Texas State Guide

Texas is the second largest and second most populous of the 50 U.S. states. With the state capital located in Austin, Texas is bordered by the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and by the country of Mexico. Texas is also popularly called "The Lone  Star State".

Texas attained statehood ^[1] in 1845. The origin of the name Texas comes from the fact that the Caddo Indians of eastern Texas called their group of tribes the "Tejas," meaning "those who are friends".  The economy of Texas is one of the largest economies in the US.  Texas is also a leader in the global marketplace. In 2013, Texas was ranked as the number one state by export revenues, for the twelfth year in a row. Petroleum and natural gas, farming (cotton, livestock), steel, banking, insurance and tourism form the major industries of Texas.

History of Texas

Historians believe that the Apache moved down from their native territory in Canada and into North America sometime between 1000 and 1,400 A.D. Two groups settled in Texas— the Lipan Apache and the Mescalero. During the 1520s, Spanish explorer Alonso Alvarez de Pineda is credited with being the first European to explore and map the Gulf of Mexico. The Spanish began making entradas into Texas in the 1690s. By 1690, the Spanish realized the need to defend Texas against the French and blazed a network of trails from Mexico City to Louisiana.

Historians have generally identified the Coahuiltecans as an American Indian group formed from smaller groups of American Indian hunter-gatherers. In Texas, Coahuiltecans were located in the south along the Gulf Coast. From 1700 to 1713, Spain was involved in a European war and New Spain (Texas) was not a priority. Missionaries occupied the sites sporadically until the end of the Spanish era in Texas. On May 1, 1718, the Spanish established a mission-presidio complex which was the founding of the city of San Antonio. In 1724 the mission of San Antonio de Valero was moved to its present location. Trade between Texas and Louisiana had been prohibited early in the 18th century which was lifted in 1779.

During 1820 - 1824,  Mexico won independence from Spain and Austin finds new colony. By 1830s Mexico bans U.S.  immigration. Later tension grew between Texas and Mexico, acts of rebellion started  and war was declared. Texans, with a growing influx of American settlers, pushed for  separate statehood. On March 2, 1836, the Republic of Texas was born  as 58 delegates at Washington-on-the-Brazos signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. The Convention of 1836 was held at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 1 where the Texas Declaration of Independence was drafted and later adopted on March 2. The delegates also drafted the Texas Constitution, during the Convention, outlining their plan for  the new Republic.

On April 20, 1836, Texas won independence. In September 1836,  the citizens of the new Republic of Texas elected Sam Houston as their first president and Mirabeau B. Lamar as vice president. On January 01, 1839, Austin  became capital of Texas. On January 26, 1839, Texas adopts Lone Star flag. The Republic of Texas was annexed on December 29, 1845 and on February 19, 1846, Texas was annexed to the United States. Later U.S.-Mexican War starts and ends in 1848.

The First Railroad in Texas was established on 1853 and in 1854 the first Telegraph  office gets opened. During the 1860 - 1865 Texas joined Confederacy and the Civil  War began. On February 15, 1876, the present Texas Constitution got adopted. The  first Military Air Flight took place in San Antonio on March 2, 1910. In 1924 Ma Ferguson, first woman Governor was elected in Texas. In 1993 Kay Bailey Hutchison, first woman from Texas Elected to U.S. Senate. George W. Bush was elected as 46th  Governor of Texas and later President in 2000.

Statehood of Texas

Texans voted in favor of annexation to the United States in the first election following independence in 1836. On March 1, 1845 the United States Congress passed  a Joint Resolution for Annexing Texas to the United States. In July 1845, a popularly-elected Constitutional Convention met in Austin and voted to accept the United States' proposal and the Annexation Ordinance was submitted to a popular vote in October 1845. The United States House and Senate accepted the Texas state  constitution in a Joint Resolution to Admit Texas as a State which was signed by the president on December 29, 1845. Texas officially became a state on December  29, 1845 but until February 19, 1846 the formal transfer of government did not occur. Later the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo signed in 1848 thereby ending the War with Mexico. Texas was accepted by the Provisional Government of the Confederate States of America as a state on March 1, 1861. Texas existed as a state in the Confederate States of America throughout the Civil War period. Texans voted on a revised state constitution in November 1869 and elected a state government.

