[74] Twenty-three other empresarios brought settlers to the state, the majority of whom were from the United States. [66], When the United States purchased Louisiana from France in 1803, American authorities insisted the agreement also included Texas. [369] Texas ranks close to last in access to healthcare, quality of care, avoidable hospital spending, and equity among various groups. According to legend, when traveling through the region in the mid-16th century, the Spanish expedition from New Spain (Mexico) led by Francisco Vzquez de Coronado laid down stakes to serve as guides for the return trip. [55], In 1690 Spanish authorities, concerned that France posed a competitive threat, constructed several missions in East Texas among the Caddo. Water delineates many of its borders. Pete Maravich's son, Jaeson, says father would be 'cheering on' Detroit Mercy star Antoine Davis potentially breaking his NCAA all-time career scoring record on Thursday. [125], In 1901, the Democratic-dominated state legislature passed a bill requiring payment of a poll tax for voting, which effectively disenfranchised most blacks and many poor whites and Latinos. Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio consistently lean Democratic in both local and statewide elections. [147], During the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the first confirmed case of the virus in Texas was announced on March 4, 2020. [208] Texas has the largest number of people living in colonias of all states. In 1825, Texas had about 3,500 people, with most of Mexican descent. 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. 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.[188][189][190]. [425] This election system has led to some executive branches split between parties and reduced the ability of the governor to carry out a program. The oldest sediments were deposited on the flanks of a rifted continental margin, or passive margin that developed during Cambrian time. Weber, David J. [466] The annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the largest rodeo in the world. An estimated 788,000 lived in Texas from 15 to 19 and 20 years or more. Many sought asylum in the United States. [136] By 1990, Hispanics and Latino Americans overtook blacks to become the largest traditional minority group in the state. In contrast, Evangelical Protestants altogether were 31% of the population at the Pew Research Center's 2014 study, and Baptists were the largest Evangelical tradition (14%);[255] per the 2014 study, they made up the second largest Mainline Protestant group behind Methodists (4%). The agricultural, moundbuilding Caddo controlled much of the northeastern part of the state, along the Red, Sabine, and Neches River basins. Dallas hosts the State Fair of Texas each year at Fair Park. [455] As of 2018, Texas had the 8th highest incarceration rate in the U.S.[456] 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. At that time, several sudden outbreaks of violence between Native Americans and Texans started to spread. Over the years, the Texas Rangers have investigated crimes ranging from murder to political corruption. 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 towards Native Americans. It is ranked No. They have no other settlement or location than comes from traveling around with the cows. [277][279][280] The state grows significant amounts of cereal crops and produce. Purchase your tickets to join the Texas A&M University Bands for an afternoon of music as our students perform both wind band classics and new compositions. It's government just the way you want it - powerful, personalized, and in your pocket. Republican U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas is facing a rare potential censure back home over votes that included supporting new gun safety laws after the Uvalde school shooting that was in his district, A large storm system spouting heavy winds and possible tornadoes in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Kentucky damaged homes and buildings, downed trees, left thousands without power and was blamed for the deaths of five people Friday as it marched eastward, threatening heavy snow in the Midwest and Northeast, Tornadoes touched down in Texas and Louisiana as a powerful storm system that dumped snow in California moved eastward, Federal officials are investigating a string of close calls between planes, including one this week at Bostons Logan Airport, Damion Baugh scored a career-high 24 points, Emanuel Mille had 20 and No. This margin existed until Laurasia and Gondwana collided in the Pennsylvanian subperiod to form Pangea. [411] The Houston Ship Channel spans 530 feet (160m) wide by 45 feet (14m) deep by 50 miles (80km) long. [187], Other devastating Texas hurricanes include the 1915 Galveston hurricane, Hurricane Audrey in 1957 which killed more than 600 people, Hurricane Carla in 1961, Hurricane Beulah in 1967, Hurricane Alicia in 1983, Hurricane Rita in 2005, and Hurricane Ike in 2008. Texas ( / tkss /, also locally / tksz /; [8] Spanish: Texas, Tejas [b] [9]) is a state in the South Central region of the United States. By the end of the 18th century only a few