f6/1489101856226/Rose%2C+P.%2C+2016%2C+Late+Cretaceous+and+Tertiary+Burial+History%2C+Central+Texas%2C+GCAGS.pdf|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=gcags.org|quote=Fault displacement decreases steadily to the north of Austin and to the west of San Antonio; Balcones faulting dies out about halfway between Waco and Dallas, and about halfway between Uvalde and Del Rio.}}</ref> 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's passive margin began to form. Today {{convert|9|to|12|mi|km|0}} of sediments are buried beneath the Texas continental shelf and a large proportion of remaining US [[oil reserves]] are here. 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>{{cite conference |last=Muzzafar |first=Asif |title=Timing of Diapir Growth and Cap Rock Formation, Davis Hill Salt Dome, Coastal Texas |url=https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2001AM/finalprogram/abstract_24852.htm |conference=GSA Annual Meeting, November 5–8, 2001 |publisher=The Geological Society of America |access-date=July 22, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907164932/http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2001AM/finalprogram/abstract_24852.htm |archive-date=September 7, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
According to the 2005 US census bureau, Texas's ethnic origins are as following:


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; and Cretaceous sediments in the east, 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>{{cite web |url=http://www.npwd.org/new_page_2.htm |title=Ogallala Aquifer |access-date=July 23, 2008 |publisher=North Plains Groundwater Conservation District |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704071707/http://www.npwd.org/new_page_2.htm |archive-date=July 4, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Located far from an active [[plate tectonic]] boundary, Texas has no [[volcanoes]] and few earthquakes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ig.utexas.edu/research/projects/eq/compendium/earthquakes.htm |title=Earthquakes |access-date=July 23, 2008 |publisher=Jackson School of Geosciences—University of Texas |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501011850/http://www.ig.utexas.edu/research/projects/eq/compendium/earthquakes.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2008}}</ref>
[[White American]] 71.9%, [[African American]] 11%, Other 11.6%, [[Asian American]] 3%, [[Mixed race]] 1.7%,


===Wildlife===
[[Hispanic American]]'s as of 2005 made up 35.5% of the state population
{{see also|List of mammals of Texas|List of birds of Texas|List of reptiles of Texas|List of amphibians of Texas}}
Texas is the home to 65 species of mammals, 213 species of reptiles and amphibians, including the [[American green tree frog]], and the greatest diversity of bird life in the United States—590 native species in all.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wildtexas.com/wildguides/ |title=Texas Wildlife Identification & Viewing Guide |website=Wildtexas.com |date=December 3, 2010 |access-date=April 18, 2013 |archive-date=May 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524001544/http://www.wildtexas.com/wildguides/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> At least 12 species have been introduced and now reproduce freely in Texas.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/tmot1/txmammal.htm |title=Texas Mammals |website=The Mammals of Texas—Online Edition |publisher=Natural Science Research Laboratory—Museum of Texas Tech University |access-date=April 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130508130445/http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/tmot1/txmammal.htm |archive-date=May 8, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>


Texas plays host to several species of [[wasp]]s, including an abundance of ''[[Polistes exclamans]]'',<ref>{{cite journal |first=Mary Jane |last=West |year=1968 |title=Range Extension and Solitary nest founding in Polistes Exclamans |journal=[[Psyche (entomological journal)|Psyche: A Journal of Entomology]] |volume=75 |issue=2 |pages=118–123 |doi=10.1155/1968/49846|doi-access=free }}</ref> and is an important ground for the study of ''[[Polistes annularis]]''.<ref>{{cite thesis|last=Nacko|first=Scott|date=May 2017|title=Occurrence and Phenology of Polistine Wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in Southern Louisiana|type=MS thesis |publisher=Louisiana State University |url=https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5594&context=gradschool_theses|access-date=December 28, 2020 |doi=10.31390/gradschool_theses.4593 |via=LSU Digital Commons|doi-access=free}}</ref>


During the spring Texas [[wildflowers]] such as the state flower, the [[Lupinus texensis|bluebonnet]], line highways throughout Texas. During the Johnson Administration the first lady, [[Lady Bird Johnson]], worked to draw attention to Texas wildflowers.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lady Bird Johnson's I-95 Landscape-Landmark Tour – Highway History – FHWA – General Highway History – Highway History – Federal Highway Administration|url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/ladybird.cfm|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=[[Federal Highway Administration|Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)]]}}</ref>
The largest reported ancestry groups in Texas include: [[Mexico|Mexican]] (25.3%), [[German American|German]] (10.9%), [[African American]] (10.5%), [[English Americans|English]] (7.2%), and [[Scots-Irish American|Scots-Irish]] (7.2%). Descendants from some of these ancestry groups is underreported.


===Climate===
Much of east, central, and north Texas is inhabited by Texans of [[White (people)|White]] [[Protestant]] heritage, primarily descended from ancestors from [[Great Britain]] and [[Ireland]]. Much of central and southeast-central Texas is inhabited by Texans of [[Germany|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 the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston metropolitan areas.
{{main|Climate of Texas}}
[[File:Texas Köppen.svg|thumb|upright=1.35|left|Köppen climate types in Texas]]
The large size of Texas and its location at the intersection of multiple [[Köppen climate classification|climate zones]] gives the state highly variable weather. The [[Texas Panhandle|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 {{convert|8.7|in|mm}} of annual rainfall,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=7227&refer=&cityname=El-Paso-Texas-United-States-of-America |title=El Paso, Texas Travel Weather Averages |publisher=Weatherbase |access-date=April 18, 2013 |archive-date=May 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513185756/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=7227&refer=&cityname=El-Paso-Texas-United-States-of-America |url-status=dead }}</ref> while parts of southeast Texas average as much as {{convert|64|in|mm}} per year.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=86614&refer=&cityname=Mauriceville-Texas-United-States-of-America |title=Mauriceville, Texas Travel Weather Averages |publisher=Weatherbase |access-date=April 18, 2013 |archive-date=May 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513185802/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=86614&refer=&cityname=Mauriceville-Texas-United-States-of-America |url-status=dead }}</ref> Dallas in the North Central region averages a more moderate {{convert|37|in|mm}} per year.<ref>{{cite web|title=Weather averages Dallas-DFW Intl Arpt, Texas|url=https://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/dallas-dfw-intl-arpt/texas/united-states/ustx0328|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=usclimatedata.com}}</ref>


Snow falls multiple times each winter in the Panhandle and mountainous areas of West Texas, once or twice a year in North Texas, and once every few years in Central and East Texas. Snow falls south of San Antonio or on the coast only in rare circumstances. Of note is the [[2004 Christmas Eve snowstorm]], when {{convert|6|in|mm}} of snow fell as far south as [[Kingsville, Texas|Kingsville]], where the average high temperature in December is 65&nbsp;°F.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KNQI/2008/12/24/DailyHistory.html?req_city=NA&req_state=NA&req_statename=NA |title=History: Weather Underground |website=Wunderground.com |date=December 24, 2008 |access-date=April 11, 2010}}</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, Swedish, Norwegian, Czech and French immigration grew, and continued until [[World War I]]. The influence of the diverse immigrants from Europe survives in the names of towns, styles of architecture, genres of music, and varieties of cuisine. [[Lavaca County]] is predominantly Czech.


Night-time summer temperatures range from the upper 50s °F (14&nbsp;°C) in the West Texas mountains to {{convert|80|°F|°C|0}} in Galveston.<ref>{{cite web |title=Monthly Averages for Marfa, Texas |publisher=The Weather Channel |url=https://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/outdoors/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USTX0830?from=search |access-date=October 15, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Monthly Averages for Galveston, Texas |publisher=The Weather Channel |url=https://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/outdoors/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USTX0499?from=search |access-date=October 15, 2008}}</ref>
More than one-third of Texas residents are of [[Hispanic]] origin and may be of any racial group. Some are recent arrivals from Mexico, [[Central America]], or [[South America]], while others, known as [[Tejanos]] in English, have Spanish ancestors who have lived in Texas since before Texan independence, or at least for several generations. Tejanos are the largest ancestral group in southern [[Duval County, Texas|Duval County]]. The Hispanic population in Texas is increasing as more [[illegal immigration|illegal immigrants]] from certain [[Latin American]] countries&mdash;primarily from Mexico&mdash;look for work in Texas. The state has the second-largest Hispanic population in the United States, behind California. Numerically, Hispanics dominate [[South Texas|south]], south-central, and [[west Texas]] and are a significant part of the residents in the cities of [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]] and [[Houston, Texas|Houston]]. This influx of immigrants is partially responsible for Texas having a population younger than the union average.


The table below consists of averages for August (generally the warmest month) and January (generally the coldest) in selected cities in various regions of the state.
In recent years, the [[Asian American]]<ref>[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_bm=n&_lang=en&qr_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_DP1&ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&geo_id=04000US48 US Census profile of demographic characteristics in Texas]</ref> population in Texas has grown, especially in Houston and in Dallas. People with ancestry from [[India]], [[Vietnamese people|Vietnam]], [[Pakistan]], [[Chinese people|China]], [[Filipino people|the Philippines]], [[Korean people|Korea]], and [[Japanese people|Japan]] make up the largest Asian American groups in Texas.


{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto;"
==Culture==
|+Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures for selected cities in Texas<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.weatherbase.com/weather/city.php3?c=US&s=TX&statename=Texas-United-States-of-America |title=Texas climate averages |publisher=Weatherbase |access-date=November 10, 2015 |archive-date=January 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101180344/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/city.php3?c=US&s=TX&statename=Texas-United-States-of-America |url-status=dead }}</ref>
{{main|Culture of Texas}}
|-
[[Image:Big Tex.JPG|thumb|250px|[[Big Tex]] has presided over every [[State Fair of Texas|Texas State Fair]] since 1952]]
!Location
!August (°F)
!August (°C)
!January (°F)
!January (°C)
|-
|[[Houston]]|| 94/75 || 34/24 || 63/54 || 17/12
|-
|[[San Antonio]]|| 96/74 || 35/23 || 63/40 || 17/5
|-
|[[Dallas]]|| 96/77 || 36/25 || 57/37 || 16/3
|-
|[[Austin, Texas|Austin]]|| 97/74 || 36/23 || 61/45 || 16/5
|-
|[[El Paso, Texas|El Paso]]|| 92/67 || 33/21 || 57/32 || 14/0
|-
|[[Laredo, Texas|Laredo]]|| 100/77 || 37/25 || 67/46 || 19/7
|-
|[[Amarillo, Texas|Amarillo]]|| 89/64 || 32/18 || 50/23 || 10/−4
|-
|[[Brownsville, Texas|Brownsville]]|| 94/76 || 34/24 || 70/51 || 21/11
|}


====Storms====
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.
{{see also|List of Texas hurricanes}}
[[Thunderstorm]]s strike Texas often, especially the eastern and northern portions of the state. [[Tornado Alley]] covers the northern section of Texas. The state experiences the most [[tornado]]es in the United States, an average of 139 a year. These strike most frequently in North Texas and the Panhandle.<ref>[https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/research/tornado/small/avgt5304.gif NOOA.gov] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170423020857/https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/research/tornado/small/avgt5304.gif |date=April 23, 2017}} National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved on October 24, 2006.</ref> Tornadoes in Texas generally occur in April, May, and June.<ref>{{cite Handbook of Texas|id=yzw01|title=Weather |first=George W. |last=Bomar |date=June 15, 2010}}</ref>


Some of the most destructive hurricanes in U.S. history have impacted Texas. A hurricane in 1875 killed about 400 people in [[Indianola, Texas|Indianola]], followed by [[1886 Indianola hurricane|another hurricane]] in 1886 that destroyed the town. These events allowed [[Galveston, Texas|Galveston]] to take over as the chief port city. The [[1900 Galveston hurricane]] subsequently devastated that city, killing about 8,000 people or possibly as many as 12,000 in the deadliest [[natural disaster]] in U.S. history.<ref name="deadhurr">{{cite web |last1=Blake |first1=Eric S. |last2=Rappaport |first2=Edward N. |last3=Landsea |first3=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=April 15, 2007 |url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/NWS-TPC-5.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217022106/https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/NWS-TPC-5.pdf |archive-date= Dec 17, 2023 }}</ref> In 2017, [[Hurricane Harvey]] made landfall in [[Rockport, Texas|Rockport]] as a Category&nbsp;4 Hurricane, causing significant damage there. Its unprecedented amounts of rain over the [[Greater Houston]] area resulted in widespread and catastrophic flooding that inundated hundreds of thousands of homes. Harvey ultimately became the costliest hurricane worldwide, causing an estimated $198.6&nbsp;billion in damage, surpassing the cost of [[Hurricane Katrina]].<ref>{{cite report|first1=Michael |last1=Hicks |first2=Mark |last2=Burton|publisher=Ball State University|date=September 8, 2017|access-date=November 1, 2017|title=Hurricane Harvey: Preliminary Estimates of Commercial and Public Sector Damages on the Houston Metropolitan Area|url=https://projects.cberdata.org/reports/HurricaneHarvey2017.pdf}}</ref>
There are many popular events held in Texas celebrating cultures of Texans. The annual [[Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo]] that 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 Fort Worth Livestock Show and Rodeo 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 have a large fan base for each. The State Fair of Texas is held in Dallas each year at Fair Park.


Other devastating Texas hurricanes include the [[1915 Galveston hurricane]], [[Hurricane Audrey]] in 1957, [[Hurricane Carla]] in 1961, [[Hurricane Beulah]] in 1967, [[Hurricane Alicia]] in 1983, [[Hurricane Rita]] in 2005, and [[Hurricane Ike]] in 2008. [[Tropical cyclone|Tropical storms]] have also caused their share of damage: [[Tropical Storm Allison (1989)|Allison]] in 1989 and again [[Tropical Storm Allison|during 2001]], [[Tropical Storm Claudette (1979)|Claudette]] in 1979, and [[Tropical Storm Imelda|Tropical Storm Imelda in 2019.]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Levin|first=Matt|date=June 15, 2015|title=Here's how tropical storms have impacted Texas in the past 35 years|url=https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Here-s-how-tropical-storms-have-impacted-Texas-in-6328173.php|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=Chron|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=June 4, 2020|title=Tropical Storm Allison blew through Houston 19 years ago|url=https://abc13.com/timely-tropical-storm-allison-houston-hurricane/2075243|access-date=December 28, 2020|newspaper=Abc13 Houston}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Levin|first=Matt|date=May 29, 2015|title=Tropical Storm Claudette: The 'Mother Lode' of floods|url=https://www.chron.com/news/houston-weather/article/Remembering-Tropical-Storm-Claudette-The-Mother-6295177.php|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=Chron|language=en-US}}</ref>
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&nbsp;Live&nbsp;Music&nbsp;Capital&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;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 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.


There is no substantial physical barrier between Texas and the [[Polar regions of Earth|polar region]]. Although it is unusual, it is possible for arctic or polar [[air mass]]es to penetrate Texas,<ref>{{cite news|title=Casualty|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47088684|date=February 1, 2019|access-date=February 12, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Polar vortex: What is it and how does it happen? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-47065461/polar-vortex-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-happen |date=January 30, 2019|website=[[BBC News]] video|access-date=January 31, 2019}}</ref> as occurred during the [[February 13–17, 2021 North American winter storm]].<ref>{{cite web |author1=Department of Atmospheric Sciences (DAS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. |title=Continental Polar Air Masses |url=http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/af/arms/artc.rxml |access-date=February 21, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author1=Tom Niziol |title=The lethal atmospheric setup behind a deadly Arctic outbreak: How ingredients came together for an onslaught of bone-chilling temperatures and a barrage of storms |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/02/16/setup-arctic-outbreak-niziol/ |access-date=February 21, 2021 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=February 16, 2021}}</ref> Usually, prevailing winds in North America will push polar air masses to the southeast before they reach Texas. Because such intrusions are rare, and, perhaps, unexpected, they may result in crises such as the [[2021 Texas power crisis]].
Over the years, [[San Antonio, Texas|San Antonio]] evolved into the "Nashville" of [[Tejano music]]. The [[Tejano Music Awards]] have provided a forum to create greater awareness and appreciation for Tejano culture.


===Greenhouse gases===
{{see also|List of people from Texas|List of Texas symbols|Don't Mess with Texas|Gone to Texas}}
{{main|Climate change in Texas}}
{{As of|2017}}, Texas emitted the most [[greenhouse gas]]es in the U.S.<ref name="eia17">{{cite web |title=Rankings: Total Carbon Dioxide Emissions, 2017 |url=https://www.eia.gov/state/rankings/?sid=TX#/series/226 |publisher=U.S. Energy Information Administration |access-date=January 14, 2020 |date=2017}}</ref> {{As of|2017}} the state emits about {{convert|707|e6t|e9lb|abbr=off|sp=us|order=flip}} of carbon dioxide annually.<ref name="eia17" /> As an independent state, Texas would rank as the world's seventh-largest producer of greenhouse gases.<ref name="GH2">{{cite news |title=Texas No. 1 producer of greenhouse gases |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/060307dnnatemissions.3c1df3a.html |agency=[[Associated Press]] |newspaper=The Dallas Morning News |date=June 3, 2007 |access-date=June 11, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919052620/http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/060307dnnatemissions.3c1df3a.html |archive-date=September 19, 2008}}</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" /> In 2010, there were 2,553 "emission events" which poured {{convert|44.6|e6lb|t|abbr=off|sp=us}} of contaminants into the Texas sky.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=January 16, 2021|title=Living, and coughing, downwind of Texas smoke stacks|url=https://phys.org/news/2011-11-downwind-texas-stacks.html|website=phys.org|agency=Agence France-Presse}}</ref>


===Arts and theatre===
===Administrative divisions===
{{see also|List of counties in Texas|List of Texas metropolitan areas|List of municipalities in Texas}}
[[Image:Houston Texas Alley Theater 2003.jpg|250px|thumb|left|[[Alley Theatre]] in Houston]]
{| class="wikitable floatright" style="text-align:center;"
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;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>
|-
! colspan="2" |[[List of municipalities in Texas|Largest city in Texas]] by year<ref name="Census Largest Cities">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0027/tab01.txt |title=100 Largest Cities by Decade |publisher=U.S. Bureau of the Census |date=June 15, 1998}}</ref>
|-
! Year(s)
! City
|-
| 1850–1870 ||[[San Antonio]]<ref name="SATX TSHA">{{cite Handbook of Texas |id=hds02 |title=San Antonio, TX |first=T. R. |last=Fehrenbach |orig-year=June 15, 2010 |date=March 30, 2017}}</ref>
|-
| 1870–1890 ||[[Galveston, Texas|Galveston]]<ref>{{cite Handbook of Texas |id=hdg01 |title=Galveston, TX |first=David G. |last=McComb |orig-year=June 15, 2010 |date=May 5, 2016}}</ref>
|-
| 1890–1900 ||[[Dallas]]<ref name="Census Largest Cities" />
|-
| 1900–1930 ||[[San Antonio]]<ref name="SATX TSHA" />
|-
| 1930–present ||[[Houston]]<ref>{{cite Handbook of Texas |id=hdh03 |title=Houston, TX |first=David G. |last=McComb |orig-year=June 15, 2010 |date=February 15, 2017}}</ref>
|}
[[File:Dirt road texas.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|[[Colonia (United States)|Colonia]] in the [[Rio Grande Valley (Texas)|Rio Grande Valley]] near the [[Mexico–United States border]]]]
The state has three cities with populations exceeding one million: Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://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]] |website=2005 Population Estimates |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division |date=June 10, 2008 |access-date=June 10, 2008}} {{dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> These three rank among the 10 most populous cities of the United States. As of 2020, six Texas cities had populations greater than 600,000. Austin, Fort Worth, and El Paso are among the 20 [[List of United States cities by population|largest U.S. cities]]. Texas has four [[List of Texas metropolitan areas|metropolitan areas]] with populations greater than a million: {{nowrap|[[Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex|Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington]]}}, {{nowrap|[[Greater Houston|Houston–Sugar Land–The Woodlands]]}}, {{nowrap|[[Greater San Antonio|San Antonio–New Braunfels]]}}, and {{nowrap|[[Greater Austin|Austin–Round Rock–San Marcos]]}}. The Dallas–Fort Worth and Houston metropolitan areas number about 7.5 million and 7 million residents as of 2019, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |title=Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Totals: 2010–2019 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/time-series/demo/popest/2010s-total-metro-and-micro-statistical-areas.html |access-date=December 28, 2020 |website=The United States Census Bureau |language=en-US}}</ref>


Three [[Interstate Highway System|interstate highways]]—[[Interstate 35 (Texas)|I-35]] to the west (Dallas–Fort Worth to San Antonio, with Austin in between), [[Interstate 45 (Texas)|I-45]] to the east (Dallas to Houston), and [[Interstate 10 (Texas)|I-10]] to the south (San Antonio to Houston) define the [[Texas Urban Triangle]] region. The region of {{convert|60000|sqmi|km2|sigfig=2}} contains most of the state's largest cities and metropolitan areas as well as 17 million people, nearly 75 percent of Texas's total population.<ref>{{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 |access-date=October 14, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090705231054/https://swutc.tamu.edu/projectdescriptions/167166.htm |archive-date=July 5, 2009}}</ref> Houston and Dallas have been recognized as [[global city|world cities]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The World According to GaWC 2008 |website=Globalization and World Cities Research Network |access-date=March 1, 2009 |url=http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2008t.html |archive-date=August 11, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160811203314/http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2008t.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> These cities are spread out amongst the state.<ref>{{cite web |title=Distance Houston to Dallas – Air line, driving route, midpoint|url=https://www.distance.to/Houston/Dallas|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=distance.to|language=en-us}}</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 is widely recognized as the nation's third most important city for contemporary [[visual arts]].


In contrast to the cities, unincorporated rural settlements known as [[Colonia (border settlement)|colonia]]s 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) |access-date=October 12, 2008 |author=Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Office of Community Affairs |publisher=Texas Secretary of State |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081009044415/http://www.sos.state.tx.us/border/colonias/faqs.shtml |archive-date=October 9, 2008}}</ref> The office of the Texas Attorney General stated, in 2011, that Texas had about 2,294 colonias, and estimates about 500,000 lived in the colonias. [[Hidalgo County, Texas|Hidalgo County]], as of 2011, has the largest number of colonias.<ref>Grinberg, Emmanuella. "[http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/07/05/texas.colonias/index.html?hpt=hp_c1 Impoverished border town grows from shacks into community]". [[CNN]]. July 8, 2011. Retrieved on July 9, 2011.</ref> Texas has the largest number of people living in [[colonia (United States)|colonias]] of all states.<ref name="Colonias" />
Dallas and Fort Worth 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]].


Texas has [[List of counties in Texas|254 counties]], more than any other state.<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=REtEXQNWq6MC&pg=PA215 |title=Historical Gazetteer of the United States|chapter=Georgia|first=Paul T.|last=Hellmann|date=February 14, 2006 |publisher=Routledge |access-date=February 16, 2017|isbn=978-1135948597}}</ref> Each county runs on [[Commissioners' Court]] system consisting of four elected commissioners (one from each of four precincts in the county, roughly divided according to population) and a county judge elected at large from the entire county. County government runs similar to a "weak" [[mayor-council]] system; the county judge has no veto authority, but votes along with the other commissioners.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Texas County Government|url=https://co.jefferson.tx.us/prct1/TAC_brochure.pdf|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=co.jefferson.tx.us}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Texas county judge|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Texas_county_judge|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=Ballotpedia}}</ref>
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.


Although Texas permits cities and counties to enter "interlocal agreements" to share services, the state does not allow [[consolidated city-county]] governments, nor does it have [[metropolitan government]]s. 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 and to some smaller incorporated areas. Municipalities are classified either "general law" cities or "home rule".<ref>{{cite thesis |last=McDonald |first=John V. |title=An Analysis of Texas' Municipal Home Rule Charters Since 1994" |date=August 2000 |publisher=Texas State University |url=http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/124/ |access-date=October 14, 2008 |archive-date=March 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304010149/http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/124/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> A municipality may elect home rule status once it exceeds 5,000 population with voter approval.<ref>{{cite web|title=Home Rule |url=https://centertexas.org/city-council/home-rule|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=centertexas.org}}</ref>
===Sports===

[[Image:Afia.jpg|250px|thumb|right|[[Ameriquest Field in Arlington]], home of the Texas&nbsp;Rangers]]
Texas also permits the creation of "special districts", which provide limited services. The most common is the [[school district]], but can also include hospital districts, community college districts, and utility districts. Municipal, school district, and special district elections are [[Non-partisan democracy|nonpartisan]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Run for Party Nomination to Public Office |website=Texas Politics |publisher=University of Texas |url=http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/4_6_2.html |access-date=October 12, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090318023922/http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/4_6_2.html |archive-date=March 18, 2009 }}</ref> though the party affiliation of a candidate may be well-known. County and state elections are partisan.<ref>{{Cite web|date=February 2008|title=County Elections – Partisan or Non-Partisan? State by State|url=https://www.pinellascounty.org/charter/pdf/County-elections-partisan-or-non-partisan.pdf|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=pinellascounty.org|archive-date=January 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126210054/https://www.pinellascounty.org/charter/pdf/County-elections-partisan-or-non-partisan.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
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&mdash;often dominating over all else for the purposes of socializing and leisure. The [[Dallas Cowboys]] are often referred to as "America's Team." The Houston Oilers left to become the [[Tennessee Titans]], but the [[Houston Texans]] took their place. Since the Titans have drafted state hero Vince Young the Titans games are shown in Austin instead of the Texans games.

{{Largest cities
| country = Texas
| stat_ref = 2022 U.S. Census Bureau Estimate<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2010-2019/cities/totals/SUB-IP-EST2019-ANNRES-48.xlsx |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Texas: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2019 (SUB-IP-EST2019-ANNRES-48) |date=May 21, 2020 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division |access-date=December 23, 2022}}</ref>
| list_by_pop =
| div_name =
| div_link = Counties of Texas{{!}}County
| city_1 = Houston
| div_1 = Harris County, Texas{{!}}Harris
| pop_1 = 2,302,878
| img_1 = Aerial views of the Houston, Texas, skyline in 2014 LCCN2014632225.jpg
| city_2 = San Antonio
| div_2 = Bexar County, Texas{{!}}Bexar
| pop_2 = 1,472,909
| img_2 = Gfp-texas-san-antonio-tall-buildings.jpg
| city_3 = Dallas
| div_3 = Dallas County, Texas{{!}}Dallas
| pop_3 = 1,299,544
| img_3 = View of Dallas from Reunion Tower August 2015 13.jpg
| city_4 = Austin, Texas{{!}}Austin
| div_4 = Travis County, Texas{{!}}Travis
| pop_4 = 974,447
| img_4 = Downtown Austin from Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge, October 2022.jpg
| city_5 = Fort Worth
| div_5 = Tarrant County, Texas{{!}}Tarrant
| pop_5 = 956,709
| img_5 =
| city_6 = El Paso
| div_6 = El Paso County, Texas{{!}}El Paso
| pop_6 = 677,456
| img_6 =
| city_7 = Arlington, Texas{{!}}Arlington
| div_7 = Tarrant County, Texas{{!}}Tarrant
| pop_7 = 394,602
| img_7 =
| city_8 = Corpus Christi, Texas{{!}}Corpus Christi
| div_8 = Nueces County, Texas{{!}}Nueces
| pop_8 = 316,239
| img_8 =
| city_9 = Plano, Texas{{!}}Plano
| div_9 = Collin County, Texas{{!}}Collin
| pop_9 = 289,547
| img_9 =
| city_10 = Lubbock, Texas{{!}}Lubbock
| div_10 = Lubbock County, Texas{{!}}Lubbock
| pop_10 = 263,930
| img_10 =
| city_11 = Laredo, Texas{{!}}Laredo
| div_11 = Webb County, Texas{{!}}Webb
| pop_11 = 256,187
| img_11 =
| city_12 = Irving, Texas{{!}}Irving
| div_12 = Dallas County, Texas{{!}}Dallas
| pop_12 = 254,715
| img_12 =
| city_13 = Garland, Texas{{!}}Garland
| div_13 = Dallas County, Texas{{!}}Dallas
| pop_13 = 240,854
| img_13 =
| city_14 = Frisco, Texas{{!}}Frisco
| div_14 = Collin County, Texas{{!}}Collin
| pop_14 = 219,587
| img_14 =
| city_15 = McKinney, Texas{{!}}McKinney
| div_15 = Collin County, Texas{{!}}Collin
| pop_15 = 207,507
| img_15 =
| city_16 = Grand Prairie, Texas{{!}}Grand Prairie
| div_16 = Dallas County, Texas{{!}}Dallas
| pop_16 = 201,843
| img_16 =
| city_17 = Amarillo, Texas{{!}}Amarillo
| div_17 = Potter County, Texas{{!}}Potter
| pop_17 = 201,291
| img_17 =
| city_18 = Brownsville, Texas{{!}}Brownsville
| div_18 = Cameron County, Texas{{!}}Cameron
| pop_18 = 189,382
| img_18 =
| city_19 = Killeen, Texas{{!}}Killeen
| div_19 = Bell County, Texas{{!}}Bell
| pop_19 = 159,172
| img_19 =
| city_20 = Denton, Texas{{!}}Denton
| div_20 = Denton County, Texas{{!}}Denton
| pop_20 = 150,353
| img_20 =
}}

==Demographics==
{{Main|Demographics of Texas}}
{{US Census population
| 1850 = 212592
| 1860 = 604215
| 1870 = 818579
| 1880 = 1591749
| 1890 = 2235527
| 1900 = 3048710
| 1910 = 3896542
| 1920 = 4663228
| 1930 = 5824715
| 1940 = 6414824
| 1950 = 7711194
| 1960 = 9579677
| 1970 = 11196730
| 1980 = 14229191
| 1990 = 16986510
| 2000 = 20851820
| 2010 = 25145561
| 2020 = 29145505
| estimate = 31290831
| estref = <ref name="CensusQuickFacts"></ref>
| estyear = 2024
| align-fn = center
| footnote = 1910–2020<ref name="Historical Population Change Data">{{cite web |title=Historical Population Change Data (1910-2020) |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html |website=Census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=May 1, 2021 |archive-date=April 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429012609/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
}}
[[File:Texas population map.png|thumb|Texas population density map|left]]

The resident population of Texas was 29,145,505 in the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], a 15.9% increase since the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]].<ref name="Historical Population Change Data"></ref> At the 2020 census, the apportioned population of Texas stood at 29,183,290.<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 26, 2021|title=Apportionment Population, Resident Population, and Overseas Population: 2020 Census and 2010 Census|url=https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/2020/data/apportionment/apportionment-2020-tableA.pdf|access-date=April 27, 2021|website=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> The [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]] estimated the population was 31,290,831 as of July 1, 2024, an increase of 7.4% since the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="CensusQuickFacts"></ref> Texas is the second-most populous state in the United States after California and the only other U.S. state to surpass a total estimated population of 30 million people as of July 2, 2022.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2020/dec/2020-apportionment-data.html | title=2020 Census Apportionment Results }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2022/2022-population-estimates.html | title=Growth in U.S. Population Shows Early Indication of Recovery Amid COVID-19 Pandemic }}</ref>

In 2015, Texas had 4.7 million foreign-born residents, about 17% of the population and 21.6% of the state workforce.<ref name="AICTexas">{{cite web |url=https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/research/immigrants_in_texas.pdf |publisher=American Immigration Council|title=Immigrants in Texas|date=2017}}</ref> The major countries of origin for Texan immigrants were Mexico (55.1% of immigrants), India (5%), El Salvador (4.3%), Vietnam (3.7%), and China (2.3%).<ref name="AICTexas" /> Of immigrant residents, 35.8 percent were [[Naturalization|naturalized]] U.S. citizens.<ref name="AICTexas" /> As of 2018, the population increased to 4.9 million foreign-born residents or 17.2% of the state population, up from 2,899,642 in 2000.<ref>{{cite web |title=State Demographics Data – TX |url=https://www.migrationpolicy.org/data/state-profiles/state/demographics/TX |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018031941/https://www.migrationpolicy.org/data/state-profiles/state/demographics/TX |archive-date=October 18, 2020|access-date=October 18, 2020|website=migrationpolicy.org}}</ref>

In 2014, there were an estimated 1.7 million undocumented immigrants in Texas, making up 35% of the total Texas immigrant population and 6.1% of the total state population.<ref name="AICTexas" /> In addition to the state's foreign-born population, an additional 4.1 million Texans (15% of the state's population) were born in the United States and had at least one immigrant parent.<ref name="AICTexas" />

According to the [[American Community Survey]]'s 2019 estimates, 1,739,000 residents were undocumented immigrants, a decrease of 103,000 since 2014 and increase of 142,000 since 2016. Of the undocumented immigrant population, 951,000 have resided in Texas from less than 5 up to 14 years. An estimated 788,000 lived in Texas from 15 to 19 and 20 years or more.<ref>{{cite web |title=Profile of the Unauthorized Population – TX|url=https://www.migrationpolicy.org/data/unauthorized-immigrant-population/state/TX|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018032011/https://www.migrationpolicy.org/data/unauthorized-immigrant-population/state/TX|archive-date=October 18, 2020|access-date=October 18, 2020|website=migrationpolicy.org}}</ref>

Texas's [[Rio Grande Valley (Texas)|Rio Grande Valley]] has seen significant migration from across the [[U.S.–Mexico border]]. During the [[2014 American immigration crisis|2014 crisis]], many [[Central America]]ns, including unaccompanied minors traveling alone from [[Guatemala]], [[Honduras]], and [[El Salvador]], reached the state, overwhelming Border Patrol resources for a time. Many sought [[Right of asylum|asylum]] in the United States.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hennessy-Fiske |first1=Molly |last2=Carcamo |first2=Cindy |title=In Texas' Rio Grande Valley, a seemingly endless surge of immigrants |url=https://latimes.com/nation/la-na-texas-border-chaos-20140614-story.html#page=1 |date=June 16, 2014 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Nick |last1=Miroff |first2=Joshua |last2=Partlow |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/central-american-migrants-overwhelm-border-patrol-station-in-texas/2014/06/12/7359534e-2e1b-4a6b-b010-f622f1cac3f0_story.html |title=Central American migrants overwhelm Border Patrol station in Texas |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=June 12, 2014}}</ref>

Texas's population density as of 2010 is {{convert|96.3|/sqmi|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|abbr=out}} which is slightly higher than the average [[List of countries by population density|population density]] of the U.S. as a whole, at {{convert|87.4|/sqmi|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|abbr=out}}. In contrast, while Texas and France are similarly sized geographically, the European country has a population density of {{convert|301.8|/sqmi|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|abbr=out}}. Two-thirds of all Texans live in major metropolitan areas such as Houston.