Timeline of Texas

The important chronological events in the history of Texas are:
 

Geography of Texas

Texas has a varied natural environment whose geography extends from sea level at the Gulf of Mexico to over 8,000 feet in the Guadalupe Mountains of far West Texas and from the semitropical Lower Rio Grande Valley to the High Plains of the Panhandle. The state of Texas has about 7 percent of the total water and land area of the US. Texas is second in size among the states and has a land and water area of 268,596 square miles. Texas is as large as all of New England, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and North Carolina combined. The area of the state is 261,232 square miles^[2].

Topography of Texas

The extremes of latitude and longitude are: From Latitude 25^o  50' N at the extreme southern turn of the Rio Grande on the south line of Cameron County to Latitude 36^o 30' N along the north line of the Panhandle, and from Longitude 93^o 31' W at the extreme eastern point on the Sabine River on the east line of Newton County to Longitude 106^o 38' W on the end western point on the Rio Grande above El Paso. The geographical regions of Texas are:

Big Bend Country: West Texas has wide-open spaces with rugged plateaus and desert  mountains. The desert area is part of the great Chihuahuan Desert of Mexico while the plateaus have short grasses and brush. Found here are the only mountains in Texas. Big Bend Country is a region of extremes as the desert is dry and hot in the day and cool at night. The Rio Grande River runs along the southern part of the Big Bend Country. This region is called "Big Bend" because the Rio Grande River turns here in a big bend.

Gulf Coast: The Gulf Coast stretches along the Gulf of Mexico for hundreds of miles. Cities like Galveston Corpus Christi and Houston are in the Gulf Coast region. Marshes, islands, barrier estuaries and bays are seen here. The Gulf Coast is home to many wildlife and plants.

Texas Hill Country: Located in Central Texas, the Texas Hill Country sits on the Edwards Plateau. There are many springs, hidden, underground lakes and some steep canyons in this area. The region is home to a whole host of rare plants and animals found nowhere else on earth.

Panhandle plains: The northernmost area of Texas is called the Panhandle. The area is straight and narrow like the handle of a pan with the broader area of the state below it like the bottom of a pan. These plains are part of the same flat grassland that extends from the Great Plains of the Central United States. Mostly flat, grassy land or plains are found here.

Pineywoods: As the East Texas region is primarily a thick forest of pines so it is called Pineywoods. The woodland forms part of a larger forest extending into Arkansas Louisiana and Oklahoma. The region is home to a variety of plants and animals. The terrain grows hardwood trees such as mesquite elm and ash.

South Texas plains: The South Texas plains and brush country stretches from the edges of the Hill Country into the subtropical regions of the Lower Rio Grande valley. Most part of the area is dry and covered with grasses and thorny brush.

Prairies and Lakes region: In north central and central Texas are found the Prairies and Lakes region. This area is a  transition between the Pineywoods of East Texas and the plains of the West Texas Panhandle. Sprinkled throughout this grassland prairie are patches of woodland running in a north and south direction. This region is sometimes called 'cross timbers'.

Altitudes of  Some Notable Places in Texas

At 8,749 feet above the sea level, the Guadalupe Peak is the highest point in the state. El Capitan, its twin, stands at 8,085 feet, located in Culberson County near the New Mexico state line. Fort Davis in Jeff Davis County is the highest town of any size in Texas at 5,050 feet. The county has the highest average elevation as well. Also in the county is the highest point on state highways, 6,781 feet, at McDonald Observatory at the end of a tap from State Highway 118. Paisano Pass, 14 miles east of Marfa in Presidio County is the highest railway point. Sea level is the lowest elevation determined in Texas and can be found in all the coastal counties.

Forests in Texas

Approximately 675,000 acres of public land in Texas is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The land is divided into Caddo-Lyndon B. Johnson National Grasslands in northeast Texas and four National Forests in east Texas. These lands are administered to protect and obtain the greatest benefit from all forest resources i.e., recreation,  wildlife, timber, range,  soil, water and minerals. All general forest areas are open to dispersed recreation activities including hunting and fishing. The National Forests^[4] and Grasslands in Texas provide excellent opportunities for bird watching and wildlife viewing. Primitive camping is allowed anywhere in the general forest area. Hunting and fishing are permitted on the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas in accordance with State laws. Forests in Texas are:

Angelina National Forest: The Angelina National Forest is situated in the core of east Texas having an area of 153,179-acre. The forest lies in the Neches River Basin and on the northern and southern shores of Sam Rayburn Reservoir. It is a  114,500-acre lake on the Angelina River formed in the early 1960's by the construction of Sam Rayburn Dam.