nomadic tribes had not converted to Christianity. The state has twelve Division I-FBS schools, the most in the nation. College football coaching hot seat and retirement watch for 2023, Returning production rankings for all 133 FBS teams, Texas A&M WR Smith returning for 2023 season, First look at college football's 2024 recruiting cycle: Players, schools and storylines to watch. The Act applies to pregnancies caused by incest or rape, although a clause prohibits the perpetrators from enforcing it with civil lawsuits. Archaeologists have found that three major indigenous cultures lived in this territory, and reached their developmental peak before the first European contact. [419] Trinity Metro also operates the TEXRail commuter rail line, connecting downtown Fort Worth and Northeast Tarrant County to DFW Airport. [222][223], In 2015, Texas had 4.7 million foreign-born residents, about 17% of the population and 21.6% of the state workforce. [132][133] Texas manufactured 3.1 percent of total United States military armaments produced during World War II, ranking eleventh among the 48 states. Texans can cheer for a plethora of professional sports teams. [193][194] Usually, prevailing winds in North America will push polar air masses to the southeast before they reach Texas. Meet Texas by Texas (or TxT for short), your personal, portable government assistant from Texas.gov. The state is ranked No. Find the service and agency that can help you. Oligocene volcanic rocks are found in far west Texas in the Big Bend area. [58] Two years later, they created San Antonio as the first Spanish civilian settlement in the area. This has cost the state billions of dollars in livestock and crops. [99], The Comanche Indians furnished the main Native American opposition to the Texas Republic, manifested in multiple raids on settlements. SCHEDULE A VIRTUAL TOUR YOU ARE HERE! 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. [25] The Mission San Francisco de los Tejas was completed near the Hasinai village of Nabedaches in May 1690, in what is now Houston County, East Texas. [35] At least one tribe of Coahuiltecans, the Aranama, lived in southern Texas. The state also has the highest solar power potential for development in the U.S.[285], 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. [43], During the Texas Revolution, the U.S. became heavily involved. [255][253] Adherents of many other religions reside predominantly in the urban centers of Texas. [376][377] On August 25, 2022, another law took effect that made committing abortion at any stage of pregnancy a felony punishable by life in prison. The DallasFort Worth and Houston metropolitan areas number about 7.5 million and 7 million residents as of 2019, respectively. Even Native Americans hesitated to venture across these lands. 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. [171] Located far from an active plate tectonic boundary, Texas has no volcanoes and few earthquakes. Maybe you are currently enrolled in a Texas high school, or you could be attending college on the other side of the globe. Stretching inland from the Gulf Coast, the Coastal Plains, encompassing about two-fifths of the states land area, range from sea level to about 1,000 feet (300 metres) in elevation. [384] Texas Medical Center performs the most heart transplants in the world. It ranks as the largest airline in the United States by number of passengers carried domestically per year and the largest airline in the world by number of passengers carried. Mainline Protestants in contrast made up 15% of Protestant Texas. To access other Texas.gov online services, visit the Driver Services page or use the Government Services Directoryto find what you need. These salt deposits formed salt dome diapirs, and are found in East Texas along the Gulf coast. U.S. In early 1835, wary Texians formed Committees of Correspondence and Safety. [33][41] 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.[44]. [196] 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. TexAgs - Texas A&M Football, Recruiting, News & Forums FINAL: #4 Ole Miss 77, #13 Texas A&M 60 (SEC Tournament, Quaterfinal) Back for their third game in as many days, 13th-seeded Texas A&M faces No. The boundary between New Spain and the United States was finally set at the Sabine River in 1819, at what is now the border between Texas and Louisiana. Texas's border with Mexico was known as the "backdoor of the Confederacy" because trade occurred at the border, bypassing the Union blockade. Events organized by UIL include contests in athletics (the most popular being high school football) as well as artistic and academic subjects. [195] As an independent state, Texas would rank as the world's seventh-largest producer of greenhouse gases. [420] The A-train commuter rail line, operated by DCTA, acts as an extension of the DART Green line into Denton County. [404] Southwest Airlines, headquartered in Dallas, has its operations at Dallas Love Field.[405]. Texas Records and Information Locator (TRAIL). Learn More 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. The majority of Texas's population have been and remain predominantly Christian, influenced by Spanish Catholic and American Protestant colonialism and missionary work (75.5%). [160], Texas is in the south central part of the United States of America. [75] The population of Texas grew rapidly. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. [449][450], 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. Explore Texas A&M and learn how to become an Aggie. Changes to Texas Districts", "Lieutenant Governor Loses Texas Runoff as Tea Party Holds Sway", "Texas Lt. Gov. Austin's settlers, the Old Three Hundred, made places along the Brazos River in 1822. University of Texas at Austin Since oil was discovered, the state's economy has reflected the state of the petroleum industry. Your TxT account lets you link and manage licenses and registrations with Texas government agencies that youre probably already familiar with likethe TexasDepartment of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV), Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). The result was widespread and catastrophic flooding that inundated hundreds of thousands of homes. These Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks underlie most of the state, and are exposed in three places: Llano uplift, Van Horn, and the Franklin Mountains, near El Paso. Much of the native ruggedness of the region is preserved in Big Bend National Park. John McCain won the state in 2008, but with a smaller margin of victory compared to Bush at 55 percent of the vote. [440] 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. [414] The first railroad to enter Texas from the north, completed in 1872, was the MissouriKansasTexas Railroad. Sea to Shining Sea . [79] Illegal immigration from the United States into Mexico continued to increase the population of Texas anyway. This makes it the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. From the High Plains country of West Texas emerged many of the legends of Texas weather and of the Texas cowboy. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) administers the state's public school systems. This included the Caddo of Louisiana and Arkansas. Texas is placed in the Southern United States by the United States Census Bureau. It became the 28th state of the union in 1845. The state has 15 medical schools,[379] four dental schools,[380] and two optometry schools. [226], Texas's Rio Grande Valley has seen significant migration from across the U.S.Mexico border. [250] 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.[244]. 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. The athletics portion of the Lone Star Showdown rivalry has been put on hold after the Texas A&M Aggies joined the Southeastern Conference. [114] The Confederacy repulsed all Union attempts to shut down this route,[113] but Texas's role as a supply state was marginalized in mid-1863 after the Union capture of the Mississippi River. [70] In 1821, the Mexican War of Independence included the Texas territory, which became part of Mexico. While Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth-largest city in the United States by population, the DallasFort Worth metropolitan area is larger than the city and metropolitan area of Houston. The Texas A&M Aggies left the Big 12 and joined the Southeastern Conference in 2012, which led the Big 12 to invite TCU to join; TCU was previously in the Mountain West Conference. [296], 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. [54] A small band of survivors traveled eastward into the lands of the Caddo, but La Salle was killed by disgruntled expedition members. Corrections? The regulatory authority, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), maintains the state's immense highway system, regulates aviation,[392] and public transportation systems. [265], In 2010, Site Selection Magazine ranked Texas as the most business-friendly state in the nation, in part because of the state's three-billion-dollar Texas Enterprise Fund. Please note 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. We Asked Four Texas A&M Professors About The Future Of AI. [212] A municipality may elect home rule status once it exceeds 5,000 population with voter approval. Texas leads the nation in total net electricity production, generating 437,236 MWh in 2014, 89% more MWh than Florida, which ranked second. [270][447], Since 1980, most Texas voters have supported Republican presidential candidates. [395] In 2004, a combined total of $298billion of goods passed through Texas FTZs.