According to [[United States Department of Housing and Urban Development|HUD]]'s 2022 [[Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress|Annual Homeless Assessment Report]], there were an estimated 24,432 [[Homelessness|homeless]] people in Texas.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2007-2022 PIT Counts by State |url=https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huduser.gov%2Fportal%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fxls%2F2007-2022-PIT-Counts-by-State.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress |url=https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf}}</ref>

===Race and ethnicity===
[[File:Texas Counties by race (2020 census).svg|thumb|Map of counties in Texas by racial and ethnic plurality, per the 2020 U.S. census {{col-begin}}{{col-2}}

'''Non-Hispanic White'''

{{legend|#f2ccc4|20–30%}}

{{legend|#e6b8af|30–40%}}


{{legend|#dd7e6b|40–50%}}
[[Baseball]] is also very popular in Texas, with [[Major League Baseball]] teams the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] and [[Houston Astros]] equally popular in the state, as North Texas, West Texas, and Panhandle residents are predominantly Rangers fans, while Southeast Texas, Central Texas, and South Texas is predominantly inhabited by Astros fans. [[Minor league baseball]] is also closely followed.


{{legend|#cc4125|50–60%}}
Other popular sports in Texas include [[golf]] (which can be played year-round because of the South's mild climate), [[basketball]] (the state has three [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] teams, the [[Houston Rockets]], [[San Antonio Spurs]], and [[Dallas Mavericks]]), [[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&mdash;especially among children&mdash;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 pro hockey has become quite popular in the last decade; Texas is home to seven of the [[Central Hockey League]]'s seventeen teams. Texas is also home to the [[Houston Aeros]] and [[San Antonio Rampage]] of the [[American Hockey League]] and the [[Texas Wildcatters]] of the [[ECHL]].


{{legend|#a61c00|60–70%}}
Seven times [[Tour de France]] winner [[Lance Armstrong]] is from [[Plano, Texas]].


{{legend|#85200c|70–80%}}
Many professional wrestlers have come from Texas. These include [["Stone Cold" Steve Austin|Steve Austin]], [[Shawn Michaels]], [[Eddie Guerrero]], [[King Booker]], [[Paul London]] and many more.
{{further|[[List of Texas sports teams]]}}


{{legend|#5b0f00|80–90%}}
==Skyline profile==
Texas is home to many of the [[List of tallest buildings in the United States|tallest]] [[skyscrapers]] in the United States.


{{col-2}}
The Houston skyline has been ranked fourth-most impressive in the United States when ranked primarily by 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.


'''[[Hispanics and Latinos in Texas|Hispanic or Latino]]'''
:''Images shown below are the eight [[List of tallest buildings in Texas|tallest buildings in Texas]].''
<center><gallery>
Image:Chase_Tower,_a_block_away.jpg|1. [[JPMorgan Chase Tower (Houston)|JPMorgan Chase Tower]]<br>Houston
Image:Wells Fargo Bank Plaza, Houston, from base.jpg|2. [[Wells Fargo Bank Plaza]]<br>Houston
Image:Bank of America Plaza.jpg|3. [[Bank of America Plaza (Dallas)|Bank of America Plaza]]<br>Dallas
Image:Williams_Tower_Moon.jpg|4. [[Williams Tower]]<br>Houston
Image:01220515l.jpg|5. [[Renaissance Tower]]<br>Dallas
Image:Bank_One_Center.jpg|6. [[Chase Center (Dallas)|Chase Center]]<br>Dallas
Image:Bank_of_America_Center_Houston.JPG|7. [[Bank of America Center, Houston|Bank of America Center]]<br>Houston
Image:Heritage Plaza Building Houston Texas.jpg|8. [[Heritage Plaza (building)|Heritage Plaza]]<br>Houston
</gallery></center>


{{legend|#a2c4c9|40–50%}}
{{see also|Architecture of Houston}}


{{legend|#76a5af|50–60%}}
===Cities===
[[Image:DowntownHouston.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Houston]]
[[Image:Downtown-san-antonio.jpeg|thumb|right|180px|San Antonio]]
[[Image:Xvisionx_Dallas_Stemmons.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Dallas]]
[[Image:AustinSkyline.jpeg|thumb|right|180px|Austin]]
[[Image:DTFW.JPG|thumb|right|180px|Fort Worth]]
[[Image:El_Paso_Skyline.jpg|thumb|right|180px|El Paso]]
Ranked by population of [[city|cities]] (incorporated municipalities), the six largest cities in Texas are Houston, San&nbsp;Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Fort&nbsp;Worth, and El&nbsp;Paso.


{{legend|#45818e|60–70%}}
Texas is the only state in the U.S. to have three cities with populations exceeding one million: Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas; which are also among the 10 largest cities of the [[United States]]. Austin and Fort Worth are in the top 20 largest U.S. cities.<ref>[[List of United States cities by population]]</ref>


{{legend|#134f5c|70–80%}}
Houston and Dallas are two of 11 U.S. [[global city|world-class cities]] ranked by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group & Network (GaWC).<ref>http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/citylist.html</ref>


{{legend|#0c343d|80–90%}}
Houston is world-renowned for its energy (particularly oil) and aeronautics industries, and for its ship channel. The city has a vibrant visual and performing arts scene as Houston is one of the five U.S. cities that offer world-class, year-round resident companies in all major performing arts.<ref>http://www.houston.org/blackfenders/20AW005.pdf</ref>


{{legend|#05262d|90%+}}
Dallas is known globally as a center for telecommunications, computer technology, banking, and transportation. The city is the core of the largest inland metropolitan area in the nation that lacks any direct link to the sea&mdash;Dallas's prominence despite this comes from its historical importance as a center for the [[oil]] and [[cotton]] industries, its position along numerous railroad lines, and its powerful industrial and financial tycoons.


{{col-end}}|222x222px]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" ; text-align:right; font-size:80%;"
|- style="background:#efefef;"
|+ style="font-size:90%" |Ethnic composition as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]
! Texas<br>rank !! U.S.<br>rank !! align=center |City !! Population<br><small> within<br>city limits</small> !! Land Area<br><small> sq miles</small> !! Texas<br>Region !! U.S.<br>Region
|-
|-
! Race and ethnicity<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0400000US48&y=2020&d=DEC%20Redistricting%20Data%20%28PL%2094-171%29&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race|website=Census.gov|accessdate=July 5, 2022}}</ref>
| 1 || 4 ||align=left | [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] || '''2,016,582''' || 601.7 || [[East Texas]] || [[Southern United States|South]]
! colspan="2" data-sort-type="number" |Alone
! colspan="2" data-sort-type="number" |Total
|-
|-
| [[Hispanics and Latinos in Texas|Hispanic or Latino]]{{efn|Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin are not distinguished between total and partial ancestry.}}
| 2 || 7 ||align=left | [[San Antonio, Texas|San Antonio]] || '''1,256,509''' || 412.1 || [[South Texas]] || [[Southwestern United States|Southwest]]
|align=right| {{bartable}}
|align=right| {{bartable|40.2|%|2||background:green}}
|-
|-
| [[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|Non-Hispanic White]]
| 3 || 9 ||align=left | [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]] || '''1,213,825''' || 385.0 || [[North Texas]] || South
|align=right| {{bartable|39.7|%|2||background:gray}}
|align=right| {{bartable|39.8|%|2||background:gray}}
|-
|-
| [[African Americans in Texas|African American]]
| 4 || 16 ||align=left | [[Austin, Texas|Austin]] || '''690,252''' || 258.4 || [[Central Texas]] || Southwest
|align=right| {{bartable|11.8|%|2||background:mediumblue}}
|align=right| {{bartable|12.8|%|2||background:mediumblue}}
|-
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]]
| 5 || 19 ||align=left | [[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]] || '''624,067''' || 298.9 || North Texas ||
|align=right| {{bartable|5.4|%|2||background:purple}}
|-
|align=right| {{bartable|6.1|%|2||background:purple}}
| 6 || 21 ||align=left | [[El Paso, Texas|El Paso]] || '''598,590''' || 250.5 || [[West Texas]] || Southwest
|-
| [[Native Americans in Texas|Native American]]
|align=right| {{bartable|0.3|%|2||background:gold}}
|align=right| {{bartable|1.4|%|2||background:gold}}
|-
| [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]]
|align=right| {{bartable|0.1|%|2||background:pink}}
|align=right| {{bartable|0.2|%|2||background:pink}}
|-
| Other
|align=right| {{bartable|0.4|%|2||background:brown}}
|align=right| {{bartable|1.0|%|2||background:brown}}
|}
|}


In 2019, [[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|non-Hispanic Whites]] represented 41.2% of Texas's population, reflecting a national demographic shift.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Jin|first=Alexa Ura and Connie Hanzhang|date=June 20, 2019|title=Texas gained almost nine Hispanic residents for every additional white resident last year |website=The Texas Tribune |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2019/06/20/texas-hispanic-population-pace-surpass-white-residents/ |access-date=October 18, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=April 30, 2019|title=The U.S. white majority will soon disappear forever|url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/local/gray-matters/article/The-US-white-majority-will-soon-disappear-forever-13806738.php|access-date=October 18, 2020 |newspaper=Houston Chronicle |last1=Poston |first1=Dudley }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Aaronson|first=Becca|date=May 17, 2012 |title=On the Records: Texas One of Five "Minority-Majority" States |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2012/05/17/on-the-records-majority-texas-minority-races/|access-date=October 18, 2020|website=The Texas Tribune}}</ref> [[African Americans in Texas|Black people]] made up 12.9%, [[Native Americans in Texas|American Indians and Alaska Natives]] 1.0%, [[Asian Americans]] 5.2%, [[Native Hawaiians]] and other [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islanders]] 0.1%, some other race 0.2%, and [[Multiracial Americans|two or more races]] 1.8%. [[Hispanics and Latinos in Texas|Hispanics or Latino Americans]] of any race made up 39.7% of the estimated population.<ref>{{Cite web |title=American Community Survey 2018 Demographic and Housing Estimates |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Texas&tid=ACSDP1Y2019.DP05&hidePreview=false |access-date=October 18, 2020 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
{{further|[[List of cities in Texas]]}}
{{seealso|Population of Texas cities in 2000}}


At the 2020 census, the racial and ethnic composition of the state was 42.5% [[White Americans|White]] (39.8% non-Hispanic White), 11.8% Black, 5.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 13.6% some other race, 17.6% two or more races, and 40.2% Hispanic and Latino American of any race.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/racial-and-ethnic-diversity-in-the-united-states-2010-and-2020-census.html|title=Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the United States: 2010 Census and 2020 Census|date=August 12, 2021|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=August 12, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=August 13, 2021|title=Booming Texas population growth, demographic changes set stage for redistricting battle|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2021/08/12/north-texas-population-boom-continues-hispanics-outnumber-whites-in-dallas-census-data-show/|access-date=August 19, 2021|website=Dallas News|language=en}}</ref>
===Metropolitan areas===


In 2010, 49% of all births were Hispanics; 35% were non-Hispanic White; 11.5% were non-Hispanic Black, and 4.3% were Asians/Pacific Islanders.<ref>{{cite news |first=Juan |last=Castillo |url=http://www.statesman.com/news/local/hispanics-make-up-nearly-half-of-all-texas-1977207.html |title=Hispanics make up nearly half of all Texas births in 2010, U.S. says |work=[[Austin American-Statesman]] |date=November 17, 2011 |access-date=November 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111120175944/http://www.statesman.com/news/local/hispanics-make-up-nearly-half-of-all-texas-1977207.html |archive-date=November 20, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Based on U.S. Census Bureau data released in February 2011, for the first time in recent history, Texas's White population is below 50% (45%) and Hispanics grew to 38%. Between 2000 and 2010, the total population grew by 20.6%, but Hispanics and Latino Americans grew by 65%, whereas non-Hispanic Whites grew by only 4.2%.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/2011-02-17-texas-census_N.htm |title=Majority of Texas' population growth is Hispanic |work=USA Today |first=Rick |last=Jervis |date=February 23, 2011}}</ref> Texas has the fifth highest rate of teenage births in the nation and a plurality of these are to Hispanics or Latinos.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-health-topics/reproductive-health/states/tx.html |title=Texas Adolescent Reproductive Health Facts |publisher=US Department of Health and Human Services |access-date=August 2, 2014 |archive-date=August 4, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140804102325/http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-health-topics/reproductive-health/states/tx.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last4=Essig |first1=Alexa |last1=Ura |first2=Jason |last2=Kao |first3=Carla |last3=Astudillo |first4=Chris |date=August 12, 2021 |title=People of color make up 95% of Texas' population growth, and cities and suburbs are booming, 2020 census shows |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2021/08/12/texas-2020-census/ |access-date=June 2, 2022 |website=The Texas Tribune |language=en}}</ref> As of 2022, Hispanics and Latinos of any race replaced the non-Hispanic White population as the largest share of the state's population.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ura |first=Alexa |date=2023-06-22 |title=Hispanics officially make up the biggest share of Texas' population, new census numbers show |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/21/census-texas-hispanic-population-demographics/ |access-date=June 22, 2023 |website=The Texas Tribune |language=en}}</ref>
Texas has 25 [[metropolitan area]]s (MSAs) defined by the [[United States Census Bureau]]. The two largest are ranked among the top 10 [[United States metropolitan area]]s. One out of two Texans reside in the Houston and Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan areas.


Texas has the second-largest share of [[Mexican Americans]] in the US, making up 32.2% of the total population and 80% of the state's Hispanic population.<ref name="censusreporter.org">{{Cite web |title=Grid View: Table B03001 - Census Reporter |url=https://censusreporter.org/data/table/?table=B03001&geo_ids=04000US48&primary_geo_id=04000US48 |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=censusreporter.org}}</ref> Other than Mexican, the largest self-reported ancestries in the state as of 2022 were [[German Americans|German]] (8.1%), [[English Americans|English]] (7.9%), [[Irish Americans|Irish]] (5.8%), those identifying as [[American ancestry|American]] (4.6%), [[Italian Americans|Italian]] (1.9%), [[Indian Americans|Indian]] (1.9%), [[Salvadoran Americans|Salvadoran]] (1.4%), [[Scottish Americans|Scottish]] (1.3%), [[Vietnamese Americans|Vietnamese]] (1.1%), [[Chinese Americans|Chinese]] (1%), [[Puerto Ricans|Puerto Rican]] (0.9%), [[Polish Americans|Polish]] (0.9%), [[Honduran Americans|Honduran]] (0.8%), [[Filipino Americans|Filipino]] (0.8%), and [[Scotch-Irish Americans|Scotch-Irish]] (0.7%).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Grid View: Table B04006 - Census Reporter |url=https://censusreporter.org/data/table/?table=B04006&geo_ids=04000US48&primary_geo_id=04000US48 |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=censusreporter.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Grid View: Table B02018 - Census Reporter |url=https://censusreporter.org/data/table/?table=B02018&geo_ids=04000US48&primary_geo_id=04000US48 |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=censusreporter.org}}</ref><ref name="censusreporter.org"/>
As of November [[2003]], there is now an additional classification, that of a “metropolitan division.” Texas has two metropolitan divisions within the Dallas–Fort&nbsp;Worth–Arlington MSA. The term metropolitan division is used to refer to a [[Counties of the United States|county]] or group of counties within a [[metropolitan area]] that has a population core of at least 2.5 million. While a metropolitan division is a subdivision of a larger metropolitan area, it often functions as a distinct social, economic, and cultural area within the larger region.


===Languages===
:''The following table lists population figures for those metropolitan areas, in rank of population as of the 2005 U.S. Census estimates.''
{{main|Languages of Texas}}

{| class="wikitable sortable floatright" style="margin-left:1em; font-size: 90%; display: inline-table"
{| class="wikitable"
|+Most common non-English languages
|-
! scope="col" | Language
! scope="col" | Population<br /><small>(as of 2010)</small><ref name="MLA Data" />
|-
! scope="row" |[[Spanish language|Spanish]]
| 29.2%
|-
! scope="row" |[[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]]
| 0.8%
|-
|-
! scope="row" |[[Chinese language|Chinese]]
! Texas<br>rank
| 0.6%
! U.S.<br>rank
! Metropolitan Area
! Metropolitan Division
! Population
|-
|-
! scope="row" |[[German language|German]]
| align=right | 1
| 0.3%
| align=right | 5
| [[Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex|Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington]]
| &nbsp;
| align=right | '''5,819,475'''
|-
|-
! scope="row" |[[Tagalog language|Tagalog]]
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| 0.3%
| &nbsp;
| Dallas–Plano–Irving
| align=right | 3,893,123
|-
|-
! scope="row" |[[French language|French]]
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| 0.3%
| &nbsp;
| Fort Worth–Arlington
| align=right | 1,926,352
|-
|-
! scope="row" |[[Korean language|Korean]] and [[Urdu language|Urdu]] (tied)
| align=right | 2
| 0.2%
| align=right | 7
| [[Greater Houston|Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown]]
| &nbsp;
| align=right | '''5,280,077'''
|-
|-
! scope="row" |[[Hindi language|Hindi]]
| align=right | 3
| 0.2%
| align=right | 29
| San Antonio
| &nbsp;
| align=right| '''1,889,797'''
|-
|-
! scope="row" |[[Arabic language|Arabic]]
| align=right | 4
| 0.2%
| align=right | 38
| Austin–Round Rock
| &nbsp;
| align=right| '''1,452,529'''
|-
|-
! scope="row" |[[Niger-Congo languages]]
| align=right | 5
| 0.2%
| align=right | 68
| El Paso
| &nbsp;
| align=right| '''721,598'''
|}
|}

{{further|[[List of Texas metropolitan areas]]}}
The most common [[accent (sociolinguistics)|accent]] or [[dialect]] spoken by natives throughout Texas is sometimes referred to as [[Texan English]], itself a sub-variety of a broader category of [[American English]] known as [[Southern American English]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/speak/seatosea/americanvarieties/texan/ |title=Do You Speak American. Sea to Shining Sea. American Varieties. Texan |publisher=PBS |date=November 29, 2003 |access-date=August 2, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/speak/seatosea/americanvarieties/texan/drawl/ |title=Do You Speak American. Sea to Shining Sea. American Varieties. Texan. Drawl |publisher=PBS |access-date=August 2, 2014}}</ref> [[Creole language]] is spoken in some parts of East Texas.<ref>Kirstin Squint, [http://postcolonial.org/index.php/pct/article/viewArticle/375/813 A Linguistic and Cultural Comparison of Haitian Creole and Louisiana Creole], postcolonial.org, Accessed March 11, 2014</ref> In some areas of the state—particularly in the large cities—[[Western American English]] and [[General American English]], is increasingly common. [[Chicano English]]—due to a growing Hispanic population—is widespread in South Texas, while [[African-American English]] is especially notable in historically minority areas of urban Texas.
{{see also|List of United States metropolitan areas}}

At the 2020 American Community Survey's estimates, 64.9% of the population spoke only English, while 35.1% spoke a language other than English.<ref>{{Cite web |title=American Community Survey 2020 Languages Spoken at Home Estimates |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Texas+languages&tid=ACSST5Y2020.S1601 |access-date=October 18, 2020 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref> Roughly 30% of the total population spoke Spanish. By 2021, approximately 50,546 Texans spoke French or a [[French-based creole language]]. German and other West Germanic languages were spoken by 49,565 residents; Russian, Polish, and other Slavic languages by 37,444; Korean by 31,673; Chinese 86,370; Vietnamese 92,410; Tagalog 40,124; and Arabic by 47,170 Texans.<ref>{{Cite web |title=American Community Survey 2021 Detailed Household Language Estimates |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Texas+languages&tid=ACSDT1Y2021.B16002 |access-date=October 18, 2020 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref>

At the census of 2010, 65.8% (14,740,304) of Texas residents age{{nbsp}}5 and older spoke only [[English language|English]] at home, while 29.2% (6,543,702) spoke [[Spanish language|Spanish]], 0.8 percent (168,886) [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]], and [[Chinese language|Chinese]] (which includes [[Cantonese]] and [[Standard Chinese|Mandarin]]) was spoken by 0.6% (122,921) of the population over five.<ref name="MLA Data" /> Other languages spoken include [[German language|German]] (including [[Texas German]]) by 0.3% (73,137), [[Tagalog language|Tagalog]] with 0.3% (64,272) speakers, and [[French language|French]] (including [[Cajun French]]) was spoken by 0.3% (55,773) of Texans.<ref name="MLA Data" /> Reportedly, [[Cherokee language|Cherokee]] is the most widely spoken [[Native American language]] in Texas.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2014/05/language_map_what_s_the_most_popular_language_in_your_state.html |last=Blatt |first=Ben |title=Tagalog in California, Cherokee in Arkansas: What language does your state speak? |website=Data source: Census Bureau American Community Survey. Map by Ben Blatt/Slate. |date=May 13, 2014 |access-date=June 2, 2014}}</ref> In total, 34.2% (7,660,406) of Texas's population aged five and older spoke a language at home other than English as of 2006.<ref name="MLA Data">{{cite web|url=http://www.mla.org/cgi-shl/docstudio/docs.pl?map_data_results |title=Texas |publisher=[[Modern Language Association]] |access-date=August 11, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060619224705/http://www.mla.org/cgi-shl/docstudio/docs.pl?map_data_results |archive-date=June 19, 2006 }}</ref>

===Religion===
{{see also|List of cathedrals in Texas}}
{{bar box
|title = Religious affiliation (2020)<ref>Public Religion Research Institute, [http://ava.prri.org/#religious/2020/States/religion/m/US-TX "American Values Atlas (Texas)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190221221714/http://ava.prri.org/#religious/2020/States/religion/m/US-TX |date=February 21, 2019 }}</ref>
|titlebar=#ccf |background-color=#f8f9fa |float=right
|bars =
{{bar percent|[[Christianity|Christian]]|darkblue|75.5}}
{{bar percent|[[Catholic Church|Catholic]]|mediumblue|28}}
{{bar percent|[[Protestant]]|mediumblue|47}}
{{bar percent|Other Christian|mediumblue|0.5}}
{{bar percent|[[Irreligion|Unaffiliated]]|purple|20}}
{{bar percent|[[Jewish]]|lightgreen|1}}
{{bar percent|[[Muslim]]|lightgreen|1}}
{{bar percent|[[Buddhist]]|lightgreen|1}}
{{bar percent|Other faiths|lightgreen|5}}
}}

With the coming of Spanish Catholic and American Protestant missionary societies,<ref>{{Cite web|title= Religion|url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/religion|access-date=February 16, 2021|publisher=TSHA |work=Handbook of Texas |first1= John W. |last1=Storey |orig-date=February 1, 1996 |date=August 25, 2023 }}</ref> Indigenous [[Native American religions|American Indian religions and spiritual traditions]] dwindled. Since then, colonial and present-day Texas has become a predominantly Christian state, with 75.5% of the population identifying as such according to the [[Public Religion Research Institute]] in 2020.<ref name="American Values Atlas">{{Cite web |title=American Values Atlas |url=http://ava.prri.org/#religious/2020/States/religion/m/US-TX |access-date=February 27, 2022 |website=Public Religion Research Institute |archive-date=February 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190221221714/http://ava.prri.org/#religious/2020/States/religion/m/US-TX |url-status=dead }}</ref>
[[File:St._Mary's_Cathedral_Basilica_-_Galveston_02.jpg|thumb|[[St. Mary Cathedral Basilica (Galveston, Texas)|St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica]] of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston|Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston]]]]
Among its majority Christian populace, the largest Christian denomination as of 2014 has been the [[Catholic Church]], per the [[Pew Research Center]] at 23% of the population, although [[Protestantism|Protestants]] collectively constituted 50% of the Christian population in 2014;<ref name="Religion in America">{{Cite web |title=Religion in America: U.S. Religious Data, Demographics and Statistics: Texas |url=https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/texas |access-date=October 18, 2020 |website=Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project}}</ref> in the 2020 study by the Public Religion Research Institute, the Catholic Church's membership increased to encompassing 28% of the population identifying with a religious or spiritual belief.<ref name="American Values Atlas" /> At the 2020 [[Association of Religion Data Archives]] study, there were 5,905,142 Catholics in the state.<ref name="U.S. Religion Census">{{Cite web |title=Maps and data files for 2020 |url=https://www.usreligioncensus.org/index.php/node/1639 |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=U.S. Religion Census}}</ref> The largest Catholic jurisdictions in Texas are the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston|Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston]]—the first and oldest [[Latin Church]] diocese in Texas<ref>{{Cite web |title=Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston |url=https://www.archgh.org/backgroundinfo |access-date=March 3, 2022 |website=archgh.org |quote=The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston...… serves 1.7 million-plus Catholics.… is the first and oldest diocese in Texas, established by Pope Pius IX in 1847, when Galveston was named the [[metropolis (religious jurisdiction)|mother diocese]] of the Lone Star State.}}</ref>—the dioceses of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas|Dallas]] and [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth|Fort Worth]], and the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio|Archdiocese of San Antonio]].
[[File:Dallas_-_First_Baptist_Church_02.jpg|thumb|[[First Baptist Church (Dallas)|First Baptist Church of Dallas]]]]
Being part of the strongly, socially conservative [[Bible Belt]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bethancourt|first=Phillip|title=Rough Country: How Texas Became America's Most Powerful Bible-Belt State|url=https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/reviews/rough-country-texas/|access-date=October 20, 2020|website=The Gospel Coalition|date=June 16, 2017 }}</ref> Protestants as a whole declined to 47% of the population in the 2020 study by the Public Religion Research Institute. Predominantly-white [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical Protestantism]] declined to 14% of the Protestant Christian population. [[Mainline Protestant]]s in contrast made up 15% of Protestant Texas. Hispanic or Latino American-dominated Protestant churches and [[Black church|historically Black or African American Protestantism]] grew to a collective 13% of the Protestant population.

Evangelical Protestants were 31% of the population in 2014, and [[Baptists]] were the largest Evangelical tradition (14%);<ref name="Religion in America" /> according to the 2014 study, they made up the second-largest Mainline Protestant group behind [[Methodism|Methodists]] (4%). [[Nondenominational Christianity|Nondenominational]] and interdenominational Protestant Christians were the second largest Evangelical group (7%) followed by [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostals]] (4%). The largest Evangelical Baptists in the state were the [[Southern Baptist Convention]] (9%) and independent Baptists (3%). The [[Assemblies of God USA]] was the largest Evangelical Pentecostal denomination in 2014. Among [[Mainline Protestants]], the [[United Methodist Church]] was the largest denomination (4%) and the [[American Baptist Churches USA]] comprised the second-largest Mainline Protestant group (2%).