Davy Crockett National Forest: Located in Houston and Trinity Counties, the Davy Crockett National Forest consists of more than 160,000 acres of East Texas woodlands, recreation areas, streams and wildlife habitat. The forest is centrally located within the Neches and Trinity River basins. The Forest was proclaimed a National Forest by President Franklin Roosevelt on 15th October, 1936. Sabine National Forest: The Sabine National Forest stretches to 160,656-acre and is located in the pineywoods of east Texas is the easternmost of the four national forests in Texas. It forms part of the boundary between Texas and Louisiana and is situated on the western slopes of the Sabine River watershed within Sabine, Shelby, Jasper, San Augustine and Newton counties.

Sam Houston National Forest: The Sam Houston National Forest WMA has 161,508 acres. Fishing, trapping and public hunting of white-tailed deer, waterfowl, feral hog, dove, other migratory game birds, quail, squirrel, rabbits, predators, hares, furbearers and frogs are permitted. Outdoor recreation opportunities include hiking, camping, bicycling and wildlife viewing are also done here.

Caddo-Lyndon B. Johnson National Grasslands: The Caddo and Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) National Grasslands are located in two areas northeast and northwest of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. White-tailed deer, coyotes, small mammals, bobcats, red fox, bobwhite quail, waterfowl, turkey and songbirds thrive in the diverse habitats provided by the Grasslands. Blue and channel catfish, Largemouth bass and various sunfish species are common catches at the many lakes that dot the Grasslands' landscape.

For more on Texas forests click here

Demographics of Texas

The population^[5] of Texas in 2013 was approximately 26,059,203, the 2nd largest population in the United States which displayed a hike of 3.6% from census 2010. The population density of the state is about 98.1 people per square mile which is ranked the 26th largest population density in the United States. Approximately 50.3% of the state’s people are female, while 49.7% of the population is male. Whites (including Hispanic or Latino) make up the largest percentage of the demographics as Approximately 81% of the state composes of whites. the members ofthe Catholic Church make the largest denomination in the state followed by Baptist, Jewish, Eastern, or Islamic faiths.

Population quick facts

• Population (2013) estimate: 26,448,193
• Population, 2010 (April 1) estimates: 25,145,561
• Population, percent change, April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013: 5.2%
• Persons under 5 years, percent, 2013: 7.3%
• Persons under 18 years, percent 2013: 26.6%
• Persons 65 years and over, percent 2013: 11.2%
• Female persons (2013): 50.3%
• Male: 49.7%
  

Economy of Texas

Texas' economy is one of the largest economies in the US. As of 2013, Texas is home to six of the top 50 companies on the Fortune 500 list. Agricultural and industrial sectors contribute immensely to the economy of Texas.

Agriculture in Texas

Agriculture^[6] is one of the important revenue generators of Texas. About 12% of Texas' population lives in rural areas and it is recorded that one out of every seven working Texans (14%) handles agriculture-related job. Texas also heads the country in number of farms and ranches and there are 248,800 farms and ranches covering 130.2 million acres in Texas. 98.6% of Texas farms and ranches are family farms, family-held corporations or partnerships. Texas also leads the country in cattle, hay, cotton, goats, sheep and mohair production.


The Texas Department of Agriculture is an agency working to promote production agriculture, economic development, consumer protection and healthy living in the state. The agriculture commissioner looks after the agency and is elected every four years. Sid Miller is the current commissioner.

Top 10 commodities in 2012 in terms of cash receipts:

• Cattle, $10.5 billion
• Cotton, $2.2 billion
• Milk, $1.8 billion
• Broilers, $1.7 billion
• Greenhouse & nursery, $1.3 billion
• Corn, $1.2 billion
• Grain Sorghum, $594 million
• Wheat, $538 million
• Vegetables, $439 million
• Eggs, $439 million

For more on Texas agriculture click here

Industries in Texas

Industries play a pivotal role in the economy of Texas. Industries such as Tourism, Entertainment, Advanced tech and manufacturing, Aerospace, Aviation & Defense and so on are important industries of Texas that generates huge income for the state. Primary industries in Texas are:

Tourism Industry in Texas: Tourism has long been designated as an important economic development tool,promoting revenue generation and jobs for the Texas economy. Tourism in Texas is a $57.5billion industry. The State of Texas offers financial funding to state agencies to support and manage the growth of the state’s tourism industry which in turn conduct a variety of tourism related activities essential for achieving an effective statewide tourism effort. The overall goal of the state’s tourism effort is to generate travel to and within Texas.

