History
Native Americans began living in what is now Texas tens of thousands of years ago. The first Europeans reached Texas in 1528. By the early 1700s, Spanish settlements had appeared. San Antonio, with a military fort and a mission (the Alamo), was the region's administrative center. In the first half of the 19th century, American/European immigrants began arriving in Texas in significant numbers. Tensions grew with Mexico (which had won independence from Spain in 1821), leading to the formation of the Republic of Texas in 1836. The new republic adopted a flag with one star, and Texas is still known as the "Lone Star State." In 1846, the people of Texas chose to become part of the United States. After the brief and one-sided Mexican-American War (1846-1848), Mexico gave up its claim to Texas — along with a lot more land that is now U.S. territory.
Government
Governed by a constitution that was adopted in 1876, Texas elects its governor for four-year terms. The governor can initiate legislation, veto bills and appoint boards. The Texas Senate meets at the State Capitol, in Austin. Since 2015, Republican Greg Abbott has governed the state. Texas has had predominantly Republican governors since the mid-1980s.
People and languages
With just under 30 million people, Texas is the second-largest U.S. state by population, behind California. Census data indicated for the first time, in 2021, that Hispanic Texans now outnumber white Texans — 40.2 percent compared with 39.4 percent, respectively. A disproportionately high number of Hispanic people in Texas are poor. In 2021, the median income for Hispanic households was $54,857, compared with $81,384 for white households. With such a large number of Hispanic people, Spanish is naturally a widely used language in Texas, along with English.
Geography and climate
Texas is home to densely populated coastal plains along the Gulf of Mexico, and to mountains and high plains in the west. In between, Texas has many flat, fertile prairies well suited for farming. The 1,900-mile (3,060-kilometer) Rio Grande is the most important river in the state, forming part of the border between the United States and Mexico. The Gulf Coast of Texas is hurricane prone, and its deadliest storm was the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, in which more than 8,000 people were killed.
Economy
Until the mid-20th century, the state's economic development was based on its resources: cotton, cattle and petroleum. Today, Texas is still largely dependent on oil and gas, although the development of aerospace, military and health industries has helped to diversify the economy.
Sources: Britannica, Texas Tribune