According to the Pew Research Center in 2014, the state's largest historically African American Christian denominations were the [[National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.|National Baptist Convention (USA)]] and the [[Church of God in Christ]]. Black Methodists and other Christians made up less than 1 percent each of the Christian demographic. Other Christians made up 1 percent of the total Christian population, and the [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern]] and [[Oriental Orthodox Churches|Oriental Orthodox]] formed less than 1 percent of the statewide Christian populace. The [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Texas|Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] is the largest [[Nontrinitarianism|nontrinitarian]] Christian group in Texas alongside the [[Jehovah's Witnesses]].<ref name="Religion in America" />

Among its Protestant population, the Association of Religion Data Archives in 2020 determined Southern Baptists numbered 3,319,962; non-denominational Protestants 2,405,786 (including [[Christian churches and churches of Christ|Christian Churches and Churches of Christ]], and the [[Churches of Christ]] altogether numbering 2,758,353); and United Methodists 938,399 as the most numerous Protestant groups in the state.<ref name="U.S. Religion Census" /> Baptists altogether (Southern Baptists, [[American Baptist Association|American Baptist Associates]], American Baptists, [[Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship|Full Gospel Baptists]], [[General Baptists]], [[Free Will Baptist]]s, National Baptists, [[National Baptist Convention of America International, Inc.|National Baptists of America]], [[National Missionary Baptist Convention of America|National Missionary Baptists]], [[National Primitive Baptist Convention of the U.S.A.|National Primitive Baptists]], and [[Progressive National Baptist Convention|Progressive National Baptists]]) numbered 3,837,306; Methodists within United Methodism, the [[African Methodist Episcopal Church|AME]], [[African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church|AME Zion]], [[Christian Methodist Episcopal Church|CME]], and the [[Free Methodist Church]] numbered 1,026,453 Texans.

The same study tabulated 425,038 Pentecostals spread among the Assemblies of God, [[Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee)|Church of God (Cleveland)]], and Church of God in Christ. Nontrinitarian or [[Oneness Pentecostalism|Oneness Pentecostals]] numbered 7,042 between [[Bible Way Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ]], [[Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith|COOLJC]], and the [[Pentecostal Assemblies of the World]]. Other Christians, including the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox, numbered 55,329 altogether, and Episcopalians numbered 134,318, although the [[Anglican Catholic Church]], [[Anglican Church in America]], [[Anglican Church in North America]], [[Anglican Province of America]], and [[Holy Catholic Church (Anglican Rite)|Holy Catholic Church Anglican Rite]] had a collective presence in 114 churches.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maps and data files for 2020 |url=https://www.usreligioncensus.org/index.php/node/1639 |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=U.S. Religion Census}}</ref>

Non-Christian faiths accounted for 4% of the religious population in 2014, and 5% in 2020 per the Pew Research Center and Public Religion Research Institute.<ref name="Religion in America" /><ref name="American Values Atlas" /> Adherents of many other religions reside predominantly in the urban centers of Texas. Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism were tied as the second largest religion as of 2014 and 2020. In 2014, 18% of the state's population were religiously unaffiliated. Of the unaffiliated in 2014, an estimated 2% were [[Atheism|atheists]] and 3% [[Agnosticism|agnostic]]; in 2020, the Public Religion Research Institute noted the largest non-Christian groups were the [[Spiritual but not religious|irreligious]] (20%), [[Judaism]] (1%), [[Islam]] (1%), [[Buddhism]] (1%) and [[Hinduism]], and other religions at less than 1 percent each.

In 1990, the Islamic population was about 140,000 with more recent figures putting the current number of Muslims between 350,000 and 400,000 as of 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.texanonline.net/special-reports/muslim-growth-adds-to-texas-diversity |title=Texas Online: Muslim growth adds to Texas diversity |work=Texanonline.net |access-date=May 7, 2012 |archive-date=March 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326150126/http://www.texanonline.net/special-reports/muslim-growth-adds-to-texas-diversity |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Association of Religion Data Archives estimated there were 313,209 Muslims as of 2020.<ref name="U.S. Religion Census" /> Texas is the fifth-largest [[Muslim]]-populated state as of 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/04/arts/design/dallas-museum-lands-a-rich-trove-of-islamic-art.html |title=Dallas Museum Lands a Rich Trove of Islamic Art |date=February 4, 2014 |website=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=February 25, 2016}}</ref> The Jewish population was around 128,000 in 2008.<ref>{{cite book |title=Twentieth-century Texas: a social and cultural history |author1=Storey, John Woodrow |author2=Kelley |author3=Mary L. |publisher=University of North Texas Press |year=2008 |page=145}}</ref> In 2020, the Jewish population grew to over 176,000.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jewish Population in the United States by State|url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jewish-population-in-the-united-states-by-state|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018050539/https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jewish-population-in-the-united-states-by-state|archive-date=October 18, 2020|access-date=October 18, 2020 |website=jewishvirtuallibrary.org}}</ref> According to ARDA's 2020 study, there were 43 [[Chabad]] synagogues; 17,513 [[Conservative Jews]]; 8,110 [[Orthodox Jews]]; and 31,378 [[Reform Judaism|Reform Jews]]. Around 146,000 adherents of religions such as [[Hinduism]] and [[Sikhism]] lived in Texas as of 2004.<ref>Lindsey, William D.; Silk, Mark: ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=NjdrZ4m_BK8C Religion and public life in the southern crossroads: showdown states]'', Altamira Press, 2004, p. 48</ref> By 2020, there were 112,153 Hindus and 20 Sikh gurdwaras; 60,882 Texans adhered to [[Buddhism]].

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Texas}}
{{See also|Texas locations by per capita income|Texas Stock Exchange}}
[[File:Geo Map of Income by Location in Texas (2014).png|thumb|upright=1.35|A geomap depicting income by county as of 2014]]
[[File:Texas counties by GDP 2021.png|thumb|Texas counties by GDP (2021)]]

As of 2024, Texas had a [[gross state product]] (GSP) of $2.664 trillion, the [[List of U.S. states by GDP (nominal)|second highest]] in the U.S.<ref name="GDPByState">{{cite web |title=GDP by State |url=https://www.bea.gov/data/gdp/gdp-state |website=GDP by State &#124; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) |publisher=Bureau of Economic Analysis |access-date=10 April 2022}}</ref> Its GSP is [[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|greater than the GDP]] of [[Economy of Brazil|Brazil]], the world's 8th-largest economy.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2022/October/weo-report?c=512,914,612,171,614,311,213,911,314,193,122,912,313,419,513,316,913,124,339,638,514,218,963,616,223,516,918,748,618,624,522,622,156,626,628,228,924,233,632,636,634,238,662,960,423,935,128,611,321,243,248,469,253,642,643,939,734,644,819,172,132,646,648,915,134,652,174,328,258,656,654,336,263,268,532,944,176,534,536,429,433,178,436,136,343,158,439,916,664,826,542,967,443,917,544,941,446,666,668,672,946,137,546,674,676,548,556,678,181,867,682,684,273,868,921,948,943,686,688,518,728,836,558,138,196,278,692,694,962,142,449,564,565,283,853,288,293,566,964,182,359,453,968,922,714,862,135,716,456,722,942,718,724,576,936,961,813,726,199,733,184,524,361,362,364,732,366,144,146,463,528,923,738,578,537,742,866,369,744,186,925,869,746,926,466,112,111,298,927,846,299,582,487,474,754,698,&s=NGDPD,&sy=2020&ey=2027&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |title=World Economic Outlook Database, October 2022 |date=October 11, 2022 |publisher=[[International Monetary Fund]]}}</ref> The state ranks 22nd among U.S. states with a median household income of $64,034, while the [[Poverty in the United States|poverty rate]] is 14.2%, making Texas the state with 14th highest poverty rate (compared to 13.15% nationally). Texas's economy is the second-largest of any [[List of country subdivisions by GDP over 200 billion USD|country subdivision]] globally, behind [[Economy of California|California]].

Texas's large population, an abundance of natural resources, thriving cities and leading centers of higher education have contributed to a large and diverse economy. Since oil was discovered, the state's economy has reflected the state of the [[Energy in Texas#Petroleum|petroleum industry]].<!--elaborate; stats and major companies would be nice--> In recent times, urban centers of the state have increased in size, containing two-thirds of the population in 2005. The state's economic growth has led to [[urban sprawl]] and its associated symptoms.<ref>{{cite web|title=Economic Geography |website=Texas Politics |publisher=University of Texas |url=http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/9_3_2.html |access-date=October 13, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430215209/http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/9_3_2.html |archive-date=April 30, 2009 }}</ref>

As of May 2020, during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Texas|COVID-19 pandemic]], the state's unemployment rate was 13 percent.<ref>{{cite web |title=Local Area Unemployment Statistics |url=http://www.bls.gov/web/laus/laumstrk.htm |publisher=Bureau of Labor Statistics |access-date=July 3, 2020}}</ref>

In 2010, ''Site Selection Magazine'' ranked Texas as the most business-friendly state, in part because of the state's three-billion-dollar [[Texas Enterprise Fund]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Site Selection Rankings |url=http://greyhill.com/site-selection-rankings/ |access-date=October 10, 2011}}</ref> Texas has the highest number of [[Fortune 500]] company headquarters in the United States as of 2022.<ref name="Austin 2022"/><ref name="Miranda 2022"/> In 2010, there were 346,000 millionaires in Texas, the second-largest population of millionaires in the nation.{{efn|Second to [[California]]}}<ref>{{cite news |first=Walter |last=Scott |title=Personality Parade |work=Parade Magazine |page=2 |date=May 2, 2010}}</ref> In 2018, the number of millionaire households increased to 566,578.<ref>{{cite web|title=Texas has an eye-popping number of millionaire households|url=https://dallas.culturemap.com/news/city-life/02-19-18-texas-number-of-millionaire-households-phoenix-marketing-international/|access-date=April 27, 2021|website=CultureMap Dallas|date=February 19, 2018 }}</ref>

===Taxation===
Texas has a reputation for a low tax.<ref name="TPoliticalCulture1" /> According to the [[Tax Foundation]], Texans' state and local tax burdens are seventh-lowest nationally; state and local taxes cost $3,580 per capita, or 8.4 percent of resident incomes.<ref name="TaxFound">{{cite web |title=Texas |website=Research Areas |publisher=The Tax Foundation |year=2010 |url=http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/topic/60.html |access-date=October 15, 2010 |archive-date=October 23, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081023002226/http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/topic/60.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Texas is one of seven states that lack a [[state income tax]].<ref name="TaxFound" /><ref>{{cite web |title=State Individual Income Taxes |publisher=Federation of Tax Administrators |url=http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/ind_inc.html |access-date=October 12, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081003052903/http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/ind_inc.html<!--Added by H3llBot-->|archive-date=October 3, 2008}}</ref>

Instead, the state collects revenue from [[property tax]]es (though these are collected at the county, city, and school district level; Texas has a state constitutional prohibition against a state property tax) and [[sales tax]]es. The state sales tax rate is 6.25 percent,<ref name="TaxFound" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://alltaxtips.com/why-does-texas-taxus-have-the-highest-property-taxes-and-3rd-highest-sales-tax/ |title=Why does Texas (Taxus) have the highest property taxes and 3rd highest sales tax? |website=Alltaxtips.com |date=May 9, 2011 |access-date=August 15, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707114602/http://alltaxtips.com/why-does-texas-taxus-have-the-highest-property-taxes-and-3rd-highest-sales-tax/ |archive-date=July 7, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> but local taxing jurisdictions (cities, counties, special purpose districts, and transit authorities) may also impose sales and use tax up to 2{{nbsp}}percent for a total maximum combined rate of 8.25 percent.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/sales/faq_collect.html |title=FAQ: Texas Sales Tax |website=Window.state.tx.us |access-date=January 10, 2011}}</ref>

Texas is a "tax donor state"; in 2005, for every dollar Texans paid to the federal government in [[Income tax in the United States|federal income taxes]], the state got back about $0.94 in benefits.<ref name="TaxFound" /> To attract business, Texas has incentive programs worth $19 billion per year (2012); more than any other U.S. state.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/us/winners-and-losers-in-texas.html |title=Lines Blur as Texas Gives Industries a Bonanza|first=Louise|last=Story|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 1, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/12/01/us/government-incentives.html#TX |title=United States of Subsidies, Texas|work=The New York Times|date=December 1, 2012}}</ref>

===Agriculture and mining===
[[File:West Texas Cotton.jpg|right|thumb|Cotton modules after harvest in West Texas]]
[[File:Longhorn cattle at the Enchanted Springs Ranch, a working ranch in Boerne, Texas, whose Old West Town is often used in movies and videos LCCN2015630429.tif|thumb|[[Texas longhorn]] cattle in [[Boerne, Texas]]]]

Texas has the most farms and the highest acreage in the United States. The state is ranked {{Numero|1}} for revenue generated from total livestock and livestock products. It is ranked {{Numero|2}} for total agricultural revenue, behind California.<ref name="netstateecon">{{cite web |title=The Texas Economy |website=netstate.com |date=June 5, 2007 |url=http://www.netstate.com/economy/tx_economy.htm |access-date=April 29, 2008}}</ref> At $7.4 billion or 56.7 percent of Texas's annual agricultural cash receipts, beef cattle production represents the largest single segment of Texas agriculture. This is followed by cotton at $1.9 billion (14.6 percent), greenhouse/nursery at $1.5 billion (11.4 percent), [[broiler chicken]]s at $1.3 billion (10 percent), and dairy products at $947 million (7.3 percent).<ref name=EMMA2013>{{cite web|author=Electronic Municipal Market Access|author-link=Electronic Municipal Market Access|title=Appendix A|website=The State of Texas|publisher=[[Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board]] (MSRB)|year=2013|url=http://emma.msrb.org/EA509022-EA396584-.pdf|access-date=October 23, 2016}}</ref>

Texas leads the nation in the production of cattle, horses, sheep, goats, wool, mohair and hay.<ref name=EMMA2013/> The state also leads the nation in production of cotton which is the number one crop grown in the state in terms of value.<ref name="netstateecon" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Carmack |first=Liz |title=The Legacy of 'King Cotton' |url=http://www.county.org/magazine/departments/historicalhighlights/Pages/The-Legacy-of-King-Cotton.aspx |website=County |publisher=Texas Association of Counties |access-date=July 23, 2015 |date=June 21, 2013 |archive-date=July 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723131128/http://www.county.org/magazine/departments/historicalhighlights/Pages/The-Legacy-of-King-Cotton.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Crop Production: 2014 Summary |url=http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/nass/CropProdSu//2010s/2015/CropProdSu-01-12-2015.pdf |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |access-date=July 23, 2015 |pages=48–49}}</ref> The state grows significant amounts of cereal crops and produce.<ref name="netstateecon" /> Texas has a large commercial fishing industry. With mineral resources, Texas leads in creating cement, crushed stone, lime, salt, sand and gravel.<ref name="netstateecon" /> Texas throughout the 21st century has been [[Drought in the United States|hammered by drought]], costing the state billions of dollars in livestock and crops.<ref>{{cite news |last=Marsh |first=Wendell |title=No relief in sight for Texas heat and drought |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-weather-idUSTRE7745CG20110805 |access-date=January 13, 2013 |work=Reuters |date=August 5, 2011 |archive-date=March 8, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130308010200/http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/05/us-weather-idUSTRE7745CG20110805 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Energy===
{{Main|Energy in Texas}}
{{See also|Deregulation of the Texas electricity market}}
[[File:Oil well.jpg|thumb|An oil well]]
[[File:GreenMountainWindFarm Fluvanna 2004.jpg|right|thumb|[[Brazos Wind Farm]]]]
Ever since the discovery of oil at [[Spindletop]], energy has been a dominant force politically and economically within the state.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ramos |first=Mary G. |url=http://texasalmanac.com/topics/business/oil-and-texas-cultural-history |title=Oil and Texas: A Cultural History |access-date=July 3, 2018 |website=Texas Almanac 2000–2001 |publisher=The Texas State Historical Association|date=November 29, 2017}}</ref> If Texas were its own country it would be the sixth-largest oil producer in the world according to a 2014 study.<ref>{{cite news |title=The 10 Most Oil-Rich States |author=Alexander Kent |newspaper=24/7 Wall Street |date=July 28, 2014 |url=http://247wallst.com/special-report/2014/07/28/the-10-most-oil-rich-states/4/ |access-date=August 5, 2014}}</ref>

The [[Railroad Commission of Texas]] 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 controlled 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>{{cite Handbook of Texas |id=mdr01 |title=Railroad Commission |first=David F. |last=Prindle |date=June 15, 2010}}</ref>

As of January 1, 2021, Texas has [[Oil and gas reserves and resource quantification|proved recoverable petroleum reserves]] of about {{convert|15.6|Goilbbl|m3}} of [[Petroleum|crude oil]] (44% of the known U.S. reserves) and {{convert|9.5|Goilbbl|m3}} of [[Natural-gas condensate|natural gas liquids]].<ref name="Petrol" /><ref name="eia.gov">{{Cite web |title=Texas Profile |url=https://www.eia.gov/state/print.php?sid=TX |access-date=2023-02-14 |website=eia.gov}}</ref> The state's [[Oil refinery|refineries]] can process {{convert|5.95|Moilbbl|m3}} of oil a day.<ref name="Petrol" /><ref name="eia.gov" /> The [[Port Arthur Refinery]] in Southeast Texas is the largest refinery in the U.S.<ref name="Petrol" /> Texas is also a leader in [[natural gas]] production at {{convert|28.8|Gcuft|m3}} per day, some 32% of the nation's production.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rrc.texas.gov/oil-and-gas/research-and-statistics/production-data/texas-monthly-oil-gas-production/|title=Texas Monthly Oil & Gas Production|website=rrc.texas.gov}}</ref> Texas has {{convert|102.4|Tcuft|m3}} of gas reserves which is 23% of the nation's gas reserves.<ref name="Petrol" /><ref name="eia.gov" /> Many [[List of petroleum companies|petroleum companies]] are based in Texas such as: [[ConocoPhillips]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Contact Us|url=https://www.conocophillips.com/contact-us/|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=ConocoPhillips}}</ref> [[EOG Resources]], [[ExxonMobil]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Contact us directory|url=https://corporate.exxonmobil.com:443/Company/Contact-us/Directory|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=ExxonMobil}}</ref> [[Halliburton]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Corporate Officers – Halliburton|url=https://www.halliburton.com/en-US/about-us/corporate-governance/corporate-officers.html|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=halliburton.com}}</ref> Hilcorp, [[Marathon Oil]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Contact Us|url=https://www.marathonoil.com/about/contact-us/|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=Marathon Oil|language=en-US}}</ref> [[Occidental Petroleum]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Contact Us |url=https://www.oxy.com/Information/Pages/Contact-Us.aspx |access-date=December 28, 2020 |website=oxy.com}}</ref> [[Valero Energy]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Contact Us|url=https://www.valero.com/contact-us|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=Valero}}</ref> and [[Western Refining]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Western Refining|url=https://www.dnb.com/business-directory/company-profiles.western_refining_inc.eb51b8a369f31725ac87f78225d4ff95.html|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=dnb.com}}</ref>

According to the [[Energy Information Administration]], Texans consume, on average, the fifth most energy (of all types) in the nation per capita and as a whole, following behind Wyoming, Alaska, Louisiana, North Dakota, and Iowa.<ref name="Petrol">{{cite web |title=Petroleum Profile: Texas |publisher=Energy Information Administration |url=http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=TX |access-date=December 13, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110204233946/http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=TX |archive-date=February 4, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Unlike the rest of the nation, most of Texas is on its own [[alternating current]] [[power grid]], the [[Texas Interconnection]]. Texas has a [[Deregulation of the Texas electricity market|deregulated]] electric service. Texas leads the nation in total net electricity production, generating 437,236 MWh in 2014, 89% more MWh than Florida, which ranked second.<ref>{{cite web |title=Texas State Energy Profile: Electricity |url=http://www.eia.gov/state/print.cfm?sid=TX |publisher=U.S. Energy Information Administration |access-date=July 23, 2015 |quote=Texas produces more electricity than any other state, generating almost twice as much as the next largest generating state.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Electricity Data Browser: Net generation from electricity plants for all fuels, annual |url=https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/#/topic/0 |publisher=[[Energy Information Administration]]}}</ref>

The state is a leader in [[renewable energy commercialization]]; it produces the most [[wind power in Texas|wind power]] in the nation.<ref name="Petrol" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Souder |first=Elizabeth |title=Texas leads nation in wind power capacity |website=The Dallas Morning News |date=January 2008 |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/011808dnbuswindpower.30c78959.html |access-date=January 19, 2008 |archive-date=December 2, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202012437/http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/011808dnbuswindpower.30c78959.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2014, 10.6% of the electricity consumed in Texas came from [[wind turbine]]s.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://huffingtonpost.com/stacy-clark/hold-onto-your-bonnets-br_b_7596854.html |title=Hold Onto Your Bonnets! Breezes and Sunshine to Power Georgetown, TX |first=Stacy |last=Clark |work=Huffington Post |date=December 6, 2017}}</ref> The [[Roscoe Wind Farm]] in [[Roscoe, Texas]], is one of the world's largest [[wind farm]]s with a 781.5 [[megawatt]] (MW) capacity.<ref>{{cite news |last=O'Grady |first=Eileen |title=E.ON completes world's largest wind farm in Texas |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN3023624320091001 |access-date=August 26, 2010 |work=Reuters |date=October 1, 2009}}</ref> The Energy Information Administration states the state's large agriculture and forestry industries could give Texas an enormous amount of [[biomass]] for use in biofuels. The state also has the highest [[solar power]] potential for development in the U.S.<ref name="Petrol" />

===Technology===
[[File:NASA Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory Astronaut Training.jpg|thumb|Astronaut training at the [[Johnson Space Center]] in [[Houston]]]]
With large universities systems coupled with initiatives like the Texas Enterprise Fund 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]]". Many high-tech companies are located in or have their headquarters in Texas (and [[List of companies based in Austin, Texas|Austin in particular]]), including [[Dell]], Inc.,<ref>{{cite web|last=Kanellos|first=Michael|title=Dell shifts base back to Round Rock|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/dell-shifts-base-back-to-round-rock/|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=CNET}}</ref> [[Borland]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Clarke|first=Gavin|title=Borland bails out of California, moves HQ to Austin, TX|url=https://www.theregister.com/2007/04/17/borland_leaves_valley/|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=theregister.com}}</ref> [[Forcepoint]],<ref>{{cite web|date=February 6, 2014|title=Websense gets $4.5M to move to Texas|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/economy/sdut-texas-austin-perry-jobs-economy-websense-2014feb06-htmlstory.html|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]]|language=en-US}}</ref> [[Indeed.com]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Indeed opens new North Austin office, 1,000 new jobs planned|url=https://www.kvue.com/article/money/business/indeed-opens-new-north-austin-office-1000-new-jobs-planned/269-67902537|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=kvue.com|date=March 4, 2016 |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Texas Instruments]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=McKellop|first=Mario|date=May 26, 2020|title=Texas Instruments starts construction on Dallas plant|url=https://www.theburnin.com/industry/texas-instruments-begins-construction-dallas-factory-2020-5/|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=The Burn-In|language=en-US}}</ref> [[Perot Systems]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Dell sells Perot Systems IT services division to Dallas firm|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/blog/techflash/2016/03/dell-sells-perot-systems-it-services-division-to.html#:~:text=NTT%20Data%20Corp.%20has%20inked,in%20the%20works%20last%20month.&text=John%20McCain,%20CEO%20of%20NTT,will%20lead%20the%20combined%20company.|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=bizjournals.com}}</ref> [[Rackspace]] and [[AT&T]].<ref>{{cite web|date=July 21, 2014|title=Rackspace to Move into Former Texas Shopping Mall … Again|url=https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2014/07/21/rackspace-to-use-another-texas-mall-as-office-real-estate|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=Data Center Knowledge}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=June 30, 2008|title=AT&T Making a Move (Published 2008)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/30/technology/30phone.html|access-date=December 28, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=AT&T to move headquarters to Dallas|date=June 27, 2008 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna25417174|access-date=December 28, 2020|publisher=[[NBC News]]}}</ref>

The [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration]]'s [[Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center]] (NASA JSC) is located in Southeast Houston. Both [[SpaceX]] and [[Blue Origin]] have their test facilities in Texas.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spacex.com/about/capabilities |title=Capabilities & Services |work=SpaceX |access-date=April 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404042653/http://www.spacex.com/about/capabilities |archive-date=April 4, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/6822763|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104024843/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/6822763/|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 4, 2013|title=Amazon founder unveils space center plans|work=NBC News|date=January 13, 2006|author=Boyle, Alan|access-date=June 28, 2006}}</ref> [[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]] hosts both [[Lockheed Martin]]'s [[Lockheed Martin Aeronautics|Aeronautics division]] and [[Bell Helicopter Textron]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Locations |publisher=Lockheed Martin |access-date=May 22, 2008 |url=http://www.lockheedmartin.com/aeronautics/about/Locations.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080422122219/http://www.lockheedmartin.com/aeronautics/about/Locations.html<!--Added by H3llBot-->|archive-date=April 22, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=About Bell Helicopter |publisher=Bell Helicopter |access-date=May 22, 2008 |url=http://www.bellhelicopter.com/en/company/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080602032048/http://www.bellhelicopter.com/en/company/ |archive-date=June 2, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</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>{{cite news |last=Rosenwald |first=Michael S. |date=December 17, 2007 |title=Downside of Dominance? |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/16/AR2007121601522.html |access-date=May 22, 2008}}</ref>

===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 Inc|AT&T]], [[Kimberly-Clark]], [[Blockbuster Inc.|Blockbuster]], [[J. C. Penney]], [[Whole Foods Market]], and [[Tenet Healthcare]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Texas |magazine=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune Magazine]] |date=April 30, 2007 |url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2007/states/TX.html |access-date=May 3, 2008}}</ref>

Nationally, the Dallas–Fort Worth area, home to the [[Highland Park Village|second shopping mall]] in the United States, has the most shopping malls per capita of any American metropolitan statistical area.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dallas Shopping |publisher=Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau |url=http://www.visitdallas.com/things-to-do/shopping/index.html |access-date=June 26, 2016}}</ref>

Mexico, the state's largest trading partner, imports a third of the state's exports because of the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] (NAFTA). NAFTA has encouraged the formation of [[maquiladoras]] on the Texas–Mexico border.<ref>{{cite web|title=Recent Economic Transformations |website=Texas Politics |publisher=University of Texas |url=http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/9_3_3.html |access-date=October 13, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430110703/http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/9_3_3.html |archive-date=April 30, 2009 }}</ref>

==Culture==
{{Main|Culture of Texas}}
{{See also|List of Texas symbols}}
[[File:Mission San Antonio aka Alamo.jpg|thumb|[[Alamo Mission in San Antonio|The Alamo]] is one of the most recognized symbols of Texas.|left]]

Historically, Texas culture comes from a blend of mostly Southern [[Southern United States|(Dixie)]], Western (frontier), and Southwestern [[Southwestern United States|(Mexican/Anglo fusion)]] influences, varying in degrees of such from one intrastate region to another. A popular food item, the [[breakfast burrito]], draws from all three, 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.<ref>{{Cite news|date=October 5, 1982|title=A California-style migration stirs up Texas melting pot|work=Christian Science Monitor|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1982/1005/100528.html|access-date=December 28, 2020|issn=0882-7729}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=November 24, 2017|title=Can Houston move past the 'melting pot'?|url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/local/gray-matters/article/Can-Houston-move-past-the-melting-pot-12377720.php|access-date=December 28, 2020|newspaper=Houston Chronicle|language=en-US |last1=Aquila |first1=Dominic A. }}</ref>

Texas has made a strong mark on national and international pop culture. The entire state is strongly associated with the image of the [[cowboy]] shown in [[westerns]] and in [[country western music]]. The state's numerous oil tycoons are also a popular pop culture topic as seen in the hit TV series [[Dallas (1978 TV series)|''Dallas'']].<ref>{{cite news|last=Arnold|first=Richard|title=40 years on from the TV series, Dallas is much more than oil barons and big hats|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/north-america/united-states/texas/articles/tv-series-dallas-attractions/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/north-america/united-states/texas/articles/tv-series-dallas-attractions/ |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|date=August 2, 2018|language=en-GB}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The internationally known slogan "[[Don't Mess with Texas]]" began as an anti-littering [[advertising campaign|advertisement]]. Since the campaign's inception in 1986, the phrase has become "an identity statement, a declaration of Texas swagger".<ref>{{cite news |last=Fernandez |first=Manny |title=Not to Be, Um, Trifled With, Texas Guards Its Slogans |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/15/us/not-to-be-um-trifled-with-texas-guards-its-slogans.html?_r=0 |access-date=December 29, 2013 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 14, 2013}}</ref>

===Texas self-perception===
[[File:Big Tex.JPG|thumb|upright|[[Big Tex]] presided over every [[State Fair of Texas|Texas State Fair]] since 1952 until it was destroyed by a fire in 2012. Since then a new Big Tex was created.]]