Entertainment industry in Texas: Texas has a large entertainment industry. Texas is a top filmaking state. Austin in Texas is one of the leading film making locations in US. The Music & Entertainment Division of Austin is highly focused in developing and facilitating initiatives that help magnify the growth of the music and entertainment industry infrastructure by focusing on job creation, trade development, talent export and industry revenue growth.

Advanced tech and manufacturing industry: Manufacturing in Texas spurs the creation of new consumer markets, new companies and beneficial careers with a rewarding standard of living. Texas manufacturing employs nearly 874,450 people. GM and Toyota are the largest automotive manufacturing employers in Texas. Texas ranked the top state in the U.S. for manufacturing exports and shipment value.

Aerospace, Aviation & Defense: Texas is home to 15 active military bases with 250,874 personnel, registering a $150 billion impact on the state economy. The aerospace and aviation industry provides employment to over 153,000 Texas workers. NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center is the hub for the world’s operations in outer space.

Biotechnology & Life Sciences: Texas is home to more than 3,600 firms engaged in manufacturing and biotechnology R&D. Texas Medical Center (TMC) in Houston is considered the largest concentration of medical professionals and experts in the world and the 8th largest business district in the world. From 2008 to 2013, venture capitalists invested $1.3 billion in 161 biotech and medical device deals.

Information & Computer Tech: Texas ranks second in the nation for computer and video game employment. More than 13,600 people employed directly or indirectly by the industry. Employment in computer systems design has risen 60 percent in Texas over the last 10 years. Dell Computers originated in Austin. Texas is home to over 15,100 technology firms which employs 196,000 workers.

Petroleum Refining & Chemical Products: Texas is home to Exxon Mobil, providing oil, gas and chemicals to the world. It is second in the 2014 Fortune 500. Texas is home to 33 energy-related companies on the Fortune 1000 list. Houston in Texas is home to more than 5,000 energy-related firms. With 100,000 workers employed, Texas is home to the largest petrochemical cluster in the world.

Energy: With almost 5,000 MW of installed nuclear power, Texas is a major nuclear power generating state. The energy sector immensely renders more than $172 billion to the Texas economy. There are over 848 operational oil and gas rigs in Texas.

Texas International Trade

Texas is a leader in the global marketplace. In 2013, Texas was ranked as the top state by export revenues^[7] , for the twelfth year in a row. Texas exports for 2013 totaled almost $279.5 billion, up from over $264.7 billion in 2012. The state’s exports lead almost the entire U.S. exports, which grew by 2.5 percent to $1.58 trillion in 2013 from $1.54 trillion in 2012. Texas' exported items are shipped across the globe every year. The top value-added Tex exports of the state in 2013 were Computer & Electronic Products, Chemicals,, Petroleum & Coal Products, Machinery (not electrical) and Transportation Equipment. In 2013, Texas imports totaled $311.6 billion, a decrease of approximately 5.7 percent from over $330.2 billion in 2012. Top 2013 Texas import commodities were led by crude oil at $88.2 billion, cell phones at $16.7 billion and petrol oil related products at $16.4 billion. Texas is a also a top-ranked destination for foreign direct investment (FDI).

Employment in Texas

In 2013, there was a hike of 2.3 percent in employment in Texas state and gained 252,400 seasonally adjusted jobs from December 2012 to December 2013. According to data published by the TBureau of Labor Statistics(BLS) exas added more jobs than any other state in 2013. The employment figures saw that the Lone Star State led the nation in job growth for the fourth consecutive year. Texas’ unemployment rate continue to be below the national unemployment rate in 2013, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Texas ranked No. 1 nationally for export related jobs in 2013 with over 1.1 million jobs. The nation as a whole had 7 million export related jobs in 2013.

Texas Labor and Management

According to 2007 Survey of Business Owners data there were 2,164,852 total Texa firms, up from 1,734,648 in 2002. Of these, 723,057 were minority-owned firms, representing 12.6 percent of the nation’s minority-owned firms. The value of sales and receipts of all firms in Texas reached $2.53 trillion in 2007, up from $1.81 trillion in 2002. Texas firms employed 8,712,639 in 2007, up from 8,059,889 in 2002. Texas has the leading women and minority farm operations as compared to any other state in the country.

Employers in Texas

The five major employers of the state are Texas A & M University with 50,000 employees, Shell Deepwater Devmnt Inc with 44,000 employees, Perot Systems Corp with 23,100 employees, Dell Inc with 21,000 employees and University of Texas At Austin with 21,000 employees.