[395]. The smallest airport in the state to be designated an international airport is Del Rio International Airport. [51][52], European powers ignored the area until accidentally settling there in 1685. Huge", "Physical Regions of Texas | Texas Almanac", "Texas Ecoregions Texas Parks & Wildlife Department", "Is Texas Southern, Western, or Truly a Lone Star? County government runs similar to a "weak" mayor-council system; the county judge has no veto authority, but votes along with the other commissioners. Texas may get one of the nation's first high-speed rail line. These strike most frequently in North Texas and the Panhandle. The state's economic growth has led to urban sprawl and its associated symptoms. Contributing Editor, Encyclopdia Britannica, Associate Vice President; Dean of Faculties, Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas. And were always working to add more agencies and services to TxT. Texas is commonly divided into East and West, although the dividing line between the two is ambiguous. The name of the state derives from the Caddo word thecas, meaning allies or friends. (The Spanish spelled the word tejas or texas and used it to describe the area where this Native American tribe lived.) At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km 2 ), and with more than 30 million residents in 2022, [10] [11] [12] it is the second-largest U.S. state by both area (after Alaska) and population (after California ). Spending a little time personalizing your TxT account now will pay off later. They were most interested in relationships with the Caddo, who were - like the Spanish - a settled, agricultural people. Jesse H. Jones Professor of Journalism and Education, University of Texas at Austin, 197075. [416], Since 1911, Texas has led the nation in length of railroad miles within the state. ESPN Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. [409] 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. [362][363][364], Universities in Texas host three presidential libraries: George Bush Presidential Library at Texas A&M University,[365] the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum at The University of Texas at Austin,[366][367] and the George W. Bush Presidential Library at Southern Methodist University. American Varieties . [311][312] Fort Worth hosts both Lockheed Martin's Aeronautics division and Bell Helicopter Textron. ", "Rough Country: How Texas Became America's Most Powerful Bible-Belt State", "Religion in America: U.S. At the 2020 American Community Survey's estimates, 64.9% of the population spoke only English, and 35.1% spoke a language other than English. The name Texas, based on the Caddo word tysha (/taja/) 'friend', was applied, in the spelling Tejas or Texas,[21][22][23][1] by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves, specifically the Hasinai Confederacy,[24] the final -s representing the Spanish plural. Miscalculations by Ren-Robert Cavelier de La Salle resulted in his establishing the colony of Fort Saint Louis at Matagorda Bay rather than along the Mississippi River. Ringer Library Gardening Series - Getting the Kids Outside, Exercise Has A Direct Role In Fighting Breast Cancer, Finds Texas A&M Study, Texas A&M Researchers Receive $5M For Department Of Energy Project, Alzheimers Study Links Cholesterol And Toxic Protein Clusters, Hagler Institute Presents Malina Medallion Award To Ray Rothrock 77, Backyard Chickens Part 1: Preparing To Buy Healthy Birds, New Small Animal Teaching and Research Hospital Receives Major Gift Pledge. The Cross Timbers region and Caprock Escarpment are part of the Interior Lowlands. Set up your free account on TxT, the states official government assistant, and it will remind you when its time to renew. [430], The Texas Ranger Division of the Texas Department of Public Safety is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction. Copyright 2023 State of Texas. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. 30,029,572. [339] Lamar's actions set the foundation for a Texas-wide public school system. [153], During February 1317, 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. Influence of Teotihuacan in northern Mexico peaked around AD 500 and declined over the 8th to 10th centuries. Texas's Senators are John Cornyn and Ted Cruz. [77] Most of these early settlers who arrived with Austin and soon after were persons less than fortunate in life, as Texas was devoid of the comforts found elsewhere in Mexico and the United States during that time. County and state elections are partisan. Other fields were later discovered nearby in East Texas, West Texas, and under the Gulf of Mexico. Counties are not granted home rule status; their powers are strictly defined by state law. Graduate Programs & Degrees - Texas A&M University Dan Patrick Moves Quickly to Advance Conservative Agenda", "Tea Party Conservatives Win Top GOP Runoff Contests", "Texas' New Governor Echoes the Plans of Perry", "Texas Political CultureLow Taxes, Low Services Political Culture", "Report focusing on the political persuasion of Hispanic and Latino voters", "2000 Presidential General Election ResultsTexas", "2004 Presidential General Election ResultsTexas", "Religion in America: U.S. Mike Rodak from AL.com joins Paul to explain how the new scheduling in the SEC could impact the league. Population (2020) 29,145,505; (2022 est.) 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. [109] When Abraham Lincoln was elected, South Carolina seceded from the Union. NAFTA has encouraged the formation of maquiladoras on the TexasMexico border. [459][460][461][462], 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. Plus, Paul takes your calls. The Caddo preferred the company of Americans and almost the entire population of them migrated into the states of Louisiana and Arkansas. Texas A&M University-San Antonio Like many states, it explicitly provides for a separation of powers. 