God Bless America!      God Bless Texas! 
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Texas Facts:  The United States paid Texas $10 million in 1845 to cede territory that later became parts of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming when Texas joined the United States.  The map above represents the State of Texas between 1836 and 1845 after Texas won independence from Mexico on the battlefield of San Jacinto.

Texas Facts:  Six Flags that flew over the land of Texas; Spain (1519-1685), France (1685-1690), Spain (1690-1821), Mexico (1821-1836), Republic of Texas (1836-1845), United States (1845-1861), Confederacy (1861-1865) and United States (1865-present). 

Texas Facts:  The Congress of the Republic of Texas adopted the lone star as its seal back in 1836 when Texas was an independent nation. 

Texas Facts:  The state name came from an Indian word, Tejas, meaning friendly.  The state dinosaur is the Brachiosaur Sauropod.  The first saurodop tracks in the world were discovered in the Paluxy River just outside Glen Rose, Texas. 

Texas Facts:  Texas is the second most populated state in the USA with over 20,851,820 residents counted in 2000.  Over twelve million Texans live in four primary areas;  the Dallas/Fort Worth area has 5,221, 801 Mavericks, the Houston area has 4,737,791 Rockets, the San Antonio area has 1,592,383 Spurs and the Austin area has 1,249,763 citizens.  Houston, Dallas and San Antonio are all on the top ten list of United States most populated cities. 

Texas Facts:  Texas has become one of the most popular travel and tourism destinations in the United States generating almost $30 billion in travel spending.  With such a large area to cover, Texas has more highway and railroad track than any other state.  Did you know that El Paso Texas is 55 miles closer to Needles California than it is to Dallas? 

Texas Facts:  An interesting form of Texas transportation is the pipeline.  It is estimated that three-forths of the natural gas burned in the United States is transported from Texas using underground pipelines.  21% of the United States oil production in 1997 came from 210 of the 254 Texas counties.  Ranked fifth in US coal production, Texas has an abundant supply of natural minerals produced commercially.  Texas is the country's leading supplier of magnesium.  Texas is the second largest producer of portland cement, crushed stone, salt, sulfur, gypsum, crude, ball clay and talc.

Texas Facts:  One of our states founding fathers, Stephen F. Austin, was imprisoned for nearly two years by Mexico's dictator, General Santa Anna, on a charge of treason because he had petitioned for civil rights.  Mexico was the third nation to fly its flag over our soil before the Republic of Texas was established in 1836.  The map of Texas in 1836 would have included the eastern half of present day New Mexico, the central half of present day Colorado and small sections of Wyoming, Oklahoma and Kansas.

Texas Facts:  Texas has 1,202 incorporated municipalities ranging in size from 32 residents to over 1.9 million.  Today, over 80 percent of the Texas population lives in cities and towns, but that was not always the case.  Since the 1900's Texans have been relocating from our rural communities into our larger cities.  More than 10,000 Texas towns have just ceased to exist because of this shift in our state's demographics. 

Texas Facts:  Texas has 254 counties.  They range in size from Rockwall's small 148.6 square miles to Brewster's massive 6,193.1 square miles.  You can fit the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island inside Brewster County.  Texas counties also have a wide population range.  Loving County had a population of 67 people in the 2000 census as compared to Harris county with 3.4 million people.

Texas Facts:  The Dallas Morning News was established in 1885 by the Galveston News as sort of a North Texas subsidiary.  The two papers were linked by 315 miles of telegraph wire and shared a network of correspondents.  They were the first two newspapers in the country to print simultaneous editions.

Texas Facts:  Texas has rugged desert mountains in the southwest... Sandy beaches along the Gulf Coast... Rolling grasslands and prairies in the north... Rich pine forests covering the east... Limestone boulder, live oaks and beautiful bluebonnets decorating central Texas... Rugged sagebrush and mesquite covering most of the west...  Many native plants and animals can be found nowhere else in the world, but Texas.

Texas Facts:  In the year 1519, the Texas Gulf Coast was mapped by Alonzo Alverez de Pineda... In the year 1682, the first mission was established near present day El Paso... In the year 1836, Texas won  independence from Mexico... In the year 1845, Texas joins the United States of America as the 28th state... In the year 1901, Texas had it's first major oil strike near Beaumont... and,  as they say, the rest is history. 

Texas Facts:  Texas dominates the United States in shrimp cultivation by harvesting more than 39.5 million tons each year.  Shrimp accounts for nine-tenths of the total income from all commercial fishing activities in Texas.  In addition, Texas has an annual harvest of 3.25 million tons of crabs, 1.87 million tons of oysters and 1.13 tons of finfish like snapper, black drum and tuna. 

Texas Facts:  The State of Texas covers 267,277 square miles large enough to fit 15 of our 50 states within its borders and still have 1,000 square miles left over.  Nearly 77% of the state's land area is a Texas farm or ranch.  Texas leads the nation in livestock number and diversity.  Did you know that 97% of Texas land is privately owned?

Texas Facts:  Texas has 91 mountains a mile or more high and they are all located in the Trans-Pecos Region.  In the USA, Alaska is the only state with more lakes and streams than Texas.  Texas has four national and five state forests and 10.9% of the state is covered with trees.