"Texas-sized" describes something that is about the size of the [[U.S. state]] of Texas,<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/08/20/hurricane.dean/index.html |title=Texas-sized Hurricane Dean spins toward Yucatan |work=CNN |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081010010315/http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/08/20/hurricane.dean/index.html |archive-date=October 10, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/174124811/20071023-texas-sized-garbage-patch-threatens-pacific-marine-sanctuary.html |title=Floating, Texas-sized garbage patch threatens Pacific marine sanctuary |work=ars technica |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081203221345/http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/174124811/20071023-texas-sized-garbage-patch-threatens-pacific-marine-sanctuary.html |archive-date=December 3, 2008}}</ref> or something (usually but not always originating from Texas) that is large compared to other objects of its type.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/06/sun_supercomputer |title=Texas-Sized Supercomputer to Break Computing Power Record |work=Wired.com |date=June 26, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140211090723/http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/06/sun_supercomputer |archive-date=February 11, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/Story?id=4371384&page=1 |title=Dems in Texas-sized showdown |publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/338668.aspx |title=A Texas-Sized Battle: Evolution vs. ID |work=CBNnews.com}}</ref> Texas was the largest U.S. state until [[Alaska]] became a state in 1959. The phrase "everything is bigger in Texas" has been in regular use since at least 1950.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Popik |first1=Barry |title=Everything's Bigger in Texas |url=http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/texas/entry/everythings_bigger_in_texas/ |website=The Big Apple online etymological dictionary |access-date=April 7, 2015}}</ref>

===Arts===
{{further|Music of Texas}}
[[File:ZZ Top on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 2016 IMG 8527 (27374417884).jpg|left|thumb|225x225px|[[ZZ Top]] performing in 2016. The [[power trio]] are considered cultural icons of Texas and [[blues]]-inspired [[rock music]].]]
Houston is one of only five American cities with permanent professional resident companies in all 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 |access-date=April 28, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080229033851/http://www.houstontheaterdistrict.org/en/cms/?68 |archive-date=February 29, 2008}}</ref> Known for the vibrancy of its [[Visual arts|visual]] and [[performing arts]], the [[Houston Theater District]] ranks second in the country in the number of theater seats in a concentrated downtown area, with 12,948 seats for live performances and 1,480 movie seats.<ref name="houstontheater" />
{{Listen
| filename =
| title = "La Grange"
| description = [[ZZ Top]]'s 1973 single "[[La Grange (song)|La Grange]]" references the [[Chicken Ranch (Texas)|Chicken Ranch]] in the town of [[La Grange, Texas]]. It was the lead single off of the group's 1973 studio album ''[[Tres Hombres]]'', which peaked at number 8 on the ''[[Billboard 200]]'' albums chart in 1974.
| pos = right
}}
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 Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House]], [[the Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art]], and the [[Nasher Sculpture Center]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Dallas Arts District |publisher=Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau |access-date=May 29, 2008 |url=http://www.visitdallas.com/things-to-do/arts/index.html}}</ref>
[[File:Houston Symphony.jpg|thumb|left|[[Houston Symphony]] at the [[Jones Hall]]]]

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>{{cite Handbook of Texas|id=hpd01|title=Deep Ellum |first=Lisa C. |last=Maxwell |orig-year=June 12, 2010 |date=November 1, 2015}}</ref> Artists such as [[Blind Lemon Jefferson]], [[Robert Johnson (musician)|Robert Johnson]], Huddie "[[Lead Belly]]" Ledbetter, and [[Bessie Smith]] played in early Deep Ellum clubs.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dallas History Items: Deep Ellum |publisher=Dallas Historical Society |url=http://www.dallashistory.org/history/dallas/deep_ellum.htm |access-date=July 25, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517115728/http://www.dallashistory.org/history/dallas/deep_ellum.htm |archive-date=May 17, 2008 }}</ref>

Austin, ''[[Music of Austin|The Live Music Capital of the World]]'', boasts "more live music venues per capita than such music hotbeds as Nashville, Memphis, Los Angeles, Las Vegas or New York City".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cityofaustin.org/music/ |title=Live Music Capital of the World |access-date=June 12, 2007 |publisher=City of Austin}}</ref> The city's music revolves around the [[nightclub]]s on [[6th Street (Austin)|6th Street]]; events like the film, music, and [[multimedia]] festival [[South by Southwest]]; the longest-running concert music program on American television, ''[[Austin City Limits]]''; and the [[Austin City Limits Music Festival]] held in [[Zilker Park]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Bernardini |first=Deb |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 |access-date=October 15, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081028193024/http://dbmpr.com/pressroom/acl/ACLFinalPR.doc.pdf |archive-date=October 28, 2008 }}</ref>

Since 1980, San Antonio has evolved into "The [[Tejano Music]] Capital Of The World".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tejanomusicawards.com/about.html |title=About The Texas Talent Musicians Association (TTMA) |access-date=August 2, 2009 |publisher=Texas Talent Musicians Association |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090310113748/http://www.tejanomusicawards.com/about.html |archive-date=March 10, 2009}}</ref> The [[Tejano Music Awards]] have provided a forum to create greater awareness and appreciation for Tejano music and culture.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tejano Music Awards |publisher=Texas Talent Musicians Association |year=2008 |url=http://www.tejanomusicawards.com/ |access-date=May 12, 2008}}</ref>

===Sports===
{{main|Sports in Texas}}
{{further|List of University Interscholastic League events}}
[[File:Cowboys Stadium full view.jpg|thumb|[[AT&T Stadium]], home of the [[Dallas Cowboys]], who are commonly known as [[America's Team]]]]
[[File:Spurs vs Lakers.jpg|thumb|Playoff game between the [[San Antonio Spurs]] (led by [[Tim Duncan]], #21) and the [[Los Angeles Lakers]] in [[2007 NBA playoffs|2007]]; the Spurs won the [[2007 NBA Finals|NBA Finals]] that year.]]
[[File:Houston Astros vs. Texas Rangers July 2019 19.jpg|thumb|Texan baseball fans attending a game between the state's two [[MLB]] teams ([[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] and [[Houston Astros]]) at [[Globe Life Field]] in [[Arlington, Texas|Arlington]]]]

Within the [[Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|"Big Four" professional leagues]], Texas has two [[National Football League|NFL]] teams (the [[Dallas Cowboys]] and the [[Houston Texans]]), two [[Major League Baseball|MLB]] teams (the [[Houston Astros]] and the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]]),<ref>{{cite web |date=April 1, 1994 |title=Rangers Ballpark in Arlington|url=http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/tex/ballpark/index.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517153830/http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/tex/ballpark/index.jsp |archive-date=May 17, 2008 |access-date=May 11, 2013 |website=Texas.rangers.mlb.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=April 1, 1994 |title=Rangers Ballpark in Arlington|url=http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/tex/ballpark/index.jsp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070203080806/http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/tex/ballpark/index.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 3, 2007 |accessdate=May 11, 2013 |website=Texas.rangers.mlb.com}}</ref> three [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] teams (the [[San Antonio Spurs]], the [[Houston Rockets]], and the [[Dallas Mavericks]]), and one [[National Hockey League|NHL]] team (the [[Dallas Stars]]). The [[Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex]] is one of only [[U.S. cities with teams from four major league sports|thirteen American metropolitan areas that host sports teams from all the "Big Four" professional leagues]]. Outside of the "Big Four", Texas also has a [[Women's National Basketball Association|WNBA]] team (the [[Dallas Wings]]), three [[Major League Soccer]] teams ([[Austin FC]], [[Houston Dynamo FC]] and [[FC Dallas]]), and one [[National Women's Soccer League|NWSL]] team (the [[Houston Dash]]).{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

[[College athletics|Collegiate athletics]] have deep significance in Texas culture, especially [[American football|football]]. The state has twelve [[Division I-FBS]] schools, the most in the nation. Four of the state's schools claim at least one national championship in football: the Texas Longhorns, the Texas A&M Aggies, the TCU Horned Frogs, and the SMU Mustangs.<ref>{{cite web|title=Texas Longhorns Four-Time Football National Champions Bobblehead Unveiled|date=August 27, 2019 |url=https://www.bobbleheadhall.com/texas-longhorns-four-time-football-national-champions-bobblehead-unveiled/|access-date=December 28, 2020|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Texas A&M Picked Up Two National Championships, Two Conference Titles Over The Summer|url=https://deadspin.com/texas-a-m-picked-up-two-national-championships-two-con-5941380|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=Deadspin|date=September 7, 2012 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=National Champions!!! TCU Earns Third Title In Program History|url=https://gofrogs.com/news/2019/3/9/womens-rifle-national-champions-tcu-earns-third-title-in-program-history.aspx|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=TCU Athletics|date=March 9, 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Dymeck|first=Pete|title=National Treasure: SMU's Forgotten, Yet Glorious Football History|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/47192-national-treasure-smus-forgotten-yet-glorious-football-history|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=Bleacher Report}}</ref> According to a survey of Division I-A coaches, the [[College rivalry|rivalry]] between the [[University of Oklahoma]] and the University of Texas at Austin, the [[Red River Shootout]], ranks the third-best in the nation.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/colleges/redrivershootout/texas/stories/100705dnspofbwnewrivalrylede.1c8619ce.html |title=UT-OU : Best Rivalry? |work=The Dallas Morning News |last=Davis |first=Brian |date=October 7, 2005 |access-date=July 11, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930031446/http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/colleges/redrivershootout/texas/stories/100705dnspofbwnewrivalrylede.1c8619ce.html |archive-date=September 30, 2007}}</ref> The TCU Horned Frogs and SMU Mustangs also share a rivalry and compete annually in the [[Battle for the Iron Skillet]]. A fierce rivalry, the [[Lone Star Showdown]], also exists between the state's two largest universities, Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin. The athletics portion of the Lone Star Showdown rivalry has been put on hold after the Texas A&M Aggies joined the Southeastern Conference.<ref>{{cite news|title=Texas A&M AD Ross Bjork denies Lone Star Showdown renewal claims|url=https://247sports.com/Article/Texas-AM-AD-Ross-Bjork-denies-Lone-Star-Showdown-renewal-claims-Texas-Longhorns-Tom-Herman-Jimbo-Fisher-Sam-Ehlinger-149643578/|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=247Sports|language=en-US}}</ref>

The [[University Interscholastic League]] (UIL) organizes most primary and secondary school competitions. Events organized by UIL include contests in athletics (the most popular being [[high school football]]) as well as artistic and academic subjects.<ref>{{cite web |title=University Interscholastic League |publisher=University of Texas at Austin |url=http://www.uil.utexas.edu/ |access-date=September 28, 2008 |archive-date=February 21, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060221153929/http://www.uil.utexas.edu/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
[[File:Rodeo competition at the Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo, produced by Rodeo Austin in Austin, Texas LCCN2015630182.tif|thumb|[[Rodeo]] (the state sport) in [[Austin, Texas|Austin]]]]
Texans also enjoy [[rodeo]]. The world's first rodeo was hosted in [[Pecos, Texas]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/viewform.asp?atlas_num=5389005909&site_name=World's+First+Rodeo&class=5000 |title=View Atlas Data |website=Atlas.thc.state.tx.us |access-date=April 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904022847/http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/viewform.asp?atlas_num=5389005909&site_name=World%27s+First+Rodeo&class=5000 |archive-date=September 4, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The annual [[Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo]] is the largest rodeo in the world. The [[Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show]] in Fort Worth is the oldest continuously running rodeo incorporating many of the state's most historic traditions into its annual events. Dallas hosts the [[State Fair of Texas]] each year at [[Fair Park]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Fair Park, Texas |publisher=City of Dallas |access-date=May 22, 2008 |url=http://www.dallascityhall.com/FairPark/art_architectural.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514155643/http://www.dallascityhall.com/FairPark/art_architectural.html |archive-date=May 14, 2008 }}</ref>

[[Texas Motor Speedway]] hosts annual [[NASCAR Cup Series]] and [[IndyCar Series]] auto races since 1997. Since 2012, Austin's [[Circuit of the Americas]] plays host to a round of the [[Formula 1]] World Championship.<ref>{{cite web |title=Formula One returns to the United States |publisher=Formula 1 Administration Ltd |access-date=May 25, 2010 |url=http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2010/5/10824.html}}</ref>

The [[Panther City Lacrosse Club]] is a professional lacrosse team in the [[National Lacrosse League]]. They have played local matches at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas since their inaugural 2021–2022 season.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/more-sports/professional-lacrosse-is-coming-to-fort-worth-dickies-arena/ar-BB1747QE |title= Professional lacrosse is coming to Fort Worth, Dickies Arena |access-date=July 22, 2020 }}</ref>

==Education==
{{main|Education in Texas}}
The second [[List of Presidents of the Republic of Texas|president of the Republic of Texas]], [[Mirabeau B. Lamar]], is the ''Father of Texas Education''. During his term, the state set aside three [[league (unit)|leagues]] in each county for 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]].<ref>{{cite Handbook of Texas |id=khp02 |title=Permanent University Fund |date=June 15, 2010 |first=Vivian Elizabeth |last=Smyrl}}</ref> Lamar's actions set the foundation for a Texas-wide public school system.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hendrickson | first=Kenneth E. Jr. |title=The Chief of Executives of Texas: From Stephen F. Austin to John B. Connally, Jr |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8zF5AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA37 |publisher=[[Texas A&M University Press]] |year=1995 |page=37 |isbn=978-0-89096-641-9}}</ref>

Between 2006 and 2007, Texas spent $7,275 per pupil, ranking it below the national average of $9,389. The pupil/teacher ratio was 14.9, below the national average of 15.3. Texas paid instructors $41,744, below the national average of $46,593. 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; all districts except the [[Stafford Municipal School District]] are independent from municipal government and many cross city boundaries.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Comptroller Strayhorn to Review Stafford Municipal School District |publisher=Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn |date=September 16, 2003 |url=http://www.cpa.state.tx.us/news/30916stafford.html |access-date=June 28, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040222021846/http://www.cpa.state.tx.us/news/30916stafford.html |archive-date=February 22, 2004 |url-status=dead }}</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, the state has a tax redistribution system called the "[[Robin Hood plan]]" which transfers property tax revenue from wealthy school districts to poor ones.<ref>{{cite web|last=Saghaye-Biria |first=Hakimeh |title=Robin Hood Plan is Working |date=April 22, 2001 |publisher=World Internet News Cooperative |url=http://soc.hfac.uh.edu/artman/publish/article_137.shtml |access-date=June 23, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511051857/http://soc.hfac.uh.edu/artman/publish/article_137.shtml |archive-date=May 11, 2008 }}</ref> The TEA has no authority over private or [[homeschooling]] activities.<ref>{{cite web|date=November 1, 2007 |title=Home School Information Letter |publisher=Texas Education Agency |url=http://www.tea.state.tx.us/home.school/homeltr.html |access-date=June 24, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080613083329/http://www.tea.state.tx.us/home.school/homeltr.html |archive-date=June 13, 2008 }}</ref>

Students in Texas take the [[State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness]] (STAAR) in primary and secondary school. STAAR assess students' attainment of [[reading (activity)|reading]], writing, [[mathematics]], science, and [[social studies]] skills required under Texas education standards and the [[No Child Left Behind Act]]. The test replaced the [[Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills]] (TAKS) test in the 2011–2012 school year.<ref>{{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 |work=Assessment Division |date=October 22, 2007 |access-date=October 22, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071120064701/http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/admin/eoc/index.html |archive-date=November 20, 2007 }}</ref>

Generally prohibited in the [[Western world]], [[school corporal punishment]] is not unusual in the more conservative, rural areas of the state,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Salhotra |first1=Pooja |title=Proposed ban on corporal punishment in Texas schools fails again |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2023/04/26/texas-house-corporal-punishment-public-schools/ |access-date=17 January 2024 |work=The Texas Tribune |date=27 April 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Frosch |first1=Dan |title=Schools Under Pressure to Spare the Rod Forever |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/28/education/30paddle.html |access-date=17 January 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=29 March 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gershoff |first1=Elizabeth T. |last2=Font |first2=Sarah A. |title=Corporal Punishment in U.S. Public Schools: Prevalence, Disparitiesin Use, and Status in State and Federal Policy |journal=Social Policy Report |date=2016 |volume=30 |issue=1 |pages=1–26 |doi=10.1002/j.2379-3988.2016.tb00086.x |pmid=29333055 |pmc=5766273 |issn=1075-7031}}</ref> with 28,569 public school students [[paddle (spanking)|paddled]] at least one time,{{efn|This figure refers to only the number of students paddled, regardless of whether a student was spanked multiple times in a year, and does not refer to the number of instances of corporal punishment, which would be substantially higher.}} according to government data for the 2011–2012 school year.<ref name="CORPUN_US_SCHOOL" /> The rate of school corporal punishment in Texas is surpassed only by [[Mississippi]], [[Alabama]], and [[Arkansas]].<ref name="CORPUN_US_SCHOOL">{{cite web|url=http://corpun.com/counuss.htm |title= Corporal punishment in US schools |publisher=World Corporal Punishment Research | last = Farrell | first = Colin | date=February 2016|access-date=April 4, 2016}}</ref>

===Higher education===
{{further|List of colleges and universities in Texas}}
[[File:University of Texas at Austin August 2019 30 (Littlefield Fountain and Main Building).jpg|thumb|The [[University of Texas at Austin]]]]
[[File:Roy Gustav Cullen Building.JPG|thumb|[[University of Houston]]]]
[[File:TAMUcampus.jpg|thumb|[[Texas A&M University]]]] [[File:Lovett Hall.jpg|thumb|[[Rice University]]]]

The state's two most widely recognized flagship universities are [[The University of Texas at Austin]] and [[Texas A&M University]], ranked as the 21st<ref>"[http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/university-of-texas-austin-3658 University of Texas—Austin] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908040718/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/university-of-texas-austin-3658 |date=September 8, 2014 }}". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved November 17, 2013.</ref> and 41st<ref>"[http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/texas-am-university-college-station-10366 Texas A&M University—College Station] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908040651/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/texas-am-university-college-station-10366 |date=September 8, 2014 }}". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved November 17, 2013.</ref> best universities in the nation according to 2020's latest Center for World University Rankings report, respectively. Some observers<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7386162.html |title=UH takes big step up to Tier One status |website=Houston Chronicle |date=January 18, 2011 |access-date=July 6, 2011}}</ref> also include the [[University of Houston]] and [[Texas Tech University]] as tier one flagships alongside UT Austin and A&M.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uh.edu/news-events/stories/2011articles/Jan2011/011811CarnegieTierOne.php |title=Carnegie Foundation Gives University of Houston its Highest Classification for Research Success, Elevating UH to Tier One Status |author=Bonnin, Richard |publisher=University of Houston |access-date=February 8, 2011}}</ref><ref>"[http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2012/mar/26/hance-chief-of-growth-fundraising-for-tech/ Texas Tech University has quietly emerged as top-tier institution] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209205948/http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2012/mar/26/hance-chief-of-growth-fundraising-for-tech/ |date=February 9, 2014 }}". San Angelo Standard-Times. Retrieved November 17, 2013.</ref> The [[Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board]] ranks the state's public universities into three distinct tiers:<ref name="UT System Tier One">"[http://www.utsystem.edu/tierone/tierone.htm Tier One/Prop. 4] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130916002505/http://www.utsystem.edu/tierone/tierone.htm |date=September 16, 2013 }}". The University of Texas System. Retrieved November 17, 2013.</ref>
* National Research Universities (Tier 1)<ref>"[http://www.texastribune.org/2012/05/25/tech-and-uh-qualify-tier-one-prize-money/ Tech and U. of Houston Qualify for Tier-One Prize Money]". Texas Tribune. Retrieved November 17, 2013.</ref><ref>"[https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/utep/2019/01/09/utep-tier-1-research-university-diana-natalicio/2517085002/ UTEP hits major milestone with top-tier research funding status]". ''El Paso Times''. Retrieved January 9, 2019.</ref>
**[[The University of Texas at Austin]]
**[[Texas A&M University]]
**[[Texas Tech University]]
**[[University of Houston]]
**[[The University of Texas at Arlington]]
**[[The University of Texas at Dallas]]
**[[The University of North Texas]]
**[[The University of Texas at El Paso]]
* Emerging Research Universities (Tier 2)<ref name="UT System Tier One" />
**[[The University of Texas at San Antonio]]
**[[Texas State University]]
* Comprehensive Universities (Tier 3)<ref name="UT System Tier One" />
** All other public universities (25 in total)

Texas's alternative affirmative action plan, [[Texas House Bill 588]], guarantees Texas students who graduated in the {{nowrap|top 10}} percent of their high school class automatic admission to state-funded universities. This does not apply to [[The University of Texas at Austin]], which automatically admits Texas students who graduated in the {{Nowrap|top 6}} percent of their high school class.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 21, 2021 |title=Automatic Admissions Threshold Remains at 6% for UT Austin |url=https://news.utexas.edu/2021/09/21/automatic-admissions-threshold-remains-at-6-for-ut-austin/ |access-date=May 13, 2022 |website=UT News |language=en-US}}</ref> The bill encourages demographic diversity while attempting to avoid problems stemming from the ''[[Hopwood v. Texas]]'' (1996) case.<ref>{{cite web|date=July 8, 2019|title=Texas top ten percent policy provides a cautionary lesson|url=https://hechingerreport.org/texas-top-10-policy-didnt-expand-number-of-high-schools-feeding-students-to-top-universities/|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=The Hechinger Report|language=en-US}}</ref>

Thirty-six public universities exist in Texas, of which 32 belong to one of the six state university systems.<ref>{{cite news |last=Heath |first=Ben |newspaper=Daily Texan |date=July 7, 2003 |url=http://www.utsystem.edu/news/clips/dailyclips/2003/0706-0712/UTSystem-DT-BillRequires-070703.pdf |access-date=October 12, 2007 |title=Bill requires review of university systems |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205011655/http://www.utsystem.edu/news/clips/dailyclips/2003/0706-0712/UTSystem-DT-BillRequires-070703.pdf |archive-date=February 5, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Senate Subcommittee on Higher Education Testimony Regarding the Benefits of a Stand Alone Institution |publisher=Sam Houston State University |date=June 25, 2008 |url=http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/Senate/commit/c535/20080625/062508_SFA_Testimony_Dr_Pattillo.pdf |access-date=October 12, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081028193024/http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/Senate/commit/c535/20080625/062508_SFA_Testimony_Dr_Pattillo.pdf |archive-date=October 28, 2008 }}</ref> Discovery of minerals on [[Permanent University Fund]] land, particularly oil, has helped fund the rapid growth of the state's two largest university systems: the [[University of Texas System]] and the [[Texas A&M University System|Texas A&M System]]. The four other university systems: the [[University of Houston System]], the [[University of North Texas System]], the [[Texas State University System|Texas State System]], and the [[Texas Tech University System|Texas Tech System]] are not funded by the Permanent University Fund.<ref name="Smyrl-2020">{{Cite web|title= Permanent University Fund|url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/permanent-university-fund|access-date=December 28, 2020|publisher=TSHA |work=Handbook of Texas |first1=Vivian Elizabeth |last1=Smyrl |orig-date=1976 |date=June 9, 2020 }}</ref>

The Carnegie Foundation classifies four of Texas's universities as Tier One research institutions: [[University of Texas at Austin|The University of Texas at Austin]], the [[Texas A&M University]], the [[University of Houston]] and [[Texas Tech University]]. The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University are the flagship universities of the [[University of Texas System]] and [[Texas A&M University System]], respectively. Both were established by the Texas Constitution and hold stakes in the Permanent University Fund.<ref name="Smyrl-2020" />

The state has sought to expand the number of flagship universities by elevating some of its seven institutions designated as "emerging research universities". The two expected to emerge first are the University of Houston and Texas Tech University, likely in that order according to discussions on the House floor of the 82nd Texas Legislature.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tier-One Prize Money Tentatively Passes House |date=April 14, 2011 |access-date=April 27, 2011 |url=http://www.texastribune.org/texas-education/higher-education/tier-one-prize-money-tentatively-passes-house-/}}</ref>

The state is home to various private institutions of higher learning—ranging from liberal arts colleges to a nationally recognized top-tier research university. {{nowrap|[[Rice University]]}} in Houston is one of the leading teaching and research universities of the United States and is ranked the nation's 17th-best overall university by ''U.S. News & World Report''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rice University, Best Colleges 2009 |website=[[U.S. News & World Report]]|access-date=March 27, 2009 |url=http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/items/3604 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216191034/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/items/3604 |archive-date=February 16, 2009 }}</ref>

[[Trinity University (Texas)|Trinity University]], a private, primarily undergraduate liberal arts university in San Antonio, has ranked first among universities granting primarily bachelor's and select master's degrees in the Western United States for 20 consecutive years by ''U.S. News''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Trinity University |website=Best Colleges 2011—U.S. News & World Report |access-date=January 6, 2012 |url=http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/regional-universities-west |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119182030/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/regional-universities-west |archive-date=January 19, 2012 }}</ref> Private universities include [[Abilene Christian University]], {{nowrap|[[Austin College]]}}, {{nowrap|[[Baylor University]]}}, {{nowrap|[[University of Mary Hardin–Baylor]]}}, and {{nowrap|[[Southwestern University]]}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Baylor |publisher=Baylor University |access-date=May 21, 2008 |url=http://www.baylor.edu/about/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Southwestern History |publisher=Southwestern University |access-date=October 12, 2008 |url=http://www.southwestern.edu/about/about-history.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024123018/http://www.southwestern.edu/about/about-history.html |archive-date=October 24, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=History |date=November 2009 |publisher=Austin College |access-date=June 9, 2015 |url=http://www.austincollege.edu/about/history/ |archive-date=June 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608002350/http://www.austincollege.edu/about/history/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Universities in Texas host three presidential libraries: [[George Bush Presidential Library]] at Texas A&M University,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Archives and Research – George Bush Library and Museum|url=https://bush41library.tamu.edu/|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=bush41library.tamu.edu}}</ref> the [[Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum]] at The University of Texas at Austin,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Plan Your Visit to the LBJ Library – LBJ Presidential Library|url=http://www.lbjlibrary.org/footer/plan-your-visit|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=lbjlibrary.org|archive-date=November 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125080437/http://www.lbjlibrary.org/footer/plan-your-visit/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title= Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum|url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/lyndon-baines-johnson-library-and-museum|access-date=December 28, 2020|publisher=TSHA |work=Handbook of Texas |date=1976 }}</ref> and the [[George W. Bush Presidential Library]] at [[Southern Methodist University]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=The George W. Bush Presidential Center and SMU – SMU|url=https://www.smu.edu/bushcenter|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=smu.edu}}</ref>

==Healthcare==
{{main|Healthcare in Texas}}
{{see also|List of hospitals in Texas}}

Notwithstanding the concentration of elite medical centers in the state, [[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 |website=[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]] |date=June 13, 2007 |url=http://www.insurancenewsnet.com/article.asp?a=top_lh&id=80824 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302104007/https://www.insurancenewsnet.com/article.asp?a=top_lh&id=80824 |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 2, 2021 |access-date=April 22, 2008 }}</ref> Texas ranks close to last in access to healthcare, quality of care, avoidable hospital spending, and equity.<ref name="insurancenet" /> In May 2006, Texas initiated the program "code red" in response to the report the state had 25.1 percent of the population without health insurance, the largest proportion in the nation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Code Red: The Critical Condition of Health in Texas |url=http://www.coderedtexas.org/ |access-date=April 28, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512021439/http://www.coderedtexas.org/ |archive-date=May 12, 2008 }}</ref>

The [[Trust for America's Health]] ranked Texas 15th highest in adult [[obesity]]: 27.2 percent of the state's population is obese.<ref>{{cite web |title=Texas |website=State Data |publisher=Trust for America's Health |year=2008 |url=http://healthyamericans.org/states/states.php?measure=highschooloverweight&sort=data |access-date=October 14, 2008 |archive-date=January 6, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106124245/http://healthyamericans.org/states/states.php?measure=highschooloverweight&sort=data |url-status=dead }}</ref> The 2008 [[Men's Health (magazine)|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">{{cite web |title=America's Fittest Cities 2007 |website=Men's Health |year=2008 |url=http://www.mensfitness.com/city_rankings/462 |access-date=April 21, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080313161801/http://www.mensfitness.com/city_rankings/462<!--Added by H3llBot-->|archive-date=March 13, 2008}}</ref> Texas had only one city (Austin, ranked 21st) in the top 25 "fittest cities" in America.<ref name="obese2" /> The state is ranked forty-second in the percentage of residents who engage in regular exercise according to a 2007 study.<ref>[http://www.statemaster.com/graph/hea_phy_exe-health-physical-exercise Statemaster.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513182949/http://www.statemaster.com/graph/hea_phy_exe-health-physical-exercise |date=May 13, 2013 }}, Accessed May 16, 2007</ref>

Texas has the [[Maternal Healthcare System in Texas|highest maternal mortality rate]] in the developed world, and the rate by which Texas women died from pregnancy-related complications doubled from 2010 to 2014, to 23.8 per 100,000—a rate unmatched in any other U.S. state or economically developed country.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/20/texas-maternal-mortality-rate-health-clinics-funding|title=Texas has highest maternal mortality rate in developed world, study finds|last=Redden|first=Molly|date=August 20, 2016|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|issn=0261-3077|access-date=December 23, 2016}}</ref> In May 2021, the state legislature passed the [[Texas Heartbeat Act]], which banned [[abortion]] from as early as six weeks of pregnancy, except to save the life of the mother. The Act allows private citizens to sue abortion providers and anyone else who assists in an abortion, except for the woman on whom the abortion is performed.<ref>{{cite news |title=Abortion: Texas governor signs restrictive new law |work=BBC News |date=May 19, 2021 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57177224 |access-date=June 8, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Answers to Questions About the Texas Abortion Law |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/01/health/texas-abortion-law-facts.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/01/health/texas-abortion-law-facts.html |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |url-access=limited |access-date=September 2, 2021 |agency=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 1, 2021|last1=Rabin |first1=Roni Caryn }}{{cbignore}}</ref> On August 25, 2022, another law took effect that made committing abortion at any stage of pregnancy a felony punishable by life in prison.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.npr.org/2022/08/22/1118635642/abortion-trigger-ban-tennessee-idaho-texas | title=3 more states are poised to enact abortion trigger bans this week | website=[[NPR]]| date=August 22, 2022 | last1=Kim | first1=Juliana }}</ref>

===Medical research===
[[File:Texas medical center sundown.jpg|thumb|The [[Texas Medical Center]] in Houston]]
Texas has many elite research medical centers. The state has 15 [[List of colleges and universities in Texas#Health science|medical schools]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Texas Medical Schools and Hospitals |publisher=Texas Medical Association |date=August 3, 2006 |url=http://www.texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=86 |access-date=April 28, 2008}}</ref> four dental schools,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dentist.net/dentalschools.asp |title=Dental Schools in the United States |access-date=October 31, 2008 |newspaper=Dentist.net|last1=Net |first1=Dentist }}</ref> and two [[optometry]] schools.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aoa.org/x12702.xml |title=Accreditation Council on Optometric Education |access-date=December 26, 2011 |publisher=American Optometric Association |archive-date=January 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120105005827/http://www.aoa.org/x12702.xml |url-status=dead }}</ref> Texas has two [[Biosafety Level 4]] (BSL-4) laboratories: one at [[The University of Texas Medical Branch]] (UTMB) in Galveston,<ref>{{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 |access-date=April 29, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071117074008/http://www.bioscrypt.com/news/press/item-728/ |archive-date=November 17, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</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 |access-date=April 29, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070629233704/http://www.sfbr.org/pages/about_resources2.php |archive-date=June 29, 2007 }}</ref>

The [[Texas Medical Center]] in Houston holds the world's largest concentration of research and healthcare institutions, with over 50 member institutions.<ref>{{cite web |title=About the Texas Medical Center |publisher=The Texas Medical Center |access-date=April 11, 2009 |url=http://www.texmedctr.tmc.edu/root/en/GetToKnow/AboutTMC/About+the+TMC.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070810221035/http://www.texmedctr.tmc.edu/root/en/GetToKnow/AboutTMC/About+the+TMC.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 10, 2007 }}</ref> Texas Medical Center performs the most heart transplants in the world.<ref>{{cite web |title=Background Statistics > People and Politics (most recent) by state |publisher=State Master |date=May 8, 2008 |url=http://www.statemaster.com/graph/bac_bac-background-people-and-politics |access-date=May 8, 2008 |archive-date=May 3, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080503125428/http://www.statemaster.com/graph/bac_bac-background-people-and-politics |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center]] in Houston is a highly regarded academic institution that centers around cancer patient care, research, education and prevention.<ref>{{cite web |title=About MD Anderson |publisher=[[The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center]] |url=http://www.mdanderson.org/about_mda/ |access-date=April 28, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080424201445/http://www.mdanderson.org/about_mda/ |archive-date=April 24, 2008 }}</ref>