10:44 TexAgs Rewind (2/10) 15 days ago by TexAgs Radio The state extends nearly 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from north to south and about the same distance from east to west. In this region lies the flat, dry area known as the Llano Estacado (Staked Plain). At the western edge of the North Central Plains lies the Caprock Escarpment, an outcropping of rock that stretches to the north and south for about 200 miles (320 km). The state of New Mexico lies to the west. [465], Texans also enjoy the rodeo. ON-CAMPUS VISITS Tours include stops at residence halls, academic buildings and popular hangout spots. 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). For other uses, see, Map of the United States with Texas highlighted. The most common accent or dialect spoken by natives throughout Texas is sometimes referred to as Texan English, which itself is a sub-variety of a broader category of American English known as Southern American English. [438][439] Commentators have also attributed the shift to Republican political consultant Karl Rove, who managed numerous political campaigns in Texas in the 1980s and 1990s. The vastness and diversity of Texas are evident in nearly all aspects of its physical features, economy, history, and cultural life. The final battle of the Civil War was fought at Palmito Ranch, near Brownsville, Texas, and saw a Confederate victory. 9.42: Texas StatutesSection 9.42: Deadly Force to Protect Property", "Football still king, but hoops teams in Texas grab attention", "Texas Longhorns Four-Time Football National Champions Bobblehead Unveiled", "Texas A&M Picked Up Two National Championships, Two Conference Titles Over The Summer", "National Champions!!! [167], Texas is the southernmost part of the Great Plains, which ends in the south against the folded Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico. [33] While no proof was found as to who the culprit was, those in charge of Texas at the time attempted multiple times to publicly blame and punish the Caddo for the incidents with the U.S. government trying to keep them in check. [134], Texas modernized and expanded its system of higher education through the 1960s. [467] 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. [131], World War II had a dramatic impact on Texas, as federal money poured in to build military bases, munitions factories, POW detention camps and Army hospitals; 750,000 Texans left for service; the cities exploded with new industry; the colleges took on new roles; and hundreds of thousands of poor farmers left the fields for much better-paying war jobs, never to return to agriculture. Who were the fastest defensive backs? It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. Renew or replace driver license/ID with TxT, Renew massage therapy/instructor license with TxT, It's government just the way you want it - powerful, personalized, and in your pocket. Enjoy the Lone Star States parks, historical landmarks, campgrounds, fishing, hunting, exhibits, fairs, and culture. The South Plains subdivision, with Lubbock as the principal city, has large underground water reservoirs that allow large-scale irrigated cotton farming. 2022 season schedule, scores, stats, and highlights. Still have questions? It served as the largest hub for the former Continental Airlines, which was based in Houston; it serves as the largest hub for United Airlines, the world's third-largest airline, by passenger-miles flown. Once you have your account set up just the way you like it, TxT makes taking care of these Texas to-dosa breeze: Now that you've learned a little more about TxT,head over to txt.texas.gov to create your account or login if you already have one. [297][298] As an independent nation, Texas would rank as the world's eleventh-largest producer of electricity, after South Korea, and ahead of the United Kingdom. [148] On April 27, 2020, Governor Greg Abbott announced phase one of re-opening the economy. The state experiences the most tornadoes in the United States, an average of 139 a year. [105], After a series of United States victories, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the two-year war. About 72 percent of Aggie students receive some kind of financial aid through scholarships, grants, loans, waivers, and campus-based employment. 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. [195] As of 2017[update] the state emits about 1,600billion pounds (707million metric tons) of carbon dioxide annually. [434][435], Although Texas was essentially a one-party state during this time and the Democratic primary was viewed as "the real election", the Democratic Party had conservative and liberal factions, which became more pronounced after the New Deal. The state extends nearly 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from north to south and about the same distance from east to west. Texas A&M University - Profile, Rankings and Data - U.S. News & World [361] Private universities include Abilene Christian University, Austin College, Baylor University, University of Mary HardinBaylor, and Southwestern University.
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