Texas Geography

Basic Facts

• Geographical Region: South
• Size: 268601 sq.mi., 2nd rank overall.
• Admitted to Statehood: December 29, 1845
• Population: 24,782,302;2nd rank overall.
• Capital: Austin
• Other Major City: Houston
• Abbreviation: TX

Fun Facts

• Nickname: Lone Star State
• State Flag: Click Here (opens window to 50states.com)
• State Bird: Mockingbird (opens window to 50states.com)
• State Flower: Bluebonnet (opens window to 50states.com)

Geographical Description

• Texas can be divided, in order southeast to west, into the following: Gulf Coastal Plains, Interior Lowlands, Great Plains, and Basin and Range Province.
• The Gulf Coastal Plains region, characterized by thick pineywoods, borders the Gulf of Mexico on the southeast section of the state.
• The Interior Lowlands region consists of gently rolling and pine-hardwood forests.
• The Great Plains region is located in central Texas and is dominated by prairie and steppe.
• Far west Texas is called the Basin and Range Province. This is the most varied of the regions and includes Sand Hills, the Stockton Plateau, desert valleys, wooded mountain slopes and desert grasslands.
• Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.

Map: Relief Map of TX

Industry

Minerals, chemical products, oil, natural gas, salt, food processing, electric equipment, machinery, fishing, tourism.

Agriculture

Cattle, cotton, cottonseed, dairy products, live stock, poultry, vegetables, fruits, citrus, sorghum, corn, wheat, whool

Other Information

Fun Facts:

• San Antonio, Texas is home to the Alamo.
• Although six flags have flown over Texas, there have been eight changes of government: Spanish 1519-1685, French 1685-1690, Spanish 1690-1821, Mexican 1821-1836, Republic of Texas 1836-1845, United States 1845-1861, Confederate States 1861-1865, United States 1865-present
• The King Ranch in Texas is bigger than the state of Rhode Island.
• Most states entered the United States by way of territorial annexation, but Texas is the only state to enter by treaty.
• A hurricane that hit Galveston in 1900 claimed over 8,000 deaths making it the worst natural disaster in the United States.

More Fun Facts: http://www.50states.com/facts/texas.htm