San Antonio's [[South Texas Medical Center]] facilities rank sixth in clinical medicine research impact in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |date=April 3, 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 |access-date=April 28, 2008 |archive-date=March 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309051019/http://uthscsa.edu/hscnews/singleformat.asp?newID=2353 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[UTHSCSA|University of Texas Health Science Center]] is another highly ranked research and educational institution in San Antonio.<ref>{{cite web |title=International report gives Dental School high marks |work=HSC NEWS |access-date=May 15, 2008 |url=http://www.uthscsa.edu/hscnews/singleformat.asp?newID=1742 |archive-date=December 27, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071227030845/http://www.uthscsa.edu/hscnews/singleformat.asp?newID=1742 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Medical center's research ranks high |work=San Antonio Express-News |access-date=May 15, 2008 |url=http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/MYSA040407_medical_center_EN_2dc65c3e_html751.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121208194147/http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/MYSA040407_medical_center_EN_2dc65c3e_html751.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 8, 2012}}</ref>

Both the [[American Heart Association]] and the [[University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center]] call Dallas home.<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 |access-date=April 28, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509062317/http://utsouthwestern.edu/home/about/index.html |archive-date=May 9, 2008 }}</ref> The [[University of Texas Southwestern Medical School|institution's medical school]] employs the most medical school [[Nobel laureates]] in the world.<ref name="UTSWAboutUs" /><ref>{{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 |access-date=April 28, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080413194108/http://www8.utsouthwestern.edu/vgn/images/portal/cit_56417/43/32/2800592006_Fact_Sheet.pdf |archive-date=April 13, 2008}}</ref>

{{Clear}}


==Transportation==
==Transportation==
{{main|Transportation in Texas}}
{{main|Transportation in Texas}}
[[File:High Five.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|The [[High Five Interchange]] in [[Dallas]]]]
The [[Texas Department of Transportation]] (TxDOT) is a [[government|governmental]] 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|public transportation]] systems.
The state's large size and rough terrain have historically complicated transportation. Texas has compensated by building the nation's largest highway and railway systems. The [[regulatory authority]], the [[Texas Department of Transportation]] (TxDOT), maintains the state's highway system, regulates aviation,<ref>{{cite web |title=Aviation Division |publisher=Texas Department of Transportation |url=http://www.txdot.gov/business/aviation/default.htm |access-date=July 22, 2009 |archive-date=July 10, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090710134535/http://www.txdot.gov/business/aviation/default.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> and [[public transportation]] systems.<ref>{{cite web|title=Transportation Division |publisher=Texas Department of Transportation |url=http://www.dot.state.tx.us/services/public_transportation/default.htm |access-date=April 29, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501171426/http://www.dot.state.tx.us/services/public_transportation/default.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2008 }}</ref>

The state is 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 hours.<ref>{{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 |access-date=October 14, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081028193024/http://jdfdistribution.com/pdf/dallas-for-distribution.pdf?doc=dfd.pdf |archive-date=October 28, 2008 }}</ref> Texas has 33 [[Special Economic Zone|foreign trade zones]] (FTZ), the most in the nation.<ref name="FTZ1">{{cite web|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 |access-date=June 21, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214163035/http://www.texasone.us/site/DocServer/Texas_FTZs_Document_2007.pdf?docID=2221 |archive-date=February 14, 2015}}</ref> In 2004, a combined total of $298&nbsp;billion of goods passed through Texas FTZs.<ref name="FTZ1" />


===Highways===
===Highways===
{{main|Texas state highways}}
{{main|Texas state highways}}
[[File:Welcome to Texas sign, 2008.jpg|thumb|"Welcome to Texas" sign, entering the state from Arkansas on [[Interstate 30]]]]
[[Image:Texas45.jpg|thumb|250px|left|[[State Highway 45 (Texas)|State Highway 45]], the first of several toll roads in Central Texas, under construction]]
The first Texas freeway was the [[Gulf Freeway]] opened in 1948 in Houston.<ref>{{cite web |title=Interstate 45 South, the Gulf Freeway |website=TexasFreeway.com |date=May 28, 2001 |url=http://www.texasfreeway.com/Houston/photos/45s/i45s.shtml |access-date=October 15, 2008}}</ref> As of 2005, {{convert|79535|mi|km|0}} of public highway crisscrossed Texas (up from {{convert|71000|mi|km|-3|disp=or|abbr=out}} in 1984).{{cn|date=November 2024}} To fund recent growth in the state highways, Texas has [[List of Toll Roads in the United States#Texas|17 toll roads]] with several additional [[tollway]]s proposed.<ref>{{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 |access-date=April 20, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090113051058/http://www.ibtta.org/Information/content.cfm?ItemNumber=2530 |archive-date=January 13, 2009 }}</ref> In [[Central Texas]], the southern section of the [[Texas State Highway 130|State Highway 130]] toll road has a speed limit of {{convert|85|mph|km/h}}, the highest in the nation.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Owens |first1=Owens |last2=Sunseri |first2=Gina |title=Speeding Through Texas: Going 85 MPH on the Nation's Fastest Highway |publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |date=October 24, 2012 |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/speeding-texas-85-mph-highway-opens/story?id=17549839 |access-date=October 28, 2012}}</ref> All federal and state highways in Texas are paved.
Texas [[freeway]]s are heavily traveled and are often under construction to meet the demands of continuing growth. As of 2005, there were 79,535 miles 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.


===Airports===
Governor Rick Perry has implemented plans for the Trans Texas Corridor, which will connect cities throughout the state with a series of multi modal corridors. The overall project will cost roughly 142 billion dollars. Individual companies will take on projects and throughout time as demand calls for it, sections of the project will be built. The Trans Texas Corridor insures the future for all Texans by providing a stable source of jobs to the economy. However, concern runs high in Texas over the implementation of the corridor. Common arguments include: Among the most significant is the fact that the TTC will be extremely expensive. Additionally the system will require about 9,000 square miles (23,300 km²) of land to be purchased or acquired through the state's assertion of eminent domain. Environmentalists are concerned about the effects of such wide corridors, and private land owners have expressed disgust at the idea that their land may be seized and in turn be sold in exclusive agreements to other developers in order to help pay for the transit links.
{{See also|List of airports in Texas}}[[File:20110123 DFW terminal D.jpg|thumb|Terminal D at [[Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport]]]]
[[File:Bush terminal E.jpg|thumb|Terminal E at [[George Bush Intercontinental Airport]] in Houston]]Texas has 730 airports, second-most of any state in the nation. Largest in Texas by size and passengers served, [[Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport]] (DFW) is the second-largest by area in the United States, and fourth in the world with {{convert|18076|acre|km2}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dfwairport.com/visitor/index.php?ctnid=24254 |title=Facts about DFW |access-date=October 14, 2008 |website=Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080912234631/http://www.dfwairport.com/visitor/index.php?ctnid=24254 |archive-date=September 12, 2008}}</ref> In traffic, DFW airport is the busiest in the state, the fourth busiest in the United States,<ref>{{cite web |title=10 Great Places for Aviation and Aerospace |author=Jennifer LeClaire |website=Southern Business and Development |url=http://www.sb-d.com/archivesite/www.sb-d.com/issues/spring2007/features/10GreatPlacesForAviationAndAerospace.html |access-date=April 28, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716012226/http://www.sb-d.com/archivesite/www.sb-d.com/issues/spring2007/features/10GreatPlacesForAviationAndAerospace.html |archive-date=July 16, 2011}}</ref> and sixth worldwide.<ref>{{cite news |title=Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport |work=[[USA Today]]|url=http://destinations.usatoday.com/dallas/ |access-date=April 28, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070630002132/http://destinations.usatoday.com/dallas/ |archive-date=June 30, 2007}}</ref> [[Southwest Airlines]], headquartered in Dallas, has its operations at [[Dallas Love Field]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.southwest.com/about_swa/airborne.html |title=We Weren't Just Airborne Yesterday |date=May 2, 2007 |publisher=Southwest Airlines |access-date=June 9, 2007}}</ref> [[American Airlines Group]]'s [[American Airlines|American]] / [[American Eagle Airlines|American Eagle]], the world's largest airline in total passengers-miles transported and passenger fleet size,<ref>{{cite web |author=Investor Relations |url=http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=117098&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1921786&highlight== |title=American Airlines &#124; Investor Relations &#124; News Release |website=Phx.corporate-ir.net |access-date=August 2, 2014}}</ref> uses DFW as its largest and main [[Airline hub|hub]].


Texas's second-largest air facility is Houston's [[George Bush Intercontinental Airport]] (IAH). It serves as the largest hub for [[United Airlines]], the world's third-largest airline, by passenger-miles flown.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ir.unitedcontinentalholdings.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=83680&p=irol-newsArticle&id=1889262 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140318221457/http://ir.unitedcontinentalholdings.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=83680&p=irol-newsArticle&id=1889262 |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 18, 2014 |title=United Continental Holdings, Inc.—Investor Relations—News |website=Ir.unitedcontinentalholdings.com |date=January 8, 2014 |access-date=August 2, 2014 }}</ref>{{efn|Based on the industry-standard measure of revenue passenger-kilometers/miles flown}} IAH offers service to the most Mexican destinations of any U.S. airport.<ref>{{cite web |title=About George Bush Intercontinental Airport |publisher=Houston Airport System |url=http://www.houstonairportsystem.org/iahAbout |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013160110/http://www.houstonairportsystem.org/iahAbout |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 13, 2007 |access-date=June 28, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|title=Houston Emerges As The Premier Gateway In The U.S. For Travelers To Mexico |publisher=Houston Airport System |date=April 12, 2005 |url=http://www.fly2houston.com/0/8178/0/1906D1940/ |access-date=December 30, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928091617/http://www.fly2houston.com/0/8178/0/1906D1940/ |archive-date=September 28, 2007 }}</ref> The next five largest airports in the state all serve more than three million passengers annually; they include [[Austin-Bergstrom International Airport]], [[William P. Hobby Airport]], [[San Antonio International Airport]], [[Dallas Love Field]] and [[El Paso International Airport]]. The smallest airport in the state to be designated an international airport is [[Del Rio International Airport]].
Ironically, while Governor Rick Perry is supportive of the plan, the Republican Party of Texas 2006 platform opposes the Corridor.
The population of Texas is expected to double in the near future, and highways are already congested. The corridor will include tollways for passenger vehicles and trucks. It will also include 6 rail lines for high speed passenger rail, commuter rail, and freight. The last part of the corridor will be utility lines for water, petroleum, natural gas, and electricity.


===Ports===
One characteristic of Texas's freeways are its [[frontage road]]s (also known as service roads or feeder roads). Texas is the only state that widely constructs frontage/access roads along its highways even in the most remote areas.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} 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.
{{main|List of ports in the United States}}
[[File:Houston Ship Channel.jpg|thumb|[[Port of Houston]] along the [[Houston Ship Channel]]|left]]
Around 1,150 [[seaports]] dot Texas's coast with over {{convert|1000|mi|km}} of [[channel (geography)|channels]].<ref name="ports1">{{cite web |title=About Texas Ports |publisher=Texas Ports Association |url=http://www.texasports.org/ |access-date=May 7, 2008}}</ref> Ports employ nearly one-million people and handle an average of 317&nbsp;million [[metric tons]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Benefits of Texas Ports |publisher=Texas Ports Association |url=http://www.texasports.org/benefits/ |access-date=May 7, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728092744/http://www.texasports.org/benefits/ |archive-date=July 28, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Texas ports connect with the rest of the U.S. Atlantic seaboard with the [[Gulf Intracoastal Waterway|Gulf]] section of the [[Intracoastal Waterway]].<ref name="ports1" /> The [[Port of Houston]] 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>{{cite web|date=March 31, 2008 |title=General Information |publisher=The Port of Houston Authority |url=http://www.portofhouston.com/geninfo/overview1.html |access-date=May 7, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509141210/http://www.portofhouston.com/geninfo/overview1.html |archive-date=May 9, 2008 }}</ref> The [[Houston Ship Channel]] spans {{convert|530|ft|m}} wide by {{convert|45|ft|m}} deep by {{convert|50|mi|km}} long.<ref>"Welcome to the Houston-Galveston Navigation Channel Project Online Resource Center" (description), [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]], December 2005, [http://www.swg.usace.army.mil/items/hgnc/ United States Army Corps of Engineers] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090109052637/http://www.swg.usace.army.mil/items/hgnc/ |date=January 9, 2009 }}</ref>


===Railroads===
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.
[[File:Westmoreland Station August 2019 5.jpg|thumb|[[DART light rail]] in Dallas]]
[[File:METRO Light Rail3.jpg|thumb|[[METRORail]] in Houston]]
{{See also|List of Texas railroads}}Part of the state's [[Cowboy#Texas tradition|tradition]] of cowboys is derived from the massive [[Cattle drives in the United States|cattle drives]] which its ranchers organized in the nineteenth century to [[Cattle drives in the United States|drive]] livestock to railroads and markets.


The first railroad to operate in Texas was the [[Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railway]], opening in August 1853.<ref>{{cite Handbook of Texas |first=George C. |last=Werner |id=eqb16 |title=Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railway |date=June 12, 2010}}</ref> The first railroad to enter Texas from the north, completed in 1872, was the {{nowrap|[[Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad]]}}.<ref>{{cite Handbook of Texas |first=Donovan L. |last=Hofsommer |id=eqm08 |title=Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad |date=June 15, 2010}}</ref> With increasing railroad access, the ranchers did not have to take their livestock up to the Midwest and shipped beef out from Texas. This caused a decline in the economies of the cow towns.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Western Economic Expansion: Railroads and Cattle |work=US History II (American Yawp)|url=https://courses.lumenlearning.com/ushistory2ay/chapter/western-economic-expansion-railroads-and-cattle-2/|accessdate=December 28, 2020|publisher=Lumen Learning}}</ref>
===Airports===
[[Image:Dfw_airport.jpg|250px|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. {{fact}} In terms of traffic, DFW is the busiest in the state, third busiest in the United States, and sixth busiest in the world. {{fact}} 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]].


Since 1911, Texas has led the nation in length of railroad miles within the state. Texas railway length peaked in 1932 at {{convert|17078|mi|km}}, but declined to {{convert|14006|mi|km}} by 2000. While the [[Railroad Commission of Texas]] originally regulated state railroads, in 2005 the state reassigned these duties to TxDOT.<ref>{{cite web|title=Former Rail Division |publisher=Texas Railroad Commission |date=October 1, 2005 |url=http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/divisions/rail_moved/index.html?/rail.html |access-date=May 4, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080506073304/http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/divisions/rail_moved/index.html?%2Frail.html |archive-date=May 6, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
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.


In the Dallas–Fort Worth area, three public transit agencies provide rail service: [[Dallas Area Rapid Transit]] (DART), [[Denton County Transportation Authority]] (DCTA), and [[Trinity Metro]]. DART began operating the first light rail system in the Southwest United States in 1996.<ref>{{cite news |last=Myerson |first=Allen R. |date=June 14, 1996 |title=Dallas Opening Southwest's First Rail Transit |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D01EFD81739F937A25755C0A960958260 |access-date=May 11, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919043630/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D01EFD81739F937A25755C0A960958260 |archive-date=September 19, 2008}}</ref> The [[Trinity Railway Express]] (TRE) [[commuter rail]] service, which connects Fort Worth and Dallas, is provided by [[Trinity Metro]] and DART.<ref>{{cite web |title=Trinity Railroad Express |url=http://www.trinityrailwayexpress.org/ |access-date=June 11, 2008}}</ref> Trinity Metro also operates the [[TEXRail]] commuter rail line, connecting downtown Fort Worth and Northeast Tarrant County to DFW Airport.<ref>{{cite news|date=January 4, 2019|title=TEXRail to begin service Thursday after delay due to government shutdown|work=WFAA|url=https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/tarrant-county/texrail-to-begin-service-thursday-after-delay-due-to-government-shutdown/287-626199928|access-date=April 10, 2019}}</ref> The [[A-train (Denton County)|A-train]] commuter rail line, operated by DCTA, acts as an extension of the DART Green line into Denton County.<ref>{{cite web |title=DART inMotion 2011 |url=https://www.dart.org/about/inmotion/fall11/4.htm |access-date=April 10, 2019 |archive-date=April 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411031227/https://www.dart.org/about/inmotion/fall11/4.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the Austin area, [[Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority]] operates a commuter rail service known as [[Capital MetroRail]] to the northwestern suburbs. The [[Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas]] (METRO) operates light rail lines called [[METRORail]] in the Houston area.<ref>{{Cite web|title=About METRO|url=https://www.ridemetro.org:443/Pages/AboutMetro.aspx|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=ridemetro.org|language=en-US}}</ref>
Some of the other airports that are served by airlines include Dallas [[Love Field]], Houston [[Hobby Airport]], [[San Antonio International Airport]], [[Austin-Bergstrom International Airport]], [[El Paso International Airport]], [[Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport]], and [[Valley International Airport]] in [[Harlingen, Texas|Harlingen]].


[[Amtrak]] provides Texas with limited intercity passenger rail service. Three scheduled routes serve the state: the daily ''[[Texas Eagle]]'' {{nowrap|(Chicago–San Antonio)}}; the tri-weekly ''[[Sunset Limited]]'' {{nowrap|(New Orleans–Los Angeles)}}, with stops in Texas; and the daily ''[[Heartland Flyer]]'' {{nowrap|(Fort Worth–Oklahoma City)}}. Texas may get one of the nation's first [[high-speed rail]] line. Plans for a privately funded high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston have been planned by the [[Texas Central Railway]] company.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Garnham|first=Juan Pablo|date=September 21, 2020|title=High-speed train between Dallas and Houston gets federal approval|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2020/09/21/dallas-houston-high-speed-train/|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=The Texas Tribune}}</ref>
===Passenger rail transportation===
[[Image:METRORail 7.jpg|thumb|250px|left|[[METRORail]] in Downtown Houston]]
[[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 light rail system remained the only one in Texas until [[METRORail]] opened in Houston in 2004.


==Government and politics{{anchor|Political history}}==
The [[Trinity Railway Express]] line connects [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]] with [[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]] and is operated by an interlocal agreement between the DART system and [[Fort Worth Transportation Authority]] (The T) in Fort Worth.
The current [[Texas Constitution]] was adopted in 1876. Like many [[State constitution (United States)|states]], it explicitly provides for a separation of powers. The state's Bill of Rights is much larger than its [[United States Bill of Rights|federal counterpart]], and has provisions unique to Texas.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bill of Rights (Article 1) |website=Texas Politics |publisher=University of Texas |url=https://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/7_4_2.html |access-date=October 13, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206142915/http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/7_4_2.html |archive-date=February 6, 2009}}</ref>


===State government===
The [[Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas]] (METRO) operates [[light rail]] service in [[Harris County, Texas|Harris County]], which includes [[Houston, Texas|Houston]]. The light rail ([[METRORail]]) in Houston started on [[January 1]] [[2004]]. Currently the track runs about 8 miles (13 km) 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]].
{{main|Government of Texas}}
{{further|Law of Texas}}
{{see also|List of Texas state agencies}}
[[File:Texas State Capitol Night.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|The [[Texas State Capitol]] at night]]
Texas has a plural [[executive branch]] system limiting the power of the governor, which is a weak executive compared to some other states. Except for the [[Secretary of State of Texas|secretary of state]], voters elect executive officers independently; candidates are directly answerable to the public, not the governor.<ref name="pluralexec">{{cite web |year=2005 |title=The Plural Executive |website=Texas Politics |publisher=University of Texas |url=https://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/1_9_0.html |access-date=May 7, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080928082847/http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/1_9_0.html |archive-date=September 28, 2008}}</ref> This election system has led to some executive branches split between parties and reduced the ability of the governor to carry out a program. 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 consist of the [[List of Governors of Texas|governor]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Texas|lieutenant governor]], comptroller of public accounts, land commissioner, [[Texas Attorney General|attorney general]], agriculture commissioner, the three-member [[Texas Railroad Commission]], the State Board of Education, and the secretary of state.<ref name="pluralexec" />


The [[Bicameralism|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 Texas House of Representatives|Speaker of the House]] leads the House, and the lieutenant governor, the Senate.<ref>{{cite web|year=2005 |title=Membership |website=Texas Politics |publisher=University of Texas |url=https://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/2_2_4.html |access-date=June 17, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090302003227/http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/2_2_4.html |archive-date=March 2, 2009 }}</ref> The Legislature meets in regular session biennially for just over a hundred days, but the governor can call for special sessions as often as desired (notably, the Legislature cannot call itself into session).<ref>{{cite web|year=2005 |title=Special Sessions |website=Texas Politics |publisher=University of Texas |url=https://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/2_2_2.html |access-date=June 17, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090302003217/http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/2_2_2.html |archive-date=March 2, 2009 }}</ref> The state's [[fiscal year]] begins September{{nbsp}}1.<ref>{{Cite web|title=FY 2021 State Budget Status|url=https://www.ncsl.org/research/fiscal-policy/fy-2021-state-budget-status.aspx#:~:text=Forty-six%20states%20began%20fiscal,1.|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=ncsl.org|archive-date=January 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107135525/https://www.ncsl.org/research/fiscal-policy/fy-2021-state-budget-status.aspx#:~:text=Forty-six%20states%20began%20fiscal,1.|url-status=dead}}</ref>
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]]'' ([[Chicago]]-[[San Antonio]]), the tri-weekly ''[[Sunset Limited]]'' ([[New Orleans]]-[[Los Angeles]]) and the daily ''[[Heartland Flyer]]'' ([[Fort Worth]]-[[Oklahoma City]]).


The [[judiciary of Texas]] is among 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>{{cite Handbook of Texas|id=jzj01|title=Judiciary|first=Paul |last=Womack|date=June 15, 2010}}</ref> Texas is notable for [[Capital punishment in Texas|its use of capital punishment]], having led the country in executions since capital punishment was reinstated in the ''[[Gregg v. Georgia]]'' case.<ref>{{Cite web|date=December 15, 2018|title=Texas again leads U.S. in executions in 2018, and Dallas was top county, with 4|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/courts/2018/12/15/texas-again-leads-u-s-in-executions-in-2018-and-dallas-was-top-county-with-4/|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=Dallas News}}</ref>
==Healthcare and medicine==
{{main|Texas Medical Center}}
[[Image:Texas_Medical_Center.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Texas Medical Center in Houston]]
[[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.


The [[Texas Ranger Division]] of the [[Texas Department of Public Safety]] is a [[police|law enforcement agency]] with statewide [[jurisdiction]]. Over the years, the Texas Rangers have investigated crimes ranging from [[Murder in Texas law|murder]] to political corruption. They have acted as [[riot police]] and as detectives, protected the Texas governor, tracked down fugitives, and functioned as a paramilitary force. The Texas Rangers were unofficially created by [[Stephen F. Austin]] in 1823 and formally constituted in 1835. The Rangers were integral to several important events of Texas history and some of the best-known criminal cases in the history of the [[American Old West|Old West]].<ref>{{cite Handbook of Texas|id=met04|title=Texas Rangers|first=Ben H. |last=Procter|orig-year=June 15, 2010 |date=February 8, 2018}}</ref>
There are 42 member institutions in the Texas Medical Center&mdash;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&mdash;a very successful inter-institutional transplant program was developed&mdash;and more [[heart surgery|heart surgeries]] are performed there than anywhere else in the world.


The Texas constitution defines the responsibilities of county governments, which serve as agents of the state. Commissioners court and court judges are elected to serve as the administrative arm. Most cities in the state, those over 5,000 in population, have [[home-rule]] governments. The vast majority of these have charters for [[council-manager]] forms of government, by which voters elect council members, who hire a professional city manager as an operating officer.<ref>{{cite web|title=Council-manager government|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Council-manager_government|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=Ballotpedia}}</ref>
Some of the academic and research health institutions are [[Baylor College of Medicine]], [[Texas A&M Health Science Center]], [[Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center]], [[UTHSCSA|University of Texas Health Science Center]], [[University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston|The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston]], 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.


===Politics===
Other healthcare and medical research centers in the state are the [[South Texas Medical Center]] in [[San Antonio, Texas|San Antonio]] and the [[University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas|UT Southwestern Medical Center]] in [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]].
{{main|Politics of Texas}}
{{further|Political party strength in Texas}}
{{see also|Republican Party of Texas|Texas Democratic Party}}
[[File:37 Lyndon Johnson 3x4.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Lyndon B. Johnson]] of Texas, 36th president of the United States]]
[[File:GeorgeWBush.jpg|thumb|upright|[[George W. Bush]] of Texas, 43rd president of the United States]]
The Democratic Party dominated [[Politics of Texas|Texas politics]] from the turn of the 20th century, imposing racial segregation and white supremacy. It held power until after passage in the mid-1960s of national civil rights legislation enforcing constitutional rights of all citizens.<ref>{{cite web|title= Democratic Party|url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/democratic-party|access-date=December 28, 2020|publisher=TSHA |work=Handbook of Texas |first1= Nancy |last1=Young |date=1976 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Dixie's Long Journey From Democratic Stronghold To Republican Redoubt|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2015/06/25/417154906/dixies-long-journey-from-democratic-stronghold-to-republican-redoubt|access-date=December 28, 2020|newspaper=[[NPR]]|date=June 25, 2015|last1=Elving|first1=Ron}}</ref>


The state's conservative White voters began to support Republican presidential candidates by the mid-20th century. After this period, they supported Republicans for local and state offices as well, and most Whites became Republican Party members.<ref>{{cite news |last=Risen |first=Clay |date=March 5, 2006 |title=How the South was won |work=The Boston Globe |url=https://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2006/03/05/how_the_south_was_won/ |access-date=April 29, 2008}}</ref> The party also attracted some minorities, but many have continued to vote for Democratic candidates. The shift to the Republican Party is much-attributed to the fact the Democratic Party became increasingly [[Liberalism in the United States|liberal]] during the 20th century, and thus increasingly out-of-touch with the average Texas voter.<ref name="HistoryTXvoters">{{cite web |title=History of Texas Voters |url=http://www.newschannel10.com/story/33661247/history-of-texas-voters |date=November 8, 2016 |website=NewsChannel10 |publisher=[[KFDA-TV]] |access-date=December 16, 2016}}</ref> As Texas was always a [[Conservatism in the United States|conservative]] state, voters switched to the Republicans, which now more closely reflected their beliefs.<ref name="HistoryTXvoters" /><ref name="PBSredstate">{{cite web |title=How Texas Became a "Red" State |website=Frontline |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/architect/texas/realignment.html |date=April 12, 2005 |publisher=[[PBS]] |access-date=December 16, 2016}}</ref> Commentators have also attributed the shift to Republican political consultant [[Karl Rove]], who managed numerous political campaigns in Texas in the 1980s and 1990s.<ref name="PBSredstate" /> Other stated reasons included court-ordered redistricting and the demographic shift in relation to the [[Sun Belt]] that favored the Republican Party and conservatism.<ref name="Calvert-2017" />
Texas has two [[Biosafety Level 4]] laboratories: one at The [[University of Texas Medical Branch]] (UTMB) in [[Galveston, Texas|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>


The [[2003 Texas redistricting]] of Congressional districts led by Republican [[Tom DeLay]], was called by ''The New York Times'' "an extreme case of partisan [[gerrymandering]]".<ref name="NYTGerry">{{cite news |title=The Texas Gerrymander |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 1, 2006 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/01/opinion/01wed2.html}}</ref> A group of Democratic legislators, the "Texas Eleven", fled the state in a [[quorum]]-busting effort to prevent the legislature from acting, but was unsuccessful.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ridder |first=Knight |title=11 Texas Senate Democrats Take Cue from House, Bolt to Avoid Redistricting |work=Houston Chronicle |date=July 29, 2003 |url=https://www.allbusiness.com/government/elections-politics-politics-political-parties/10366221-1.html |access-date=January 7, 2009}}{{dead link|date=January 2011}}</ref> The state had already redistricted following the 2000 census. Despite these efforts, the legislature passed a map heavily in favor of Republicans, based on 2000 data and ignoring the estimated nearly one million new residents in the state since then. Career attorneys and analysts at the Department of Justice objected to the plan as diluting the votes of African American and Hispanic voters, but political appointees overrode them and approved it.<ref name="NYTGerry" /> Legal challenges to the redistricting reached the national [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] in the case ''[[League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry]]'' (2006), but the court ruled in favor of the state (and Republicans).<ref>{{cite news |agency=[[Associated Press]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/28/washington/28cnd-scotus.html |title=Justices Back Most G.O.P. Changes to Texas Districts |work=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 28, 2006}}</ref>
In May 2006, Texas initiated the program "code red" in response to the report that Texas, at 25.1%, has the largest number of un-insured population of any state.<ref>http://www.utsystem.edu/hea/codered/</ref>


In the [[Texas elections, 2014|2014 Texas elections]], the [[Tea Party movement]] made large gains, with numerous Tea Party favorites being elected into office, including [[Dan Patrick (politician)|Dan Patrick]] as lieutenant governor,<ref name="Fernandez">{{cite news |last=Fernandez |first=Manny |title=Lieutenant Governor Loses Texas Runoff as Tea Party Holds Sway |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/28/us/politics/tea-party-favorite-beats-lieutenant-governor-in-texas.html |date=May 27, 2014 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Koppel |first1=Nathan |title=Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Moves Quickly to Advance Conservative Agenda |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/texas-lt-gov-dan-patrick-moves-quickly-to-advance-conservative-agenda-1421883867 |date=January 21, 2015 | work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref> [[Ken Paxton]] as attorney general,<ref name="Fernandez" /><ref name="Grissom">{{cite news | last1=Grissom | first1=Brandi |title=Tea Party Conservatives Win Top GOP Runoff Contests |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2014/05/28/tea-party-conservatives-win-top-gop-runoff-contest/ |date=May 28, 2014 |work=[[The Texas Tribune]]}}</ref> in addition to numerous other candidates<ref name="Grissom" /> including conservative Republican [[Greg Abbott]] as governor.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fernandez |first=Manny |title=Texas' New Governor Echoes the Plans of Perry |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/21/us/politics/new-texas-governor-greg-abbott-expected-to-continue-on-perrys-path.html |date=January 20, 2015 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>
{{see also|List of hospitals in Texas}}


Texas voters lean toward [[fiscal conservatism]], while enjoying the benefits of significant federal investment in the state in military and other facilities achieved by the power of the Solid South in the 20th century. They also tend to have [[social conservatism|socially conservative]] values.<ref name="TPoliticalCulture1">{{cite web|title=Texas Political Culture—Introduction |website=Texas Politics |publisher=University of Texas |url=https://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/10_1_0.html |access-date=May 29, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220092705/http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/10_1_0.html |archive-date=December 20, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Texas Political Culture—Low Taxes, Low Services Political Culture |website=Texas Politics |publisher=University of Texas |url=https://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/10_2_1.html |access-date=October 13, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090130015106/http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/10_2_1.html |archive-date=January 30, 2009 }}</ref>
==Education==
{{main|Education in Texas}}
[[Image:Lovett Hall.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Rice University]]
There are more than 100 colleges and universities and dozens of institutions engaged in research and development in Texas. The [[University of Texas at Austin]], [[Texas A&M University]], the [[University of Houston]] and [[The University of North Texas]] are Texas's four largest comprehensive doctoral degree granting institutions with a combined enrollment of over 135,000. Other large universities include [[Texas State University]], the [[Texas Tech University]] and the [[University of Texas at San Antonio]]. The state is also home to [[Rice University]]&mdash;one of the country’s leading teaching and research universities&mdash;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>
The state's public school systems are administered by the [[Texas Education Agency]] (TEA). Texas has over 1,000 [[school district]]s&mdash;all but one of the [[school district]]s in Texas are separate from any form of [[municipal government]]. School districts may (and often do) cross city and county boundaries&mdash;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]].


