Texas

Facts About The Lone Star State

The Government

Capital: Austin
Government: Bicameral Legislature
28th State to enter the Union: Dec. 29,1845
Present Constitution adopted: 1876
State motto: Friendship (1930)

State symbols

Flower: Bluebonnet (1901)
Bird: Mockingbird (1927)
Tree: Pecan (1919)
Song: 'Texas, Our Texas" (1929)

Origin of name: Texas, or Tejas, was the Spanish pronunciation of a Caddo Indian word meaning 'Friends.' or "allies."

Nickname: Texas is called the Lone Star State because of the design of the state flag: a broad vertical blue stripe at left centered by a single white star, with horizontal bars of white (uppermost) and red on the right.

The People

Population (July 2008 Estimate) 24,326,974
Population (2000 U.S. Census) 20,851,820
Population (1990 U.S. Census) 16,986,510
Population Increase 1990 - 2000 22.8%
Population Increase 2000 - 2008 16.7%

Ethnicity, 2007

Anglo 11,337,714 47.4%
Hispanic 8,791,986 31.99%
Black 2,782,876 11.60%
Other 991,804 4.10%

Population density (2008) 90.6.6 per sq. ml.

Voting-age Pop., (2008) 11,337,714

On an average day in Texas in 2005
There were 1,056 resident live births.
There were 427 resident deaths.
There were 629 more births than deaths
There were 484 marriages.
There were 208 divorces.

(2001 Texas Vital Statistics, Texas Dept. or Health)

Ten largest cities:

Houston (Harris Co.) 2,149,948
San Antonio (Bexar Co.) 1,336,040
Dallas (Dallas Co.) 1,248,184
Austin (Travis Co.) 736,172
Fort Worth (Tarrant Co.) 688,222
El Paso (El Paso Co.) 609,327
Arlington (Tarrant Co.) 374,948
Corpus Christi (Nueces Co.) 285,600
Plano (Collin Co.) 279,607
Laredo (Webb Co.) 222,482

(2005 Texas Vital Statistics)

Number of counties: 254
Largest by pop. 3,984,349 Harris Co.
Smallest by pop. 42 Loving Co.

Number of incorporated cities: 1,214
Number of cities of 100,000 pop. or more 31
Number of cities of 50,000 pop or more 62
Number of cities of 10,000 pop or more 237

The Natural Environment

Area (total)
267,277 sq. miles (171,057,280 acres)
Land area
261,914 sq. miles (167,624,960 acres)
Water area
5,363 sq. miles (3,432,320 acres)
Forested area
22.032 million acres
State forests
5 (7,519 acres)
National forests
4 (637,386 acres)

Geographic center: About 15 miles northeast of Brady in northern McCulloch County.

Highest point: Guadalupe Peak (8,749 ft.) in Culberson County in far West Texas.

Lowest point: Gulf of Mexico (sea level).

Normal average annual precipitation range: From 58.3 inches at Orange, on the Gulf Coast, to 8.8 inches at El Paso, in West Texas.

Record highest temperature:
Seymour, August 12,1936 120°F
Monahans, June 28,1994 120°F

Record lowest temperature:
Tulia, Feb. 12,1899 -23°F
Seminole, Feb. 8,1933 -23°F

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