Texas

Territory (land area)	261,797 sq miles = 678,051 sq kms (Ranks 2^nd among states)
Population (July 2005 estimate):	22,859,968
Admitted:	December 29, 1845, as the 28th state of the US
Capital:	Austin
Largest cities (incl. metropolitan area):	Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin
Abbreviation:	TX
Nickname:	The Lone Star State
Region:	The South, The Southwest

Texas occupies a special place in the history of the US as the only member state which was for a short while as an independent republic. Originally it belonged to the Spanish colony of New Spain, and received its name from the Spaniards, who misunderstood a local Native American word, tejas, meaning ‘friends, allies,’ and believed that it was the name of the local tribe and their land.

After Mexico became independent of Spain in 1821, about 300 English-speaking settler families moved into Texas and settled along the Brazos River under the leadership of Stephen F. Austin. In 1835, General Antonio López de Santa Anna, President of Mexico, proclaimed a new constitution that reduced the power of provincial governments, in order to establish his firm control over the whole of the country. The American settlers rebelled against him, also hoping to receive help from the United States. President Santa Anna led troops against the insurgents personally, and after a two-week siege, his forces massacred about 250 Texan defenders at the Alamo mission near San Antonio, on March 6, 1836. A few days earlier the leadership of the American settlers declared the independence of Texas in March 1836, and Texan forces under the command of General Sam Houston defeated Santa Anna in the battle of San Jacinto on Apr 21, 1836 (the famous slogan ‘Remember the Alamo!’ was first used as a battle cry of Texans during the fight).

Most Texans ultimately wanted to join the United States, but Congress was reluctant to admit the new state because Texas had slavery. When the US finally annexed Texas in 1845, border disputes provoked the Mexican-American War, resulting in American occupation of most of the present Southwest. Texas joined the Confederacy in 1861 and fought on the Southern side in the Civil War.

In the late 19^th century, West Texas was famous for cattle ranching; large herds of longhorn cattle were raised on the open prairie, then driven northward to Kansas or eastward to Fort Worth to be put on trains and shipped to the Midwest or the East Coast. These cattle herds were overseen by cowboys, who grew to world fame through western stories and movies. In East Texas, on the other hand, cotton farming was the primary means of living. That is also the reason why East Texas is usually considered part of the South, while West Texas has more cultural similarities with the Southwest, so the whole state might be considered a transitional zone between two regions.

Texas became a very rich state in the early 20^th century, when the largest oil reserves of the US were found in the Gulf Coast area. Oil drilling gave rise to a rapid growth of industry and cities, with Houston emerging as the center of petrochemical industry, while the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth developed into one of the largest metropolitan areas of the US. Austin and San Antonio are noted for their distinctive atmosphere as well as the two largest universities in Texas (both part of the University of Texas system).

Texas is the largest state in the Continental US, and has the second largest population, which underlies the famous pride and confidence – some might say arrogance – of Texans. True Texans tend to believe that their state is a world on its own and often display a surprising lack of interest in other US states, not to mention the rest of the world. But nowadays Texas has a more mixed population, since it became a target of internal immigration from the north, as well as the growing influx of Mexicans across the long border. Today, more than one-third of the population is Hispanic, and their proportion is growing, while large areas along the border in West and South Texas have a Hispanic majority.