Since 1980, most Texas voters have supported Republican presidential candidates. Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and El Paso consistently lean Democratic in both local and statewide elections.<ref name="City Journal-2016" /> Residents of counties along the [[Rio Grande]] closer to the [[Mexico–United States border]], where there are many Latino residents, generally vote for Democratic Party candidates, while most other rural and suburban areas of Texas have shifted to voting for Republican Party candidates.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2000&fips=48&f=1&off=0&elect=0 |title=2000 Presidential General Election Results—Texas |website=US Election Atlas |access-date=July 22, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2004&fips=48&f=1&off=0&elect=0 |title=2004 Presidential General Election Results—Texas |website=uselectionatlas.org |access-date=July 22, 2007}}</ref>
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.


As of the [[2022 United States elections|midterm elections of 2022]], a large majority of the members of Texas's [[U.S. House of Representatives|U.S. House]] delegation are [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], along with both [[United States Senate|U.S. Senators]]. In the [[118th United States Congress]], of the 38 [[Texas Congressional Districts|Congressional districts in Texas]], 25 are held by Republicans and 13 by Democrats. Texas's Senators are [[John Cornyn]] and [[Ted Cruz]]. Since 1994, Texans have not elected a Democrat to a statewide office. The state's Democratic voters are made up primarily by liberal and [[minority groups]] in Austin, Beaumont, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, and San Antonio as well as minority voters in East and South Texas.<ref>{{cite news|title=Religion in America: U.S. Religious Data, Demographics and Statistics|url=https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=Mandi Cai |author2=Matthew Watkins |author3=Anna Novak |author4=Darla Cameron|date=November 6, 2020|title=In Texas, Biden's urban wins couldn't offset Trump's millions of votes in rural, red counties|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2020/11/06/texas-trump-biden-counties-rural-suburban-city/|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=The Texas Tribune}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Ramsey|first=Ross|date=November 11, 2016|title=Analysis: The blue dots in Texas' red political sea|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2016/11/11/analysis-blue-dots-texas-red-political-sea/|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=The Texas Tribune}}</ref>
It is generally considered to be among the least restrictive states in which to home school. Neither TEA nor the local school district has authority to regulate home school activities. There are 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.
According to a study by the [[Cato Institute]], Texas ranks last in personal freedom among the states, by factors including incarceration rates, cannabis laws, civil asset forfeiture policies, educational freedom, gambling laws, marriage freedom, and travel freedom.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Solomon |first=Dan |date=2023-12-01 |title=Texas Ranks Last in Personal Freedoms, According to the Libertarian CATO Institute |url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-personal-freedom-cato/ |access-date=2024-01-15 |website=Texas Monthly |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-10 |title=Why Texas is dead last in 'personal freedom,' according to new study |url=https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/politics/yall-itics/texas-rankings-last-dallas-personal-freedom-cato-institute/287-91807d11-1b84-4886-9482-e53096276558 |access-date=2024-01-15 |website=wfaa.com |language=en-US}}</ref>


Lesser parties that have ballot access are the [[Green Party of Texas|Green Party]] and the [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian Party]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thegreenpapers.com/G24/TX | title=Texas 2024 General Election }}</ref>
Texas is notorious for the prominence of high school sports, having more football teams than any other state. It is also notable for its prominence in college sports, particularly football, in which it has 10 [[Division I-A]] football teams, more than any other state.


===Criminal law===
{{further|[[List of colleges and universities in Texas]] and [[List of school districts in Texas]]}}.
{{main|Crime in Texas}}
{{see also|List of law enforcement agencies in Texas}}
Texas has a reputation of very harsh criminal punishment for criminal offenses. It is one of the 32 states that practice [[capital punishment in Texas|capital punishment]], and since the [[US Supreme Court]] allowed capital punishment to resume in 1976, 40% of all U.S. executions have taken place in Texas.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23075873 |title=Texas executes 500th person since resuming death penalty |work=[[BBC News]]|date=June 27, 2013 |access-date=July 8, 2013}}</ref> As of 2018, Texas had the 8th highest [[List of U.S. states and territories by incarceration and correctional supervision rate|incarceration rate]] in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web |author=Laura M. Maruschak |author2=Todd D. Minton |title=Appendix Table 1 |work=Correctional Populations in the United States, 2017–2018 |publisher=[[Bureau of Justice Statistics]], United States Department of Justice |year=2020 |url=https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cpus1718.pdf |access-date=March 21, 2021}}</ref> Texas also has strong [[right of self-defense]] and [[Self-defense|self defense]] laws, allowing citizens to use lethal force to defend themselves, their families, or their property.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/txstatutes/PE/2/9/D/9.42 |title=Tex Pe. Code Ann. §&nbsp;9.42: Texas Statutes—Section 9.42: Deadly Force to Protect Property |website=Codes.lp.findlaw.com |access-date=July 8, 2013}}</ref> Texas has one of the strictest [[abortion in Texas|abortion]] bans in the country.<ref>{{cite web |title=Texas |url=https://reproductiverights.org/maps/state/texas/ |website=Center for Reproductive Rights |access-date=22 June 2024}}</ref>


==Further reading==
==See also==
{{portal|Texas|United States}}
* {{wikitravel}}
* [[Outline of Texas]]
* [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
* [[Index of Texas-related articles]]
* [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=71910759 Alvin R. Bailey Jr. and Light Townsend Cummins, eds. ''A Guide to the History of Texas.'' Greenwood Press. 1988.]
* [[List of people from Texas]]
* [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=103945805 Randolph B. Campbell, ''Gone to Texas: a History of the Lone Star State'' (Oxford University Press, 2003, 500 pages.]
* [[USS Texas|USS ''Texas'']], 4 ships
* Montejano, David. ''Anglos and Mexicans in the Making of Texas, 1836–1986'' University of Texas Press, 1987.
*Wooster, Ralph A. and Robert A. Calvert, eds. ''Texas Vistas'' (1987) scholarly articles
* Campbell, Randolph B. ''Sam Houston and the American Southwest'' HarperCollins, 1993.
* Jordan, Terry G. ''Trails to Texas: Southern Roots of Western Cattle Ranching'' University of Nebraska Press, 1981.
* Olien, Diana Davids, and Roger M. Olien. ''Oil in Texas: The Gusher Age, 1895–1945'' University of Texas Press, 2002.
* Perryman, M. Ray. ''Survive and Conquer, Texas in the '80s: Power—Money—Tragedy … Hope!'' Dallas: Taylor Publishing Company, 1990.


==Notes==
==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
{{notelist}}
<references/>
</div>


==External links==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{portalpar|Texas|Texasflaginstate.png}}
{{sisterlinks|Texas}}
*[http://www.texas.gov/ The State of Texas]
*[http://www.wikimapia.org/#y=32620870&x=-97119141&z=6&l=0&m=a Satellite image from Wikimapia]
*[http://www.traveltex.com/ Texas Tourism] - ''Texas: It's like a whole other country''
*[http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ref/abouttx/index.html About Texas] - ''Many Texas subject area links from the Texas State Library''
*[http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/ The Handbook of Texas Online] ''- Published by the Texas State Historical Association''
*[http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/index.html Texas Politics]: Texas government resource provided by the University of Texas at Austin
*[http://www.tx.gov/ Texas Online] - ''The Texas Government web portal.''
*[http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/ Texas Legislature Online]
*[http://www.statemaster.com/state/TX Statistics about Texas]
*[http://texashistory.unt.edu/ The Portal to Texas History]
*[http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/director_staff/texas_rangers/ State Department of Public Safety, Texas Ranger Division]
*[http://www.thc.state.tx.us/ Texas Historical Commission] - ''Official website''
*[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]
*[http://www.texaswideopenforbusiness.com/ Texas Economy]
*[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]


==Bibliography==
{{Texas}}
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last=Chipman |first=Donald E. |title=Spanish Texas, 1519–1821 |publisher=[[University of Texas Press]] |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-292-77659-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0CAjAQAAIAAJ&pg=PP1}}
* {{cite book |last=Davis |first=William C. |title=Lone Star Rising |year=2006 |publisher=Texas A&M University Press |isbn=978-1-58544-532-5}} originally published 2004 by New York: Free Press {{google books|1yhVDgAAQBAJ|Lone Star Rising}}
* {{cite book |last=Edmondson |first=J.R. |title=Alamo Story: From Early History to Current Conflicts |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nb46Ye6Nb8MC&pg=PP1 |publisher=Republic of Texas Press |year=2000 |isbn=978-1-55622-678-6}}
* {{cite book |last=Fehrenbach |first=T.R. |title=Lone Star: A History of Texas and the Texans |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dh4rAwAAQBAJ&pg=PP1 |publisher=Open Road Media |year=2000 |orig-year=1968 |isbn=978-1-4976-0970-9}}
* {{cite book |last=Hardin |first=Stephen L. |title=Texian Iliad: A Military History of the Texas Revolution, 1835-1836 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GbeSB3cWircC&pg=PP1 |publisher=University of Texas Press |year=1994 |isbn=978-0-292-79252-4}}
* {{cite book |last=Lack |first=Paul D. |title=The Texas Revolutionary Experience: A Political and Social History 1835–1836 |publisher=Texas A&M University Press |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-89096-497-2}}
* {{cite book |last=Manchaca |first=Martha |title=Recovering History, Constructing Race: The Indian, Black, and White Roots of Mexican Americans |series=The Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Series in Latin American and Latino Art and Culture |publisher=University of Texas Press |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-292-75253-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CGldCgAAQBAJ&pg=PP1}}
* {{cite book |last1=Richardson |first1=Rupert N. |last2=Wintz |first2=Cary D. |last3=Boswell |first3=Angela |last4=Anderson |first4=Adrian |last5=Wallace |first5=Ernest |title=Texas: The Lone Star State |date=2021 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=9781000403763 |edition=Eleventh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CPsvEAAAQBAJ}}
* {{cite book |last1=Todish |first1=Timothy J. |last2=Todish |first2=Terry |last3=Spring |first3=Ted |title=Alamo Sourcebook, 1836: A Comprehensive Guide to the Battle of the Alamo and the Texas Revolution |publisher=Eakin Press |year=1998 |isbn=978-1-57168-152-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=htIFAAAACAAJ&pg=PP1}}
* {{cite book |title=The Warren Commission Report |volume=IV |series=Warren Commission Hearings |publisher=National Archives |isbn=978-0-312-08257-4 |url=http://www.jfk-assassination.de/warren/index.php |author=Report of President's Commission on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. |year=1992}}
* {{cite book |last=Weber |first=David J. |title=The Spanish Frontier in North America |publisher=[[Yale University Press]] |series=Yale Western Americana Series |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-300-05198-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MUCmD15yEAYC&pg=PP1}}
* {{cite book |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]] |year=1995 |isbn=978-0-89096-661-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=luH4W_mOz4sC&pg=PP1}}
* {{cite book |last=Winders |first=Richard Bruce |title=Sacrificed at the Alamo: Tragedy and Triumph in the Texas Revolution |publisher=State House Press |year=2004 |isbn=978-1-880510-80-3 |series=Military History of Texas Series: Number Three|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mll5AAAAMAAJ&pg=PP1}}
{{refend}}


==External links==
{{United States}}
{{Sister project links|voy=Texas}}
* [http://www.thestoryoftexas.com/ The Texas State History Museum]
* [https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/ The Handbook of Texas Online]
* [http://texashistory.unt.edu/explore/collections/TR/browse/ ''Texas Register'']
* [http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/tx/ South and West Texas: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary]
* {{osmrelation-inline|114690}}
* [https://digital.lib.uh.edu/collections/subject/5 View historical photographs from Texas at the University of Houston Digital Library.]
* [https://www.smu.edu/libraries/digitalcollections/jtx Lawrence T. Jones III Texas Photographs, DeGolyer Library]
* [https://www.smu.edu/libraries/digitalcollections/tex Texas: Photographs, Manuscripts, and Imprints, DeGolyer Library]
* [https://www.smu.edu/libraries/digitalcollections/gcd George W. Cook Dallas/Texas Image Collection, DeGolyer Library]
* [https://www.smu.edu/libraries/digitalcollections/jmm John Miller Morris Real Photographic Postcards and Photographs of Texas, DeGolyer Library]
* [https://www.smu.edu/libraries/digitalcollections/tbn Rowe-Barr Collection of Texas Currency, DeGolyer Library]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121024013411/http://www.library.okstate.edu/okmaps/ Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory]


===State government===
{{Confederate2}}
*[https://www.texas.gov The Official Website of the Government of Texas]
*[http://www.texasonline.com/portal/tol The State of Texas]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080515221125/http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/Texas Texas State Databases]
* [http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/ Texas Politics]


===Federal government===
{{US South}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110204233946/http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=TX Energy Profile for Texas—Economic, environmental, and energy data]
* [http://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=TX USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Texas] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161209115548/https://www2.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=TX |date=December 9, 2016 }}
* [http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/state-fact-sheets/state-data.aspx?StateFIPS=48&StateName=Texas#.U856MfldVu0 Texas State Facts from USDA]
* [http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/tx/ South and West Texas, a National Park Service ''Discover Our Shared Heritage'' Travel Itinerary]


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Latest revision as of 17:16, 24 December 2024

Texas
Nickname
The Lone Star State
Motto
Friendship
Anthem: "Texas, Our Texas"
Map of the United States with Texas highlighted
Map of the United States with Texas highlighted
CountryUnited States
Before statehoodRepublic of Texas
Admitted to the UnionDecember 29, 1845 (28th)
CapitalAustin
Largest cityHouston
Largest county or equivalentHarris
Largest metro and urban areasDallas–Fort Worth
Government
 • GovernorGreg Abbott (R)
 • Lieutenant governorDan Patrick (R)
LegislatureTexas Legislature
 • Upper houseSenate
 • Lower houseHouse of Representatives
JudiciarySupreme Court of Texas (Civil)
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (Criminal)
U.S. senatorsJohn Cornyn (R)
Ted Cruz (R)
U.S. House delegation25 Republicans
13 Democrats (list)
Area
 • Total
268,596[1] sq mi (695,662 km2)
 • Land261,232[1] sq mi (676,587 km2)
 • Water7,365[1] sq mi (19,075 km2)  2.7%
 • Rank2nd
Dimensions
 • Length801[2] mi (1,289 km)
 • Width773[2] mi (1,244 km)
Elevation
1,700 ft (520 m)
Highest elevation8,751 ft (2,667.4 m)
Lowest elevation0 ft (0 m)
Population
 (2024)
 • Total
Neutral increase 31,290,831[5]
 • Rank2nd
 • Density114/sq mi (42.9/km2)
  • Rank23rd
 • Median household income
$66,963[6]
 • Income rank
23rd
Demonym(s)Texan
Texian (archaic)
Tejano (usually only used for Hispanics)
Language
 • Official languageNone
 • Spoken language
Time zones
Majority of stateUTC−06:00 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−05:00 (CDT)
El Paso, Hudspeth, and northwestern Culberson countiesUTC−07:00 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−06:00 (MDT)
USPS abbreviation
TX
ISO 3166 codeUS-TX
Traditional abbreviationTex.
Latitude25°50′ N to 36°30′ N
Longitude93°31′ W to 106°39′ W
Websitetexas.gov
State symbols of Texas
List of state symbols
SloganThe Friendly State
Living insignia
BirdNorthern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
FishGuadalupe bass (Micropterus treculii)
FlowerBluebonnet (Lupinus spp., namely Texas bluebonnet, L. texensis)
InsectMonarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
MammalTexas longhorn, nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)
MushroomTexas star (Chorioactis geaster)
ReptileTexas horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum)
TreePecan (Carya illinoinensis)
Inanimate insignia
FoodChili
GameTexas 42 dominoes
InstrumentGuitar
ShellLightning whelk (Busycon perversum pulleyi)
ShipUSS Texas
SoilHouston Black
SportRodeo
OtherMolecule: Buckyball (For more, see article)
State route marker
Route marker
State quarter
Texas quarter dollar coin
Released in 2004
Lists of United States state symbols

Texas (/ˈtɛksəs/ TEK-səss, locally also /ˈtɛksɪz/ TEK-siz;[8] Spanish: Texas or Tejas,[b] pronounced [ˈtexas]) is the most populous state in the South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the west, and an international border with the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the south and southwest. Texas has a coastline on the Gulf of Mexico to the southeast. Covering 268,596 square miles (695,660 km2), and with some 31 million residents as of 2024,[5] it is the second-largest state by both area and population. Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State for its former status as an independent republic.[10]

Spain was the first European country to claim and control Texas. Following a short-lived colony controlled by France, Mexico controlled the land until 1836 when Texas won its independence, becoming the Republic of Texas. In 1845, Texas joined the United States of America as the 28th state.[11] The state's annexation set off a chain of events that led to the Mexican–American War in 1846. Following victory by the United States, Texas remained a slave state until the American Civil War, when it declared its secession from the Union in early 1861 before officially joining the Confederate States of America on March 2. After the Civil War and the restoration of its representation in the federal government, Texas entered a long period of economic stagnation.

Historically, five major industries shaped the Texas economy prior to World War II: cattle, bison, cotton, timber, and oil.[12] Before and after the Civil War, the cattle industry—which Texas came to dominate—was a major economic driver and created the traditional image of the Texas cowboy. In the later 19th century, cotton and lumber grew to be major industries as the cattle industry became less lucrative. Ultimately, the discovery of major petroleum deposits (Spindletop in particular) initiated an economic boom that became the driving force behind the economy for much of the 20th century. Texas developed a diversified economy and high tech industry during the mid-20th century. As of 2022, it has the most Fortune 500 company headquarters (53) in the United States.[13][14] With a growing base of industry, the state leads in many industries, including tourism, agriculture, petrochemicals, energy, computers and electronics, aerospace, and biomedical sciences. Texas has led the U.S. in state export revenue since 2002 and has the second-highest gross state product.

The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and Greater Houston areas are the nation's fourth and fifth-most populous urban regions respectively. Its capital city is Austin. Due to its size and geologic features such as the Balcones Fault, Texas contains diverse landscapes common to both the U.S. Southern and the Southwestern regions.[15] Most population centers are in areas of former prairies, grasslands, forests, and the coastline. Traveling from east to west, terrain ranges from coastal swamps and piney woods, to rolling plains and rugged hills, to the desert and mountains of the Big Bend.

Etymology

The name Texas, based on the Caddo word táy:shaʼ (/tə́jːʃaʔ/) 'friend', was applied, in the spelling Tejas or Texas,[16][17][18][1] by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves, specifically the Hasinai Confederacy.[19]

During Spanish colonial rule, in the 18th century, the area was known as Nuevas Filipinas ('New Philippines') and Nuevo Reino de Filipinas ('New Kingdom of the Philippines'),[20] or as provincia de los Tejas ('province of the Tejas'),[21] later also provincia de Texas (or de Tejas), ('province of Texas').[22][20] It was incorporated as provincia de Texas into the Mexican Empire in 1821, and declared a republic in 1836. The Royal Spanish Academy recognizes both spellings, Tejas and Texas, as Spanish-language forms of the name.[23]

The English pronunciation with /ks/ is unetymological, contrary to the historical value of the letter x (/ʃ/) in Spanish orthography. Alternative etymologies of the name advanced in the late 19th century connected the name Texas with the Spanish word teja, meaning 'roof tile', the plural tejas being used to designate Indigenous Pueblo settlements.[24] A 1760s map by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin shows a village named Teijas on the Trinity River, close to the site of modern Crockett.[24]

History

Precontact era

Early Native American tribal territories

Texas lies between two major cultural spheres of Pre-Columbian North America: the Southwestern and the Plains areas. Archaeologists have found that three major Indigenous cultures lived in this territory, and reached their developmental peak before the first European contact. These were:[25] the Ancestral Puebloans from the upper Rio Grande region, centered west of Texas; the Mississippian culture, also known as Mound Builders, which extended along the Mississippi River Valley east of Texas; and the civilizations of Mesoamerica, which were centered south of Texas. Influence of Teotihuacan in northern Mexico peaked around AD 500 and declined between the 8th and 10th centuries.

When Europeans arrived in the Texas region, the language families present in the state were Caddoan, Atakapan, Athabaskan, Coahuiltecan, and Uto-Aztecan, in addition to several language isolates such as Tonkawa. Uto-Aztecan Puebloan and Jumano peoples lived neared the Rio Grande in the western portion of the state and the Athabaskan-speaking Apache tribes lived throughout the interior. The agricultural, mound-building Caddo controlled much of the northeastern part of the state, along the Red, Sabine, and Neches River basins.[26][27] Atakapan peoples such as the Akokisa and Bidai lived along the northeastern Gulf Coast; the Karankawa lived along the central coast.[28] At least one tribe of Coahuiltecans, the Aranama, lived in southern Texas. This entire culture group, primarily centered in northeastern Mexico, is now extinct.

No culture was dominant across all of present-day Texas, and many peoples inhabited the area.[29] Native American tribes who have lived inside the boundaries of present-day Texas include the Alabama, Apache, Atakapan, Bidai, Caddo, Aranama, Comanche, Choctaw, Coushatta, Hasinai, Jumano, Karankawa, Kickapoo, Kiowa, Tonkawa, and Wichita.[30][31] Many of these peoples migrated from the north or east during the colonial period, such as the Choctaw, Alabama-Coushatta, and Delaware.[26]

The region was primarily controlled by the Spanish until the Texas Revolution. They were most interested in relationships with the Caddo, who were—like the Spanish—a settled, agricultural people. Several Spanish missions were opened in Caddo territory, but a lack of interest in Christianity among the Caddo meant that few were converted. Positioned between French Louisiana and Spanish Texas, the Caddo maintained relations with both, but were closer with the French.[32] After Spain took control of Louisiana, most of the missions in eastern Texas were closed and abandoned.[33] The United States obtained Louisiana following the 1803 Louisiana Purchase and began convincing tribes to self-segregate from whites by moving west; facing an overflow of native peoples in Missouri and Arkansas, they were able to negotiate with the Caddo to allow several displaced peoples to settle on unused lands in eastern Texas. These included the Muscogee, Houma Choctaw, Lenape and Mingo Seneca, among others, who came to view the Caddoans as saviors.[34][35]

The temperament of Native American tribes affected the fates of European explorers and settlers in that land.[36] Friendly tribes taught newcomers how to grow local crops, prepare foods, and hunt wild game. Warlike tribes resisted the settlers.[36] Prior treaties with the Spanish forbade either side from militarizing its native population in any potential conflict between the two nations. Several outbreaks of violence between Native Americans and Texans started to spread in the prelude to the Texas Revolution. Texans accused tribes of stealing livestock. While no proof was found,[26] those in charge of Texas at the time attempted to publicly blame and punish the Caddo, with the U.S. government trying to keep them in check. The Caddo never turned to violence because of the situation, except in cases of self-defense.[34]

By the 1830s, the U.S. had drafted the Indian Removal Act, which was used to facilitate the Trail of Tears. Fearing retribution, Indian Agents all over the eastern U.S. tried to convince all Indigenous peoples to uproot and move west. This included the Caddo of Louisiana and Arkansas. Following the Texas Revolution, the Texans chose to make peace with the Indigenous people, but did not honor former land claims or agreements.[citation needed] The first president of Texas, Sam Houston, aimed to cooperate and make peace with Native tribes, but his successor, Mirabeau B. Lamar, took a much more hostile stance. Hostility towards Natives by white Texans prompted the movement of most Native populations north into what would become Indian Territory (modern Oklahoma).[26][34] Only the Alabama-Coushatta would remain in the parts of Texas subject to white settlement, though the Comanche would continue to control most of the western half of the state until their defeat in the 1870s and 1880s.[37]

Colonization

The first historical document related to Texas was a map of the Gulf Coast, created in 1519 by Spanish explorer Alonso Álvarez de Pineda.[38] Nine years later, shipwrecked Spanish explorer Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and his cohort became the first Europeans in what is now Texas.[39][40] Cabeza de Vaca reported that in 1528, when the Spanish landed in the area, "half the natives died from a disease of the bowels and blamed us."[41] Cabeza de Vaca also made observations about the way of life of the Ignaces Natives of Texas.[c][43] Francisco Vázquez de Coronado described another encounter with native people in 1541.[d][45]

The expedition of Hernando de Soto entered into Texas from the east, seeking a route to Mexico. They passed through the Caddo lands but turned back after reaching the River of Daycao (possibly the Brazos or Colorado), beyond which point the Native peoples were nomadic and did not have the agricultural stores to feed the expedition.[46][47]

European powers ignored the area until accidentally settling there in 1685. Miscalculations by René-Robert Cavelier de La Salle resulted in his establishing the colony of Fort Saint Louis at Matagorda Bay rather than along the Mississippi River.[48] The colony lasted only four years before succumbing to harsh conditions and hostile natives.[49] A small band of survivors traveled eastward into the lands of the Caddo, but La Salle was killed by disgruntled expedition members.[50]

In 1690 Spanish authorities, concerned that France posed a competitive threat, constructed several missions in East Texas among the Caddo.[51] After Caddo resistance, the Spanish missionaries returned to Mexico.[52] When France began settling Louisiana, in 1716 Spanish authorities responded by founding a new series of missions in East Texas.[53] Two years later, they created San Antonio as the first Spanish civilian settlement in the area.[54]

Nicolas de La Fora's 1771 map of the northern frontier of New Spain clearly shows the Provincia de los Tejas.[55]

Hostile native tribes and distance from nearby Spanish colonies discouraged settlers from moving to the area. It was one of New Spain's least populated provinces.[56] In 1749, the Spanish peace treaty with the Lipan Apache angered many tribes,[57] including the Comanche, Tonkawa, and Hasinai.[58] The Comanche signed a treaty with Spain in 1785 and later helped to defeat the Lipan Apache and Karankawa tribes.[59][60] With numerous missions being established, priests led a peaceful conversion of most tribes. By the end of the 18th century only a few nomadic tribes had not converted.[61]

Stephen F. Austin was the first American empresario given permission to operate a colony within Mexican Texas.
Mexico in 1824. Coahuila y Tejas is the northeasternmost state.

When the United States purchased Louisiana from France in 1803, American authorities insisted the agreement also included Texas. The boundary between New Spain and the United States was finally set in 1819 at the Sabine River, the modern border between Texas and Louisiana.[62] Eager for new land, many U.S. settlers refused to recognize the agreement. Several filibusters raised armies to invade the area west of the Sabine River.[63] Marked by the War of 1812, some men who had escaped from the Spanish, held (Old) Philippines had immigrated to and also passed through Texas (New Philippines)[64] and reached Louisiana where Philippine exiles aided the United States in the defense of New Orleans against a British invasion, with Filipinos in the Saint Malo settlement assisting Jean Lafitte in the Battle of New Orleans.[65]

In 1821, the Mexican War of Independence included the Texas territory, which became part of Mexico.[66] Due to its low population, the territory was assigned to other states and territories of Mexico; the core territory was part of the state of Coahuila y Tejas, but other parts of today's Texas were part of Tamaulipas, Chihuahua, or the Mexican Territory of Santa Fe de Nuevo México.[67]

Hoping more settlers would reduce the near-constant Comanche raids, Mexican Texas liberalized its immigration policies to permit immigrants from outside Mexico and Spain.[68] Large swathes of land were allotted to empresarios, who recruited settlers from the United States, Europe, and the Mexican interior, primarily the U.S. Austin's settlers, the Old Three Hundred, made places along the Brazos River in 1822.[69] The population of Texas grew rapidly. In 1825, Texas had about 3,500 people, with most of Mexican descent.[70] By 1834, the population had grown to about 37,800 people, with only 7,800 of Mexican descent.[71]

Many immigrants openly flouted Mexican law, especially the prohibition against slavery. Combined with United States' attempts to purchase Texas, Mexican authorities decided in 1830 to prohibit continued immigration from the United States.[72] However, illegal immigration from the United States into Mexico continued to increase the population of Texas.[73] New laws also called for the enforcement of customs duties angering native Mexican citizens (Tejanos) and recent immigrants alike.[74] The Anahuac Disturbances in 1832 were the first open revolt against Mexican rule, coinciding with a revolt in Mexico against the nation's president.[75] Texians sided with the federalists against the government and drove all Mexican soldiers out of East Texas.[76] They took advantage of the lack of oversight to agitate for more political freedom. Texians met at the Convention of 1832 to discuss requesting independent statehood, among other issues.[77] The following year, Texians reiterated their demands at the Convention of 1833.[78]

Republic

Within Mexico, tensions continued between federalists and centralists. In early 1835, wary Texians formed Committees of Correspondence and Safety.[79] The unrest erupted into armed conflict in late 1835 at the Battle of Gonzales.[80] This launched the Texas Revolution. Texians elected delegates to the Consultation, which created a provisional government.[81] The provisional government soon collapsed from infighting, and Texas was without clear governance for the first two months of 1836.[82]

Surrender of Santa Anna. Painting by William Henry Huddle, 1886.