Government of Texas

The Government of Texas is structured by the Constitution of the state of Texas which was adopted in 1876. The Constitution divides the powers of the government of the State into three distinct departments-- legislative, executive and the judicial.

The executive branch is commonly known as a 'plural executive' and is divided into three branches, namely the Executive branch, the Legislative branch and the Judiciary branch.

The Executive Department of the State consists of the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Commissioner of the General Land Office, the Comptroller of Public Accounts, the Attorney General and the Secretary of State. The governor of Texas is the chief executive of the state. Rick Perry was sworn in as the state's 47th governor on December 21, 2000. Since 2003, David Dewhurst has served as the Lieutenant Governor and President of the Texas Senate.

The Legislative power of the State is vested in a House of Representatives and a Senate together constituting the Legislature of Texas. The Honorable Joe Straus has been Speaker of the Texas House since January 2009.


The Judicial branch of Texas government enforces and adjudicates laws in overlapping federal, local and state jurisdictions. There are two supreme courts in Texas— the Court of Criminal Appeals and the Supreme Court of Texas. While the the Court of Criminal Appeals is dedicated to criminal matters, the Supreme Court of Texas handles only civil cases and cases involving juveniles. Also there are 14 courts of appeals, several district courts and lower courts. Nathan Hecht is the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, since since 2013.

For more information on the Government of Texas, click here

Education in Texas

The Texas Education Agency^[8]& is the state agency that manages and administers the entire primary and secondary public education in the state of Texas and helps deliver education to more than 5 million students. The mission of the Texas Education Agency is to provide guidance, leadership and resources to support schools fulfill the educational and academic needs of all students. Located in Austin, Texas, TEA, carries out the following functions:

• Administers the statewide assessment program and accountability system.
  
  
• Administers the distribution of state and federal funding to public schools.
  
  
• Provides support to the State Board of Education (SBOE) in the development of the statewide curriculum.
  
  
• Administers a data collection system on public school information.
  
  
• Assists the SBOE in the instructional materials adoption process and managing the instructional materials distribution process.
  

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board promotes quality, affordability, success and cost efficiency in the state's institutions of higher education. Its plans result in a globally competent workforce that positions Texas as an international leader in an increasingly complex world economy.

Best universities in Texas

Texas ranks near the top of the list in terms of the number of colleges and universities and the number of students enrolled. The best universities in Texas are:

• The University of Texas at Austin
• Texas A&M University
• University of Houston
• Rice University
• Texas Tech University
• University of Texas at Dallas

For Texas Education Agency, click here

For more on Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, click here

Transportation in Texas

The Texas Department of Transportation administers and manages the entire transportation system of the state of Texas. The Texas Department of Transportation works for the construction and maintenance of the state's immense highway system and is also responsible for overseeing rail, aviation and public transportation systems in the state.

Road transport in Texas

The Texas Department of Transportation is the supreme authority to look after the road transport relating activities in Texas. Buses and taxis are the primary modes of road transport in Texas. Private cars are one of the favored modes of transport in Texas. Personal vehicles are the predominant mode of everyday transportation in Texas. Bicycle and motorcycle are also another important mode of transport in Texas.

Texas Airways

Air Transportation is an essential and efficient one in Texas. Airports in Texas connects the state with other states of US. Taxes' big commercial airports are Dallas/Fort Worth International and Houston’s Bush Intercontinental. Besides these there are many airports and heliports serving the state. Texas Transport's Aviation Division helps the state’s general aviation airports to adhere to regulations. Texas' general aviation airport system is one of the largest in the nation.

Texas railways

Rail traffic plays a vital role in the state’s commerce and travel. Texas Department of Transportation oversees rail planning in the state. The Rail Division manages railroad planning, at-grade rail crossings, inspection, management of the South Orient Railroad and oversight of rail public transit safety. There are 9,784 public highway and rail crossings in Texas. The state leads all other states in total rail route miles, with 10,384.

Water transport in Texas

The state of Texas also has a significant marine transportation system. Texas has numerous ports along the Gulf Coast to transport freight entering and leaving the state as well as ports used by passenger cruise lines. The Texas Department of Transportation also operates ferries.

For more on Texas transportation click here

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References:

1. Texas Statehood
2. Texas Area
3. Texas mountains
4. Texas Forests
5. Texas demography
6. Texas agriculture
7. Texas trade
8. Texas Education Agency