Texas (TEK-səə ss, in your area additionally TEK-siz; Spanish: Texas or Tejas) is one of the most populous state in the South Central area of the USA. It surrounds Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the west, and a worldwide boundary with the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the south and southwest. Texas has a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico to the southeast. Covering 268,596 square miles (695,660 km2) and with over 31 million residents since 2024, it is the second-largest state by location and populace. Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State for the solitary celebrity on its flag, symbolic of its former standing as an independent nation, the Republic of Texas. Spain was the very first European country to case and control Texas. Adhering to a temporary swarm managed by France, Mexico regulated the land until 1836 when Texas won its freedom, becoming the Republic of Texas. In 1845, Texas joined the USA of America as the 28th state. The state's addition set off a chain of occasions that caused the Mexican–-- American Battle in 1846. Complying with triumph by the USA, Texas remained a slave state until the American Civil War, when it proclaimed its secession from the Union in very early 1861 before officially signing up with the Confederate States on March 2. After the Civil War and the restoration of its depiction in the federal government, Texas entered an extended period of economic stagnation. Historically, 5 significant sectors formed the economic situation of Texas before World War II: bison, cattle, cotton, oil, and lumber. Prior to and after the Civil Battle, the cattle industry—-- which Texas pertained to dominate—-- was a significant financial motorist and developed the standard photo of the Texas cowboy. In the later 19th century, cotton and lumber expanded to be major sectors as the cattle sector came to be less profitable. Ultimately, the discovery of significant oil deposits (Spindletop particularly) initiated an economic boom that ended up being the driving force behind the economic climate for much of the 20th century. Texas developed a diversified economy and advanced sector during the mid-20th century. Since 2024, it has the second-highest number (52) of Lot of money 500 firms headquartered in the USA. With a growing base of industry, the state leads in lots of industries, consisting of tourism, agriculture, petrochemicals, energy, computer systems and electronics, aerospace, and biomedical sciences. Texas has led the U. S. in state export profits because 2002 and has the second-highest gross state item. The Dallas–-- Fort Worth metroplex and Greater Houston areas are the country's fourth and fifth-most populated city areas specifically. Its capital city is Austin. Because of its size and geologic functions such as the Balcones Fault, Texas includes diverse landscapes common to both the U. S. Southern and the Southwestern regions. Many population facilities remain in locations of previous pastures, meadows, woodlands, and the coastline. Taking a trip from eastern to west, surface ranges from seaside swamps and piney woods, to rolling plains and tough hillsides, to the desert and hills of the Large Bend.
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