Mexican President Antonio López de Santa Anna personally led an army to end the revolt.[83] General José de Urrea defeated all the Texian resistance along the coast culminating in the Goliad massacre.[84] López de Santa Anna's forces, after a thirteen-day siege, overwhelmed Texian defenders at the Battle of the Alamo. News of the defeats sparked panic among Texas settlers.[85]

The Republic of Texas with present-day borders superimposed

The newly elected Texian delegates to the Convention of 1836 quickly signed a declaration of independence on March 2, forming the Republic of Texas. After electing interim officers, the Convention disbanded.[86] The new government joined the other settlers in Texas in the Runaway Scrape, fleeing from the approaching Mexican army.[85]

After several weeks of retreat, the Texian Army commanded by Sam Houston attacked and defeated López de Santa Anna's forces at the Battle of San Jacinto.[87] López de Santa Anna was captured and forced to sign the Treaties of Velasco, ending the war.[88] The Constitution of the Republic of Texas prohibited the government from restricting slavery or freeing slaves, and required free people of African descent to leave the country.[89]

Political battles raged between two factions of the new Republic. The nationalist faction, led by Mirabeau B. Lamar, advocated the continued independence of Texas, the expulsion of the Native Americans, and the expansion of the Republic to the Pacific Ocean. Their opponents, led by Sam Houston, advocated the annexation of Texas to the United States and peaceful co-existence with Native Americans. The conflict between the factions was typified by an incident known as the Texas Archive War.[90] With wide popular support, Texas first applied for annexation to the United States in 1836, but its status as a slaveholding country caused its admission to be controversial and it was initially rebuffed. This status, and Mexican diplomacy in support of its claims to the territory, also complicated Texas's ability to form foreign alliances and trade relationships.[91]

The Comanche Indians furnished the main Native American opposition to the Texas Republic, manifested in multiple raids on settlements.[92] Mexico launched two small expeditions into Texas in 1842. The town of San Antonio was captured twice and Texans were defeated in battle in the Dawson massacre. Despite these successes, Mexico did not keep an occupying force in Texas, and the republic survived.[93] The cotton price crash of the 1840s depressed the country's economy.[91]

Statehood

On March 2, 1936, the U.S. Post Office issued a commemorative stamp commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Texas Declaration of Independence, featuring Sam Houston (left), Stephen Austin and the Alamo.

Texas was finally annexed when the expansionist James K. Polk won the election of 1844.[94] On December 29, 1845, the U.S. Congress admitted Texas to the U.S.[95] After Texas's annexation, Mexico broke diplomatic relations with the United States. While the United States claimed Texas's border stretched to the Rio Grande, Mexico claimed it was the Nueces River leaving the Rio Grande Valley under contested Texan sovereignty.[95] While the former Republic of Texas could not enforce its border claims, the United States had the military strength and the political will to do so. President Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor south to the Rio Grande on January 13, 1846. A few months later Mexican troops routed an American cavalry patrol in the disputed area in the Thornton Affair starting the Mexican–American War. The first battles of the war were fought in Texas: the Siege of Fort Texas, Battle of Palo Alto and Battle of Resaca de la Palma. After these decisive victories, the United States invaded Mexican territory, ending the fighting in Texas.[96]

Captain Charles A. May's squadron of the 2nd Dragoons slashes through the Mexican Army lines. Resaca de la Palma, Texas, May 1846.

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the two-year war. In return for US$18,250,000, Mexico gave the U.S. undisputed control of Texas, ceded the Mexican Cession in 1848, most of which today is called the American Southwest, and Texas's borders were established at the Rio Grande.[96]

The Compromise of 1850 set Texas's boundaries at their present position: Texas ceded its claims to land which later became half of present-day New Mexico,[97] a third of Colorado, and small portions of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming to the federal government, in return for the assumption of $10 million of the old republic's debt.[97] Post-war Texas grew rapidly as migrants poured into the cotton lands of the state.[98] They also brought or purchased enslaved African Americans, whose numbers tripled in the state from 1850 to 1860, from 58,000 to 182,566.[99]

Civil War to late 19th century

Texas re-entered war following the election of 1860. During this time, Black people comprised 30 percent of the state's population, and they were overwhelmingly enslaved.[100] When Abraham Lincoln was elected, South Carolina seceded from the Union; five other Deep South states quickly followed. A state convention considering secession opened in Austin on January 28, 1861. On February 1, by a vote of 166–8, the convention adopted an Ordinance of Secession. Texas voters approved this Ordinance on February 23, 1861. Texas joined the newly created Confederate States of America on March 4, 1861, ratifying the permanent C.S. Constitution on March 23.[1][101]

Not all Texans favored secession initially, although many of the same would later support the Southern cause. Texas's most notable Unionist was the state governor, Sam Houston. Not wanting to aggravate the situation, Houston refused two offers from President Lincoln for Union troops to keep him in office. After refusing to swear an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy, Houston was deposed.[102]

While far from the major battlefields of the American Civil War, Texas contributed large numbers of soldiers and equipment.[103] Union troops briefly occupied the state's primary port, Galveston. Texas's border with Mexico was known as the "backdoor of the Confederacy" because trade occurred at the border, bypassing the Union blockade.[104] The Confederacy repulsed all Union attempts to shut down this route,[103] but Texas's role as a supply state was marginalized in mid-1863 after the Union capture of the Mississippi River. The final battle of the Civil War was fought at Palmito Ranch, near Brownsville, Texas, and saw a Confederate victory.[105][106]

Texas descended into anarchy for two months between the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia and the assumption of authority by Union General Gordon Granger. Violence marked the early months of Reconstruction.[103] Juneteenth commemorates the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Galveston by General Gordon Granger, almost two and a half years after the original announcement.[107][108] President Johnson, in 1866, declared the civilian government restored in Texas.[109] Despite not meeting Reconstruction requirements, Congress resumed allowing elected Texas representatives into the federal government in 1870. Social volatility continued as the state struggled with agricultural depression and labor issues.[110]

Like most of the South, the Texas economy was devastated by the War. However, since the state had not been as dependent on slaves as other parts of the South, it was able to recover more quickly. The culture in Texas during the later 19th century exhibited many facets of a frontier territory. The state became notorious as a haven for people from other parts of the country who wanted to escape debt, war tensions, or other problems. "Gone to Texas" was a common expression for those fleeing the law in other states. Nevertheless, the state also attracted many businessmen and other settlers with more legitimate interests.[111]

The cattle industry continued to thrive, though it gradually became less profitable. Cotton and lumber became major industries creating new economic booms in various regions. Railroad networks grew rapidly as did the port at Galveston as commerce expanded. The lumber industry quickly expanded and was Texas' largest industry prior to the 20th century.[112]

Early to mid-20th century

Spindletop, the first major oil gusher

In 1900, Texas suffered the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history during the Galveston hurricane.[113] On January 10, 1901, the first major oil well in Texas, Spindletop, was found south of Beaumont. Other fields were later discovered nearby in East Texas, West Texas, and under the Gulf of Mexico. The resulting "oil boom" transformed Texas.[114] Oil production averaged three million barrels per day at its peak in 1972.[115]

In 1901, the Democratic-dominated state legislature passed a bill requiring payment of a poll tax for voting, which effectively disenfranchised most Black and many poor White and Latino people. In addition, the legislature established white primaries, ensuring minorities were excluded from the formal political process. The number of voters dropped dramatically, and the Democrats crushed competition from the Republican and Populist parties.[116][117] The Socialist Party became the second-largest party in Texas after 1912,[118] coinciding with a large socialist upsurge in the United States during fierce battles in the labor movement and the popularity of national heroes like Eugene V. Debs. The socialists' popularity soon waned after their vilification by the federal government for their opposition to U.S. involvement in World War I.[119][120]

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, Black people left Texas in the Great Migration to get work in the Northern United States or California and to escape segregation.[100] In 1940, Texas was 74% White, 14.4% Black, and 11.5% Hispanic.[121]

World War II had a dramatic impact on Texas, as federal money poured in to build military bases, munitions factories, detention camps and Army hospitals; 750,000 Texans left for service; the cities exploded with new industry; and hundreds of thousands of poor farmers left the fields for much better-paying war jobs, never to return to agriculture.[122][123] Texas manufactured 3.1 percent of total United States military armaments produced during World War II, ranking eleventh among the 48 states.[124]

Texas modernized and expanded its system of higher education through the 1960s. The state created a comprehensive plan for higher education, funded in large part by oil revenues, and a central state apparatus designed to manage state institutions more efficiently. These changes helped Texas universities receive federal research funds.[125]

Mid-20th to early 21st century

Beginning around the mid-20th century, Texas began to transform from a rural and agricultural state to one urban and industrialized.[126] The state's population grew quickly during this period, with large levels of migration from outside the state.[126] As a part of the Sun Belt, Texas experienced strong economic growth, particularly during the 1970s and early 1980s.[126] Texas's economy diversified, lessening its reliance on the petroleum industry.[126] By 1990, Hispanics and Latino Americans overtook Blacks to become the largest minority group.[126] Texas has the largest Black population with over 3.9 million.[127]

During the late 20th century, the Republican Party replaced the Democratic Party as the dominant party in the state.[126] Beginning in the early 21st century, metropolitan areas including Dallas–Fort Worth and Greater Austin became centers for the Texas Democratic Party in statewide and national elections as liberal policies became more accepted in urban areas.[128][129][130][131]

From the mid-2000s to 2019, Texas gained an influx of business relocations and regional headquarters from companies in California.[132][133][134][135] Texas became a major destination for migration during the early 21st century and was named the most popular state to move for three consecutive years.[136] Another study in 2019 determined Texas's growth rate at 1,000 people per day.[137]

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas, the first confirmed case of the virus in Texas was announced on March 4, 2020.[138] On April 27, 2020, Governor Greg Abbott announced phase one of re-opening the economy.[139] Amid a rise in COVID-19 cases in autumn 2020, Abbott refused to enact further lockdowns.[140][141] In November 2020, Texas was selected as one of four states to test Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine distribution.[142] As of February 2, 2021, there had been over 2.4 million confirmed cases in Texas, with at least 37,417 deaths.[143]

During February 13–17, 2021, the state faced a major weather emergency as Winter Storm Uri hit the state, as well as most of the Southeastern and Midwestern United States.[144][145] Historically high power usage across the state caused the state's power grid to become overworked and ERCOT (the main operator of the Texas Interconnection grid) declared an emergency and began to implement rolling blackouts across Texas, causing a power crisis.[146][147][148] Over 3 million Texans were without power and over 4 million were under boil-water notices.[149]

Geography

Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Texas Hill Country

Texas is the second-largest U.S. state by area, after Alaska, and the largest state within the contiguous United States, at 268,820 square miles (696,200 km2). If it were an independent country, Texas would be the 39th-largest.[150] It ranks 26th worldwide amongst country subdivisions by size.

Texas is in the south central part of the United States. The Rio Grande forms a natural border with the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the south. The Red River forms a natural border with Oklahoma and Arkansas to the north. The Sabine River forms a natural border with Louisiana to the east. The 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.[97]

With 10 climatic regions, 14 soil regions and 11 distinct ecological regions, regional classification becomes complicated with differences in soils, topography, geology, rainfall, and plant and animal communities.[151] One classification system divides Texas, in order from southeast to west, into the following: Gulf Coastal Plains, Interior Lowlands, Great Plains, and Basin and Range Province.[152]

The Gulf Coastal Plains region wraps around the Gulf of Mexico on the southeast section of the state. Vegetation in this region consists of thick piney woods. The Interior Lowlands region consists of gently rolling to hilly forested land and is part of a larger pine-hardwood forest. The Cross Timbers region and Caprock Escarpment are part of the Interior Lowlands.[152]

Steinhagen Reservoir

The Great Plains region in Central Texas spans through the state's panhandle and Llano Estacado to the state's hill country near Lago Vista and Austin. This region is dominated by prairie and steppe. "Far West Texas" or the "Trans-Pecos" region is the state's Basin and Range Province. The most varied of the regions, this area includes Sand Hills, the Stockton Plateau, desert valleys, wooded mountain slopes and desert grasslands.[153]

Texas has 3,700 named streams and 15 major rivers,[154][155] with the Rio Grande as the largest. Other major rivers include the Pecos, the Brazos, Colorado, and Red River. While Texas has few natural lakes, Texans have built more than a hundred artificial reservoirs.[156]

The size and unique history of Texas make its regional affiliation debatable; it can be considered a Southern or a Southwestern state, or both. 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. Notable extremes range from East Texas which is often considered an extension of the Deep South, to Far West Texas which is generally acknowledged to be part of the interior Southwest.[157]

Geology

Palo Duro Canyon
Franklin Mountains State Park
Big Bend National Park

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.[158]

This margin existed until Laurasia and Gondwana collided in the Pennsylvanian subperiod to form Pangea.[159] 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's passive margin began to form. Today 9 to 12 miles (14 to 19 km) of sediments are buried beneath the Texas continental shelf and a large proportion of remaining US oil reserves are here. 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.[160]

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; and Cretaceous sediments in the east, 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.[161] Located far from an active plate tectonic boundary, Texas has no volcanoes and few earthquakes.[162]

Wildlife

Texas is the home to 65 species of mammals, 213 species of reptiles and amphibians, including the American green tree frog, and the greatest diversity of bird life in the United States—590 native species in all.[163] At least 12 species have been introduced and now reproduce freely in Texas.[164]

Texas plays host to several species of wasps, including an abundance of Polistes exclamans,[165] and is an important ground for the study of Polistes annularis.[166]

During the spring Texas wildflowers such as the state flower, the bluebonnet, line highways throughout Texas. During the Johnson Administration the first lady, Lady Bird Johnson, worked to draw attention to Texas wildflowers.[167]

Climate

Köppen climate types in Texas

The large size of Texas and its location at the intersection of multiple climate zones gives the state highly 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 8.7 inches (220 mm) of annual rainfall,[168] while parts of southeast Texas average as much as 64 inches (1,600 mm) per year.[169] Dallas in the North Central region averages a more moderate 37 inches (940 mm) per year.[170]

Snow falls multiple times each winter in the Panhandle and mountainous areas of West Texas, once or twice a year in North Texas, and once every few years in Central and East Texas. Snow falls south of San Antonio or on the coast only in rare circumstances. Of note is the 2004 Christmas Eve snowstorm, when 6 inches (150 mm) of snow fell as far south as Kingsville, where the average high temperature in December is 65 °F.[171]

Night-time summer temperatures range from the upper 50s °F (14 °C) in the West Texas mountains to 80 °F (27 °C) in Galveston.[172][173]

The table below consists of averages for August (generally the warmest month) and January (generally the coldest) in selected cities in various regions of the state.

Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures for selected cities in Texas[174]
Location August (°F) August (°C) January (°F) January (°C)
Houston 94/75 34/24 63/54 17/12
San Antonio 96/74 35/23 63/40 17/5
Dallas 96/77 36/25 57/37 16/3
Austin 97/74 36/23 61/45 16/5
El Paso 92/67 33/21 57/32 14/0
Laredo 100/77 37/25 67/46 19/7
Amarillo 89/64 32/18 50/23 10/−4
Brownsville 94/76 34/24 70/51 21/11

Storms

Thunderstorms strike Texas often, especially the eastern and northern portions of the state. Tornado Alley covers the northern section of Texas. The state experiences the most tornadoes in the United States, an average of 139 a year. These strike most frequently in North Texas and the Panhandle.[175] Tornadoes in Texas generally occur in April, May, and June.[176]

Some of the most destructive hurricanes in U.S. history have impacted Texas. A hurricane in 1875 killed about 400 people in Indianola, followed by another hurricane in 1886 that destroyed the town. These events allowed Galveston to take over as the chief port city. The 1900 Galveston hurricane subsequently devastated that city, killing about 8,000 people or possibly as many as 12,000 in the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history.[113] In 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Rockport as a Category 4 Hurricane, causing significant damage there. Its unprecedented amounts of rain over the Greater Houston area resulted in widespread and catastrophic flooding that inundated hundreds of thousands of homes. Harvey ultimately became the costliest hurricane worldwide, causing an estimated $198.6 billion in damage, surpassing the cost of Hurricane Katrina.[177]

Other devastating Texas hurricanes include the 1915 Galveston hurricane, Hurricane Audrey in 1957, Hurricane Carla in 1961, Hurricane Beulah in 1967, Hurricane Alicia in 1983, Hurricane Rita in 2005, and Hurricane Ike in 2008. Tropical storms have also caused their share of damage: Allison in 1989 and again during 2001, Claudette in 1979, and Tropical Storm Imelda in 2019.[178][179][180]

There is no substantial physical barrier between Texas and the polar region. Although it is unusual, it is possible for arctic or polar air masses to penetrate Texas,[181][182] as occurred during the February 13–17, 2021 North American winter storm.[183][184] Usually, prevailing winds in North America will push polar air masses to the southeast before they reach Texas. Because such intrusions are rare, and, perhaps, unexpected, they may result in crises such as the 2021 Texas power crisis.

Greenhouse gases

As of 2017, Texas emitted the most greenhouse gases in the U.S.[185] As of 2017 the state emits about 1,600 billion pounds (707 million metric tons) of carbon dioxide annually.[185] As an independent state, Texas would rank as the world's seventh-largest producer of greenhouse gases.[186] 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.[186] In 2010, there were 2,553 "emission events" which poured 44.6 million pounds (20,200 metric tons) of contaminants into the Texas sky.[187]

Administrative divisions

Largest city in Texas by year[188]
Year(s) City
1850–1870 San Antonio[189]
1870–1890 Galveston[190]
1890–1900 Dallas[188]
1900–1930 San Antonio[189]
1930–present Houston[191]
Colonia in the Rio Grande Valley near the Mexico–United States border

The state has three cities with populations exceeding one million: Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas.[192] These three rank among the 10 most populous cities of the United States. As of 2020, six Texas cities had populations greater than 600,000. Austin, Fort Worth, and El Paso are among the 20 largest U.S. cities. Texas has four metropolitan areas with populations greater than a million: Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington, Houston–Sugar Land–The Woodlands, San Antonio–New Braunfels, and Austin–Round Rock–San Marcos. The Dallas–Fort Worth and Houston metropolitan areas number about 7.5 million and 7 million residents as of 2019, respectively.[193]

Three interstate highwaysI-35 to the west (Dallas–Fort Worth to San Antonio, with Austin in between), I-45 to the east (Dallas to Houston), and I-10 to the south (San Antonio to Houston) define the Texas Urban Triangle region. The region of 60,000 square miles (160,000 km2) contains most of the state's largest cities and metropolitan areas as well as 17 million people, nearly 75 percent of Texas's total population.[194] Houston and Dallas have been recognized as world cities.[195] These cities are spread out amongst the state.[196]

In contrast to the cities, unincorporated rural settlements known as colonias often lack basic infrastructure and are marked by poverty.[197] The office of the Texas Attorney General stated, in 2011, that Texas had about 2,294 colonias, and estimates about 500,000 lived in the colonias. Hidalgo County, as of 2011, has the largest number of colonias.[198] Texas has the largest number of people living in colonias of all states.[197]

Texas has 254 counties, more than any other state.[199] Each county runs on Commissioners' Court system consisting of four elected commissioners (one from each of four precincts in the county, roughly divided according to population) and a county judge elected at large from the entire county. County government runs similar to a "weak" mayor-council system; the county judge has no veto authority, but votes along with the other commissioners.[200][201]

Although Texas permits cities and counties to enter "interlocal agreements" to share services, the state does not allow consolidated city-county governments, nor does it have metropolitan governments. 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 and to some smaller incorporated areas. Municipalities are classified either "general law" cities or "home rule".[202] A municipality may elect home rule status once it exceeds 5,000 population with voter approval.[203]

Texas also permits the creation of "special districts", which provide limited services. The most common is the school district, but can also include hospital districts, community college districts, and utility districts. Municipal, school district, and special district elections are nonpartisan,[204] though the party affiliation of a candidate may be well-known. County and state elections are partisan.[205]

 
 
Largest cities or towns in Texas
2022 U.S. Census Bureau Estimate[206]
Rank Name County Pop. Rank Name County Pop.
Houston
Houston
San Antonio
San Antonio
1 Houston Harris 2,302,878 11 Laredo Webb 256,187 Dallas
Dallas
Austin
Austin
2 San Antonio Bexar 1,472,909 12 Irving Dallas 254,715
3 Dallas Dallas 1,299,544 13 Garland Dallas 240,854
4 Austin Travis 974,447 14 Frisco Collin 219,587
5 Fort Worth Tarrant 956,709 15 McKinney Collin 207,507
6 El Paso El Paso 677,456 16 Grand Prairie Dallas 201,843
7 Arlington Tarrant 394,602 17 Amarillo Potter 201,291
8 Corpus Christi Nueces 316,239 18 Brownsville Cameron 189,382
9 Plano Collin 289,547 19 Killeen Bell 159,172
10 Lubbock Lubbock 263,930 20 Denton Denton 150,353

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1850212,592
1860604,215184.2%
1870818,57935.5%
18801,591,74994.5%
18902,235,52740.4%
19003,048,71036.4%
19103,896,54227.8%
19204,663,22819.7%
19305,824,71524.9%
19406,414,82410.1%
19507,711,19420.2%
19609,579,67724.2%
197011,196,73016.9%
198014,229,19127.1%
199016,986,51019.4%
200020,851,82022.8%
201025,145,56120.6%
202029,145,50515.9%
2024 (est.)31,290,831[5]7.4%
1910–2020[207]
Texas population density map

The resident population of Texas was 29,145,505 in the 2020 census, a 15.9% increase since the 2010 census.[207] At the 2020 census, the apportioned population of Texas stood at 29,183,290.[208] The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population was 31,290,831 as of July 1, 2024, an increase of 7.4% since the 2020 census.[5] Texas is the second-most populous state in the United States after California and the only other U.S. state to surpass a total estimated population of 30 million people as of July 2, 2022.[209][210]

In 2015, Texas had 4.7 million foreign-born residents, about 17% of the population and 21.6% of the state workforce.[211] The major countries of origin for Texan immigrants were Mexico (55.1% of immigrants), India (5%), El Salvador (4.3%), Vietnam (3.7%), and China (2.3%).[211] Of immigrant residents, 35.8 percent were naturalized U.S. citizens.[211] As of 2018, the population increased to 4.9 million foreign-born residents or 17.2% of the state population, up from 2,899,642 in 2000.[212]

In 2014, there were an estimated 1.7 million undocumented immigrants in Texas, making up 35% of the total Texas immigrant population and 6.1% of the total state population.[211] In addition to the state's foreign-born population, an additional 4.1 million Texans (15% of the state's population) were born in the United States and had at least one immigrant parent.[211]

According to the American Community Survey's 2019 estimates, 1,739,000 residents were undocumented immigrants, a decrease of 103,000 since 2014 and increase of 142,000 since 2016. Of the undocumented immigrant population, 951,000 have resided in Texas from less than 5 up to 14 years. An estimated 788,000 lived in Texas from 15 to 19 and 20 years or more.[213]

Texas's Rio Grande Valley has seen significant migration from across the U.S.–Mexico border. During the 2014 crisis, many Central Americans, including unaccompanied minors traveling alone from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, reached the state, overwhelming Border Patrol resources for a time. Many sought asylum in the United States.[214][215]

Texas's population density as of 2010 is 96.3 people per square mile (37.2 people/km2) which is slightly higher than the average population density of the U.S. as a whole, at 87.4 people per square mile (33.7 people/km2). In contrast, while Texas and France are similarly sized geographically, the European country has a population density of 301.8 people per square mile (116.5 people/km2). Two-thirds of all Texans live in major metropolitan areas such as Houston.

According to HUD's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 24,432 homeless people in Texas.[216][217]

Race and ethnicity

Map of counties in Texas by racial and ethnic plurality, per the 2020 U.S. census
Ethnic composition as of the 2020 census
Race and ethnicity[218] Alone Total
Hispanic or Latino[e] 40.2% 40.2
 
Non-Hispanic White 39.7% 39.7
 
39.8% 39.8
 
African American 11.8% 11.8
 
12.8% 12.8
 
Asian 5.4% 5.4
 
6.1% 6.1
 
Native American 0.3% 0.3
 
1.4% 1.4
 
Pacific Islander 0.1% 0.1
 
0.2% 0.2
 
Other 0.4% 0.4
 
1.0% 1
 

In 2019, non-Hispanic Whites represented 41.2% of Texas's population, reflecting a national demographic shift.[219][220][221] Black people made up 12.9%, American Indians and Alaska Natives 1.0%, Asian Americans 5.2%, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders 0.1%, some other race 0.2%, and two or more races 1.8%. Hispanics or Latino Americans of any race made up 39.7% of the estimated population.[222]

At the 2020 census, the racial and ethnic composition of the state was 42.5% White (39.8% non-Hispanic White), 11.8% Black, 5.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 13.6% some other race, 17.6% two or more races, and 40.2% Hispanic and Latino American of any race.[223][224]

In 2010, 49% of all births were Hispanics; 35% were non-Hispanic White; 11.5% were non-Hispanic Black, and 4.3% were Asians/Pacific Islanders.[225] Based on U.S. Census Bureau data released in February 2011, for the first time in recent history, Texas's White population is below 50% (45%) and Hispanics grew to 38%. Between 2000 and 2010, the total population grew by 20.6%, but Hispanics and Latino Americans grew by 65%, whereas non-Hispanic Whites grew by only 4.2%.[226] Texas has the fifth highest rate of teenage births in the nation and a plurality of these are to Hispanics or Latinos.[227][228] As of 2022, Hispanics and Latinos of any race replaced the non-Hispanic White population as the largest share of the state's population.[229]

Texas has the second-largest share of Mexican Americans in the US, making up 32.2% of the total population and 80% of the state's Hispanic population.[230] Other than Mexican, the largest self-reported ancestries in the state as of 2022 were German (8.1%), English (7.9%), Irish (5.8%), those identifying as American (4.6%), Italian (1.9%), Indian (1.9%), Salvadoran (1.4%), Scottish (1.3%), Vietnamese (1.1%), Chinese (1%), Puerto Rican (0.9%), Polish (0.9%), Honduran (0.8%), Filipino (0.8%), and Scotch-Irish (0.7%).[231][232][230]

Languages

Most common non-English languages
Language Population
(as of 2010)[233]
Spanish 29.2%
Vietnamese 0.8%
Chinese 0.6%
German 0.3%
Tagalog 0.3%
French 0.3%
Korean and Urdu (tied) 0.2%
Hindi 0.2%
Arabic 0.2%
Niger-Congo languages 0.2%

The most common accent or dialect spoken by natives throughout Texas is sometimes referred to as Texan English, itself a sub-variety of a broader category of American English known as Southern American English.[234][235] Creole language is spoken in some parts of East Texas.[236] In some areas of the state—particularly in the large cities—Western American English and General American English, is increasingly common. Chicano English—due to a growing Hispanic population—is widespread in South Texas, while African-American English is especially notable in historically minority areas of urban Texas.

At the 2020 American Community Survey's estimates, 64.9% of the population spoke only English, while 35.1% spoke a language other than English.[237] Roughly 30% of the total population spoke Spanish. By 2021, approximately 50,546 Texans spoke French or a French-based creole language. German and other West Germanic languages were spoken by 49,565 residents; Russian, Polish, and other Slavic languages by 37,444; Korean by 31,673; Chinese 86,370; Vietnamese 92,410; Tagalog 40,124; and Arabic by 47,170 Texans.[238]

At the census of 2010, 65.8% (14,740,304) of Texas residents age 5 and older spoke only English at home, while 29.2% (6,543,702) spoke Spanish, 0.8 percent (168,886) Vietnamese, and Chinese (which includes Cantonese and Mandarin) was spoken by 0.6% (122,921) of the population over five.[233] Other languages spoken include German (including Texas German) by 0.3% (73,137), Tagalog with 0.3% (64,272) speakers, and French (including Cajun French) was spoken by 0.3% (55,773) of Texans.[233] Reportedly, Cherokee is the most widely spoken Native American language in Texas.[239] In total, 34.2% (7,660,406) of Texas's population aged five and older spoke a language at home other than English as of 2006.[233]

Religion

Religious affiliation (2020)[240]
Christian
75.5%
Catholic
28%
Protestant
47%
Other Christian
0.5%
Unaffiliated
20%
Jewish
1%
Muslim
1%
Buddhist
1%
Other faiths
5%

With the coming of Spanish Catholic and American Protestant missionary societies,[241] Indigenous American Indian religions and spiritual traditions dwindled. Since then, colonial and present-day Texas has become a predominantly Christian state, with 75.5% of the population identifying as such according to the Public Religion Research Institute in 2020.[242]

St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

Among its majority Christian populace, the largest Christian denomination as of 2014 has been the Catholic Church, per the Pew Research Center at 23% of the population, although Protestants collectively constituted 50% of the Christian population in 2014;[243] in the 2020 study by the Public Religion Research Institute, the Catholic Church's membership increased to encompassing 28% of the population identifying with a religious or spiritual belief.[242] At the 2020 Association of Religion Data Archives study, there were 5,905,142 Catholics in the state.[244] The largest Catholic jurisdictions in Texas are the Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston—the first and oldest Latin Church diocese in Texas[245]—the dioceses of Dallas and Fort Worth, and the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

First Baptist Church of Dallas

Being part of the strongly, socially conservative Bible Belt,[246] Protestants as a whole declined to 47% of the population in the 2020 study by the Public Religion Research Institute. Predominantly-white Evangelical Protestantism declined to 14% of the Protestant Christian population. Mainline Protestants in contrast made up 15% of Protestant Texas. Hispanic or Latino American-dominated Protestant churches and historically Black or African American Protestantism grew to a collective 13% of the Protestant population.

Evangelical Protestants were 31% of the population in 2014, and Baptists were the largest Evangelical tradition (14%);[243] according to the 2014 study, they made up the second-largest Mainline Protestant group behind Methodists (4%). Nondenominational and interdenominational Protestant Christians were the second largest Evangelical group (7%) followed by Pentecostals (4%). The largest Evangelical Baptists in the state were the Southern Baptist Convention (9%) and independent Baptists (3%). The Assemblies of God USA was the largest Evangelical Pentecostal denomination in 2014. Among Mainline Protestants, the United Methodist Church was the largest denomination (4%) and the American Baptist Churches USA comprised the second-largest Mainline Protestant group (2%).

According to the Pew Research Center in 2014, the state's largest historically African American Christian denominations were the National Baptist Convention (USA) and the Church of God in Christ. Black Methodists and other Christians made up less than 1 percent each of the Christian demographic. Other Christians made up 1 percent of the total Christian population, and the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox formed less than 1 percent of the statewide Christian populace. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest nontrinitarian Christian group in Texas alongside the Jehovah's Witnesses.[243]

Among its Protestant population, the Association of Religion Data Archives in 2020 determined Southern Baptists numbered 3,319,962; non-denominational Protestants 2,405,786 (including Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, and the Churches of Christ altogether numbering 2,758,353); and United Methodists 938,399 as the most numerous Protestant groups in the state.[244] Baptists altogether (Southern Baptists, American Baptist Associates, American Baptists, Full Gospel Baptists, General Baptists, Free Will Baptists, National Baptists, National Baptists of America, National Missionary Baptists, National Primitive Baptists, and Progressive National Baptists) numbered 3,837,306; Methodists within United Methodism, the AME, AME Zion, CME, and the Free Methodist Church numbered 1,026,453 Texans.

The same study tabulated 425,038 Pentecostals spread among the Assemblies of God, Church of God (Cleveland), and Church of God in Christ. Nontrinitarian or Oneness Pentecostals numbered 7,042 between Bible Way Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, COOLJC, and the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World. Other Christians, including the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox, numbered 55,329 altogether, and Episcopalians numbered 134,318, although the Anglican Catholic Church, Anglican Church in America, Anglican Church in North America, Anglican Province of America, and Holy Catholic Church Anglican Rite had a collective presence in 114 churches.[247]

Non-Christian faiths accounted for 4% of the religious population in 2014, and 5% in 2020 per the Pew Research Center and Public Religion Research Institute.[243][242] Adherents of many other religions reside predominantly in the urban centers of Texas. Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism were tied as the second largest religion as of 2014 and 2020. In 2014, 18% of the state's population were religiously unaffiliated. Of the unaffiliated in 2014, an estimated 2% were atheists and 3% agnostic; in 2020, the Public Religion Research Institute noted the largest non-Christian groups were the irreligious (20%), Judaism (1%), Islam (1%), Buddhism (1%) and Hinduism, and other religions at less than 1 percent each.

In 1990, the Islamic population was about 140,000 with more recent figures putting the current number of Muslims between 350,000 and 400,000 as of 2012.[248] The Association of Religion Data Archives estimated there were 313,209 Muslims as of 2020.[244] Texas is the fifth-largest Muslim-populated state as of 2014.[249] The Jewish population was around 128,000 in 2008.[250] In 2020, the Jewish population grew to over 176,000.[251] According to ARDA's 2020 study, there were 43 Chabad synagogues; 17,513 Conservative Jews; 8,110 Orthodox Jews; and 31,378 Reform Jews. Around 146,000 adherents of religions such as Hinduism and Sikhism lived in Texas as of 2004.[252] By 2020, there were 112,153 Hindus and 20 Sikh gurdwaras; 60,882 Texans adhered to Buddhism.

Economy

A geomap depicting income by county as of 2014
Texas counties by GDP (2021)

As of 2024, Texas had a gross state product (GSP) of $2.664 trillion, the second highest in the U.S.[253] Its GSP is greater than the GDP of Brazil, the world's 8th-largest economy.[254] The state ranks 22nd among U.S. states with a median household income of $64,034, while the poverty rate is 14.2%, making Texas the state with 14th highest poverty rate (compared to 13.15% nationally). Texas's economy is the second-largest of any country subdivision globally, behind California.

Texas's large population, an abundance of natural resources, thriving cities and leading centers of higher education have contributed to a large and diverse economy. Since oil was discovered, the state's economy has reflected the state of the petroleum industry. In recent times, urban centers of the state have increased in size, containing two-thirds of the population in 2005. The state's economic growth has led to urban sprawl and its associated symptoms.[255]

As of May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the state's unemployment rate was 13 percent.[256]

In 2010, Site Selection Magazine ranked Texas as the most business-friendly state, in part because of the state's three-billion-dollar Texas Enterprise Fund.[257] Texas has the highest number of Fortune 500 company headquarters in the United States as of 2022.[13][14] In 2010, there were 346,000 millionaires in Texas, the second-largest population of millionaires in the nation.[f][258] In 2018, the number of millionaire households increased to 566,578.[259]

Taxation

Texas has a reputation for a low tax.[260] According to the Tax Foundation, Texans' state and local tax burdens are seventh-lowest nationally; state and local taxes cost $3,580 per capita, or 8.4 percent of resident incomes.[261] Texas is one of seven states that lack a state income tax.[261][262]

Instead, the state collects revenue from property taxes (though these are collected at the county, city, and school district level; Texas has a state constitutional prohibition against a state property tax) and sales taxes. The state sales tax rate is 6.25 percent,[261][263] but local taxing jurisdictions (cities, counties, special purpose districts, and transit authorities) may also impose sales and use tax up to 2 percent for a total maximum combined rate of 8.25 percent.[264]

Texas is a "tax donor state"; in 2005, for every dollar Texans paid to the federal government in federal income taxes, the state got back about $0.94 in benefits.[261] To attract business, Texas has incentive programs worth $19 billion per year (2012); more than any other U.S. state.[265][266]

Agriculture and mining

Cotton modules after harvest in West Texas
Texas longhorn cattle in Boerne, Texas

Texas has the most farms and the highest acreage in the United States. The state is ranked No. 1 for revenue generated from total livestock and livestock products. It is ranked No. 2 for total agricultural revenue, behind California.[267] At $7.4 billion or 56.7 percent of Texas's annual agricultural cash receipts, beef cattle production represents the largest single segment of Texas agriculture. This is followed by cotton at $1.9 billion (14.6 percent), greenhouse/nursery at $1.5 billion (11.4 percent), broiler chickens at $1.3 billion (10 percent), and dairy products at $947 million (7.3 percent).[268]

Texas leads the nation in the production of cattle, horses, sheep, goats, wool, mohair and hay.[268] The state also leads the nation in production of cotton which is the number one crop grown in the state in terms of value.[267][269][270] The state grows significant amounts of cereal crops and produce.[267] Texas has a large commercial fishing industry. With mineral resources, Texas leads in creating cement, crushed stone, lime, salt, sand and gravel.[267] Texas throughout the 21st century has been hammered by drought, costing the state billions of dollars in livestock and crops.[271]

Energy

An oil well
Brazos Wind Farm

Ever since the discovery of oil at Spindletop, energy has been a dominant force politically and economically within the state.[272] If Texas were its own country it would be the sixth-largest oil producer in the world according to a 2014 study.[273]

The Railroad Commission of Texas 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 controlled 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.[274]

As of January 1, 2021, Texas has proved recoverable petroleum reserves of about 15.6 billion barrels (2.48×109 m3) of crude oil (44% of the known U.S. reserves) and 9.5 billion barrels (1.51×109 m3) of natural gas liquids.[275][276] The state's refineries can process 5.95 million barrels (946,000 m3) of oil a day.[275][276] The Port Arthur Refinery in Southeast Texas is the largest refinery in the U.S.[275] Texas is also a leader in natural gas production at 28.8 billion cubic feet (820,000,000 m3) per day, some 32% of the nation's production.[277] Texas has 102.4 trillion cubic feet (2.90×1012 m3) of gas reserves which is 23% of the nation's gas reserves.[275][276] Many petroleum companies are based in Texas such as: ConocoPhillips,[278] EOG Resources, ExxonMobil,[279] Halliburton,[280] Hilcorp, Marathon Oil,[281] Occidental Petroleum,[282] Valero Energy,[283] and Western Refining.[284]

According to the Energy Information Administration, Texans consume, on average, the fifth most energy (of all types) in the nation per capita and as a whole, following behind Wyoming, Alaska, Louisiana, North Dakota, and Iowa.[275]

Unlike the rest of the nation, most of Texas is on its own alternating current power grid, the Texas Interconnection. Texas has a deregulated electric service. Texas leads the nation in total net electricity production, generating 437,236 MWh in 2014, 89% more MWh than Florida, which ranked second.[285][286]

The state is a leader in renewable energy commercialization; it produces the most wind power in the nation.[275][287] In 2014, 10.6% of the electricity consumed in Texas came from wind turbines.[288] The Roscoe Wind Farm in Roscoe, Texas, is one of the world's largest wind farms with a 781.5 megawatt (MW) capacity.[289] The Energy Information Administration states the state's large agriculture and forestry industries could give Texas an enormous amount of biomass for use in biofuels. The state also has the highest solar power potential for development in the U.S.[275]

Technology

Astronaut training at the Johnson Space Center in Houston

With large universities systems coupled with initiatives like the Texas Enterprise Fund 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". Many high-tech companies are located in or have their headquarters in Texas (and Austin in particular), including Dell, Inc.,[290] Borland,[291] Forcepoint,[292] Indeed.com,[293] Texas Instruments,[294] Perot Systems,[295] Rackspace and AT&T.[296][297][298]

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (NASA JSC) is located in Southeast Houston. Both SpaceX and Blue Origin have their test facilities in Texas.[299][300] Fort Worth hosts both Lockheed Martin's Aeronautics division and Bell Helicopter Textron.[301][302] Lockheed builds the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the largest Western fighter program, and its successor, the F-35 Lightning II in Fort Worth.[303]

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, Kimberly-Clark, Blockbuster, J. C. Penney, Whole Foods Market, and Tenet Healthcare.[304]

Nationally, the Dallas–Fort Worth area, home to the second shopping mall in the United States, has the most shopping malls per capita of any American metropolitan statistical area.[305]

Mexico, the state's largest trading partner, imports a third of the state's exports because of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). NAFTA has encouraged the formation of maquiladoras on the Texas–Mexico border.[306]

Culture

The Alamo is one of the most recognized symbols of Texas.

Historically, Texas culture comes from a blend of mostly Southern (Dixie), Western (frontier), and Southwestern (Mexican/Anglo fusion) influences, varying in degrees of such from one intrastate region to another. A popular food item, the breakfast burrito, draws from all three, 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.[307][308]

Texas has made a strong mark on national and international pop culture. The entire state is strongly associated with the image of the cowboy shown in westerns and in country western music. The state's numerous oil tycoons are also a popular pop culture topic as seen in the hit TV series Dallas.[309]

The internationally known slogan "Don't Mess with Texas" began as an anti-littering advertisement. Since the campaign's inception in 1986, the phrase has become "an identity statement, a declaration of Texas swagger".[310]

Texas self-perception

Big Tex presided over every Texas State Fair since 1952 until it was destroyed by a fire in 2012. Since then a new Big Tex was created.

"Texas-sized" describes something that is about the size of the U.S. state of Texas,[311][312] or something (usually but not always originating from Texas) that is large compared to other objects of its type.[313][314][315] Texas was the largest U.S. state until Alaska became a state in 1959. The phrase "everything is bigger in Texas" has been in regular use since at least 1950.[316]

Arts

ZZ Top performing in 2016. The power trio are considered cultural icons of Texas and blues-inspired rock music.

Houston is one of only five American cities with permanent professional resident companies in all the major performing arts disciplines: the Houston Grand Opera, the Houston Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Ballet, and The Alley Theatre.[317] Known for the vibrancy of its visual and performing arts, the Houston Theater District ranks second in the country in the number of theater seats in a concentrated downtown area, with 12,948 seats for live performances and 1,480 movie seats.[317] 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 Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, the Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art, and the Nasher Sculpture Center.[318]

Houston Symphony at the Jones Hall

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".[319] Artists such as Blind Lemon Jefferson, Robert Johnson, Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter, and Bessie Smith played in early Deep Ellum clubs.[320]

Austin, The Live Music Capital of the World, boasts "more live music venues per capita than such music hotbeds as Nashville, Memphis, Los Angeles, Las Vegas or New York City".[321] The city's music revolves around the nightclubs on 6th Street; events like the film, music, and multimedia festival South by Southwest; the longest-running concert music program on American television, Austin City Limits; and the Austin City Limits Music Festival held in Zilker Park.[322]

Since 1980, San Antonio has evolved into "The Tejano Music Capital Of The World".[323] The Tejano Music Awards have provided a forum to create greater awareness and appreciation for Tejano music and culture.[324]

Sports

AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, who are commonly known as America's Team
Playoff game between the San Antonio Spurs (led by Tim Duncan, #21) and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2007; the Spurs won the NBA Finals that year.
Texan baseball fans attending a game between the state's two MLB teams (Texas Rangers and Houston Astros) at Globe Life Field in Arlington

Within the "Big Four" professional leagues, Texas has two NFL teams (the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans), two MLB teams (the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers),[325][326] three NBA teams (the San Antonio Spurs, the Houston Rockets, and the Dallas Mavericks), and one NHL team (the Dallas Stars). The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex is one of only thirteen American metropolitan areas that host sports teams from all the "Big Four" professional leagues. Outside of the "Big Four", Texas also has a WNBA team (the Dallas Wings), three Major League Soccer teams (Austin FC, Houston Dynamo FC and FC Dallas), and one NWSL team (the Houston Dash).[citation needed]

Collegiate athletics have deep significance in Texas culture, especially football. The state has twelve Division I-FBS schools, the most in the nation. Four of the state's schools claim at least one national championship in football: the Texas Longhorns, the Texas A&M Aggies, the TCU Horned Frogs, and the SMU Mustangs.[327][328][329][330] According to a survey of Division I-A coaches, the rivalry between the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas at Austin, the Red River Shootout, ranks the third-best in the nation.[331] The TCU Horned Frogs and SMU Mustangs also share a rivalry and compete annually in the Battle for the Iron Skillet. A fierce rivalry, the Lone Star Showdown, also exists between the state's two largest universities, Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin. The athletics portion of the Lone Star Showdown rivalry has been put on hold after the Texas A&M Aggies joined the Southeastern Conference.[332]

The University Interscholastic League (UIL) organizes most primary and secondary school competitions. Events organized by UIL include contests in athletics (the most popular being high school football) as well as artistic and academic subjects.[333]

Rodeo (the state sport) in Austin

Texans also enjoy rodeo. The world's first rodeo was hosted in Pecos, Texas.[334] The annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the largest rodeo in the world. The Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show in Fort Worth is the oldest continuously running rodeo incorporating many of the state's most historic traditions into its annual events. Dallas hosts the State Fair of Texas each year at Fair Park.[335]

Texas Motor Speedway hosts annual NASCAR Cup Series and IndyCar Series auto races since 1997. Since 2012, Austin's Circuit of the Americas plays host to a round of the Formula 1 World Championship.[336]

The Panther City Lacrosse Club is a professional lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League. They have played local matches at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas since their inaugural 2021–2022 season.[337]

Education

The second president of the Republic of Texas, Mirabeau B. Lamar, is the Father of Texas Education. During his term, the state set aside three leagues in each county for 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.[338] Lamar's actions set the foundation for a Texas-wide public school system.[339]

Between 2006 and 2007, Texas spent $7,275 per pupil, ranking it below the national average of $9,389. The pupil/teacher ratio was 14.9, below the national average of 15.3. Texas paid instructors $41,744, below the national average of $46,593. 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.[340] 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, the state has a tax redistribution system called the "Robin Hood plan" which transfers property tax revenue from wealthy school districts to poor ones.[341] The TEA has no authority over private or homeschooling activities.[342]

Students in Texas take the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) in primary and secondary school. STAAR assess students' attainment of reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies skills required under Texas education standards and the No Child Left Behind Act. The test replaced the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test in the 2011–2012 school year.[343]

Generally prohibited in the Western world, school corporal punishment is not unusual in the more conservative, rural areas of the state,[344][345][346] with 28,569 public school students paddled at least one time,[g] according to government data for the 2011–2012 school year.[347] The rate of school corporal punishment in Texas is surpassed only by Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas.[347]

Higher education

The University of Texas at Austin
University of Houston
Texas A&M University
Rice University

The state's two most widely recognized flagship universities are The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University, ranked as the 21st[348] and 41st[349] best universities in the nation according to 2020's latest Center for World University Rankings report, respectively. Some observers[350] also include the University of Houston and Texas Tech University as tier one flagships alongside UT Austin and A&M.[351][352] The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board ranks the state's public universities into three distinct tiers:[353]

Texas's alternative affirmative action plan, Texas House Bill 588, guarantees Texas students who graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school class automatic admission to state-funded universities. This does not apply to The University of Texas at Austin, which automatically admits Texas students who graduated in the top 6 percent of their high school class.[356] The bill encourages demographic diversity while attempting to avoid problems stemming from the Hopwood v. Texas (1996) case.[357]

Thirty-six public universities exist in Texas, of which 32 belong to one of the six state university systems.[358][359] Discovery of minerals on Permanent University Fund land, particularly oil, has helped fund the rapid growth of the state's two largest university systems: the University of Texas System and the Texas A&M System. The four other university systems: the University of Houston System, the University of North Texas System, the Texas State System, and the Texas Tech System are not funded by the Permanent University Fund.[360]

The Carnegie Foundation classifies four of Texas's universities as Tier One research institutions: The University of Texas at Austin, the Texas A&M University, the University of Houston and Texas Tech University. The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University are the flagship universities of the University of Texas System and Texas A&M University System, respectively. Both were established by the Texas Constitution and hold stakes in the Permanent University Fund.[360]

The state has sought to expand the number of flagship universities by elevating some of its seven institutions designated as "emerging research universities". The two expected to emerge first are the University of Houston and Texas Tech University, likely in that order according to discussions on the House floor of the 82nd Texas Legislature.[361]

The state is home to various private institutions of higher learning—ranging from liberal arts colleges to a nationally recognized top-tier research university. Rice University in Houston is one of the leading teaching and research universities of the United States and is ranked the nation's 17th-best overall university by U.S. News & World Report.[362]

Trinity University, a private, primarily undergraduate liberal arts university in San Antonio, has ranked first among universities granting primarily bachelor's and select master's degrees in the Western United States for 20 consecutive years by U.S. News.[363] Private universities include Abilene Christian University, Austin College, Baylor University, University of Mary Hardin–Baylor, and Southwestern University.[364][365][366]

Universities in Texas host three presidential libraries: George Bush Presidential Library at Texas A&M University,[367] the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum at The University of Texas at Austin,[368][369] and the George W. Bush Presidential Library at Southern Methodist University.[370]

Healthcare

Notwithstanding the concentration of elite medical centers in the state, The Commonwealth Fund ranks the Texas healthcare system the third worst in the nation.[371] Texas ranks close to last in access to healthcare, quality of care, avoidable hospital spending, and equity.[371] In May 2006, Texas initiated the program "code red" in response to the report the state had 25.1 percent of the population without health insurance, the largest proportion in the nation.[372]

The Trust for America's Health ranked Texas 15th highest in adult obesity: 27.2 percent of the state's population is obese.[373] 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.[374] Texas had only one city (Austin, ranked 21st) in the top 25 "fittest cities" in America.[374] The state is ranked forty-second in the percentage of residents who engage in regular exercise according to a 2007 study.[375]

Texas has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world, and the rate by which Texas women died from pregnancy-related complications doubled from 2010 to 2014, to 23.8 per 100,000—a rate unmatched in any other U.S. state or economically developed country.[376] In May 2021, the state legislature passed the Texas Heartbeat Act, which banned abortion from as early as six weeks of pregnancy, except to save the life of the mother. The Act allows private citizens to sue abortion providers and anyone else who assists in an abortion, except for the woman on whom the abortion is performed.[377][378] On August 25, 2022, another law took effect that made committing abortion at any stage of pregnancy a felony punishable by life in prison.[379]

Medical research

The Texas Medical Center in Houston

Texas has many elite research medical centers. The state has 15 medical schools,[380] four dental schools,[381] and two optometry schools.[382] Texas has two Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) laboratories: one at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston,[383] and the other at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research in San Antonio—the first privately owned BSL-4 lab in the United States.[384]

The Texas Medical Center in Houston holds the world's largest concentration of research and healthcare institutions, with over 50 member institutions.[385] Texas Medical Center performs the most heart transplants in the world.[386] The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston is a highly regarded academic institution that centers around cancer patient care, research, education and prevention.[387]

San Antonio's South Texas Medical Center facilities rank sixth in clinical medicine research impact in the United States.[388] The University of Texas Health Science Center is another highly ranked research and educational institution in San Antonio.[389][390]

Both the American Heart Association and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center call Dallas home.[391] The institution's medical school employs the most medical school Nobel laureates in the world.[391][392]

Transportation

The High Five Interchange in Dallas

The state's large size and rough terrain have historically complicated transportation. Texas has compensated by building the nation's largest highway and railway systems. The regulatory authority, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), maintains the state's highway system, regulates aviation,[393] and public transportation systems.[394]

The state is 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 hours.[395] Texas has 33 foreign trade zones (FTZ), the most in the nation.[396] In 2004, a combined total of $298 billion of goods passed through Texas FTZs.[396]

Highways

"Welcome to Texas" sign, entering the state from Arkansas on Interstate 30

The first Texas freeway was the Gulf Freeway opened in 1948 in Houston.[397] As of 2005, 79,535 miles (127,999 km) of public highway crisscrossed Texas (up from 71,000 miles or 114,000 km in 1984).[citation needed] To fund recent growth in the state highways, Texas has 17 toll roads with several additional tollways proposed.[398] In Central Texas, the southern section of the State Highway 130 toll road has a speed limit of 85 miles per hour (137 km/h), the highest in the nation.[399] All federal and state highways in Texas are paved.

Airports

Terminal D at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
Terminal E at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston

Texas has 730 airports, second-most of any state in the nation. Largest in Texas by size and passengers served, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is the second-largest by area in the United States, and fourth in the world with 18,076 acres (73.15 km2).[400] In traffic, DFW airport is the busiest in the state, the fourth busiest in the United States,[401] and sixth worldwide.[402] Southwest Airlines, headquartered in Dallas, has its operations at Dallas Love Field.[403] American Airlines Group's American / American Eagle, the world's largest airline in total passengers-miles transported and passenger fleet size,[404] uses DFW as its largest and main hub.

Texas's second-largest air facility is Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). It serves as the largest hub for United Airlines, the world's third-largest airline, by passenger-miles flown.[405][h] IAH offers service to the most Mexican destinations of any U.S. airport.[406][407] The next five largest airports in the state all serve more than three million passengers annually; they include Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, William P. Hobby Airport, San Antonio International Airport, Dallas Love Field and El Paso International Airport. The smallest airport in the state to be designated an international airport is Del Rio International Airport.

Ports

Port of Houston along the Houston Ship Channel

Around 1,150 seaports dot Texas's coast with over 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of channels.[408] Ports employ nearly one-million people and handle an average of 317 million metric tons.[409] Texas ports connect with the rest of the U.S. Atlantic seaboard with the Gulf section of the Intracoastal Waterway.[408] The Port of Houston today is the busiest port in the United States in foreign tonnage, second in overall tonnage, and tenth worldwide in tonnage.[410] The Houston Ship Channel spans 530 feet (160 m) wide by 45 feet (14 m) deep by 50 miles (80 km) long.[411]

Railroads

DART light rail in Dallas
METRORail in Houston

Part of the state's tradition of cowboys is derived from the massive cattle drives which its ranchers organized in the nineteenth century to drive livestock to railroads and markets.

The first railroad to operate in Texas was the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railway, opening in August 1853.[412] The first railroad to enter Texas from the north, completed in 1872, was the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad.[413] With increasing railroad access, the ranchers did not have to take their livestock up to the Midwest and shipped beef out from Texas. This caused a decline in the economies of the cow towns.[414]

Since 1911, Texas has led the nation in length of railroad miles within the state. Texas railway length peaked in 1932 at 17,078 miles (27,484 km), but declined to 14,006 miles (22,540 km) by 2000. While the Railroad Commission of Texas originally regulated state railroads, in 2005 the state reassigned these duties to TxDOT.[415]

In the Dallas–Fort Worth area, three public transit agencies provide rail service: Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA), and Trinity Metro. DART began operating the first light rail system in the Southwest United States in 1996.[416] The Trinity Railway Express (TRE) commuter rail service, which connects Fort Worth and Dallas, is provided by Trinity Metro and DART.[417] Trinity Metro also operates the TEXRail commuter rail line, connecting downtown Fort Worth and Northeast Tarrant County to DFW Airport.[418] The A-train commuter rail line, operated by DCTA, acts as an extension of the DART Green line into Denton County.[419] In the Austin area, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority operates a commuter rail service known as Capital MetroRail to the northwestern suburbs. The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) operates light rail lines called METRORail in the Houston area.[420]

Amtrak provides Texas with limited intercity passenger rail service. 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). Texas may get one of the nation's first high-speed rail line. Plans for a privately funded high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston have been planned by the Texas Central Railway company.[421]

Government and politics

The current Texas Constitution was adopted in 1876. Like many states, it explicitly provides for a separation of powers. The state's Bill of Rights is much larger than its federal counterpart, and has provisions unique to Texas.[422]

State government

The Texas State Capitol at night

Texas has a plural executive branch system limiting the power of the governor, which is a weak executive compared to some other states. Except for the secretary of state, voters elect executive officers independently; candidates are directly answerable to the public, not the governor.[423] This election system has led to some executive branches split between parties and reduced the ability of the governor to carry out a program. When Republican president George W. Bush served as Texas's governor, the state had a Democratic lieutenant governor, Bob Bullock. The executive branch positions consist 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.[423]

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.[424] The Legislature meets in regular session biennially for just over a hundred days, but the governor can call for special sessions as often as desired (notably, the Legislature cannot call itself into session).[425] The state's fiscal year begins September 1.[426]

The judiciary of Texas is among 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.[427] Texas is notable for its use of capital punishment, having led the country in executions since capital punishment was reinstated in the Gregg v. Georgia case.[428]

The Texas Ranger Division of the Texas Department of Public Safety is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction. Over the years, the Texas Rangers have investigated crimes ranging from murder to political corruption. They have acted as riot police and as detectives, protected the Texas governor, tracked down fugitives, and functioned as a paramilitary force. The Texas Rangers were unofficially created by Stephen F. Austin in 1823 and formally constituted in 1835. The Rangers were integral to several important events of Texas history and some of the best-known criminal cases in the history of the Old West.[429]

The Texas constitution defines the responsibilities of county governments, which serve as agents of the state. Commissioners court and court judges are elected to serve as the administrative arm. Most cities in the state, those over 5,000 in population, have home-rule governments. The vast majority of these have charters for council-manager forms of government, by which voters elect council members, who hire a professional city manager as an operating officer.[430]

Politics

Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas, 36th president of the United States
George W. Bush of Texas, 43rd president of the United States

The Democratic Party dominated Texas politics from the turn of the 20th century, imposing racial segregation and white supremacy. It held power until after passage in the mid-1960s of national civil rights legislation enforcing constitutional rights of all citizens.[431][432]

The state's conservative White voters began to support Republican presidential candidates by the mid-20th century. After this period, they supported Republicans for local and state offices as well, and most Whites became Republican Party members.[433] The party also attracted some minorities, but many have continued to vote for Democratic candidates. The shift to the Republican Party is much-attributed to the fact the Democratic Party became increasingly liberal during the 20th century, and thus increasingly out-of-touch with the average Texas voter.[434] As Texas was always a conservative state, voters switched to the Republicans, which now more closely reflected their beliefs.[434][435] Commentators have also attributed the shift to Republican political consultant Karl Rove, who managed numerous political campaigns in Texas in the 1980s and 1990s.[435] Other stated reasons included court-ordered redistricting and the demographic shift in relation to the Sun Belt that favored the Republican Party and conservatism.[126]

The 2003 Texas redistricting of Congressional districts led by Republican Tom DeLay, was called by The New York Times "an extreme case of partisan gerrymandering".[436] A group of Democratic legislators, the "Texas Eleven", fled the state in a quorum-busting effort to prevent the legislature from acting, but was unsuccessful.[437] The state had already redistricted following the 2000 census. Despite these efforts, the legislature passed a map heavily in favor of Republicans, based on 2000 data and ignoring the estimated nearly one million new residents in the state since then. Career attorneys and analysts at the Department of Justice objected to the plan as diluting the votes of African American and Hispanic voters, but political appointees overrode them and approved it.[436] Legal challenges to the redistricting reached the national Supreme Court in the case League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry (2006), but the court ruled in favor of the state (and Republicans).[438]

In the 2014 Texas elections, the Tea Party movement made large gains, with numerous Tea Party favorites being elected into office, including Dan Patrick as lieutenant governor,[439][440] Ken Paxton as attorney general,[439][441] in addition to numerous other candidates[441] including conservative Republican Greg Abbott as governor.[442]

Texas voters lean toward fiscal conservatism, while enjoying the benefits of significant federal investment in the state in military and other facilities achieved by the power of the Solid South in the 20th century. They also tend to have socially conservative values.[260][443]

Since 1980, most Texas voters have supported Republican presidential candidates. Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and El Paso consistently lean Democratic in both local and statewide elections.[128] Residents of counties along the Rio Grande closer to the Mexico–United States border, where there are many Latino residents, generally vote for Democratic Party candidates, while most other rural and suburban areas of Texas have shifted to voting for Republican Party candidates.[444][445]

As of the midterm elections of 2022, a large majority of the members of Texas's U.S. House delegation are Republican, along with both U.S. Senators. In the 118th United States Congress, of the 38 Congressional districts in Texas, 25 are held by Republicans and 13 by Democrats. Texas's Senators are John Cornyn and Ted Cruz. Since 1994, Texans have not elected a Democrat to a statewide office. The state's Democratic voters are made up primarily by liberal and minority groups in Austin, Beaumont, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, and San Antonio as well as minority voters in East and South Texas.[446][447][448] According to a study by the Cato Institute, Texas ranks last in personal freedom among the states, by factors including incarceration rates, cannabis laws, civil asset forfeiture policies, educational freedom, gambling laws, marriage freedom, and travel freedom.[449][450]

Lesser parties that have ballot access are the Green Party and the Libertarian Party.[451]

Criminal law

Texas has a reputation of very harsh criminal punishment for criminal offenses. It is one of the 32 states that practice capital punishment, and since the US Supreme Court allowed capital punishment to resume in 1976, 40% of all U.S. executions have taken place in Texas.[452] As of 2018, Texas had the 8th highest incarceration rate in the U.S.[453] Texas also has strong right of self-defense and self defense laws, allowing citizens to use lethal force to defend themselves, their families, or their property.[454] Texas has one of the strictest abortion bans in the country.[455]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988
  2. ^ In Peninsular Spanish, the spelling variant Tejas is also used alongside Texas. According to the Diccionario panhispánico de dudas by the Royal Spanish Academy and the Association of Academies of the Spanish Language, the spelling version with ⟨j⟩ aligns with modern-day orthographic conventions and is correct; however, the spelling with ⟨x⟩ is recommended, as it is the one that is used in Mexican Spanish.[9] See Spanish orthography § History.
  3. ^ Cabeza de Vaca wrote, "They went about with a firebrand, setting fire to the plains and timber so as to drive off the mosquitos, and also to get lizards and similar things which they eat, to come out of the soil. In the same manner they kill deer, encircling them with fires, and they do it also to deprive the animals of pasture, compelling them to go for food where the Indians want."[42]
  4. ^ Vázquez de Coronado wrote, "Two kinds of people travel around these plains with the cows; one is called Querechos and the others Teyas; they are very well built, and painted, and are enemies of each other. They have no other settlement or location than comes from traveling around with the cows. They kill all of these they wish and tan the hides, with which they clothe themselves and make their tents, and they eat the flesh, sometimes even raw, and they also even drink the blood when thirsty. The tents they make are like field tents, and they set them up over poles they have made for this purpose, which come together and are tied at the top, and when they go from one place to another they carry them on some dogs they have, of which they have many, and they load them with the tents and poles and other things, for the country is so level, as I said, that they can make use of these, because they carry the poles dragging along on the ground. The sun is what they worship most."[44]
  5. ^ Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin are not distinguished between total and partial ancestry.
  6. ^ Second to California
  7. ^ This figure refers to only the number of students paddled, regardless of whether a student was spanked multiple times in a year, and does not refer to the number of instances of corporal punishment, which would be substantially higher.
  8. ^ Based on the industry-standard measure of revenue passenger-kilometers/miles flown

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Bibliography

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