Texas (TEK-səə ss, locally additionally TEK-siz; Spanish: Texas or Tejas) is one of the most populated state in the South Central area of the USA. It surrounds Louisiana to the eastern, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the west, and an international boundary with the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the south and southwest. Texas has a coast on the Gulf of Mexico to the southeast. Covering 268,596 square miles (695,660 km2) and with over 31 million citizens as of 2024, it is the second-largest state by area and populace. Texas is nicknamed the Lone Celebrity State for the single star on its flag, symbolic of its previous status as an independent country, the Republic of Texas. Spain was the first European country to claim and control Texas. Complying with a short-term colony controlled by France, Mexico controlled the land till 1836 when Texas won its self-reliance, ending up being the Republic of Texas. In 1845, Texas joined the USA of America as the 28th state. The state's annexation set off a chain of events that led to the Mexican–-- American War in 1846. Complying with triumph by the United States, Texas continued to be a slave state until the American Civil Battle, when it proclaimed its secession from the Union in early 1861 before formally joining the Confederate States on March 2. After the Civil War and the repair of its representation in the federal government, Texas got in a long period of financial stagnancy. Historically, five major markets shaped the economic climate of Texas prior to The second world war: bison, livestock, cotton, oil, and wood. Prior to and after the Civil War, the cattle industry—-- which Texas concerned control—-- was a major financial motorist and developed the conventional image of the Texas cowboy. In the later 19th century, cotton and lumber grew to be significant markets as the cattle sector came to be much less rewarding. Inevitably, the exploration of significant oil deposits (Spindletop in particular) launched a financial boom that ended up being the driving force behind the economic climate for much of the 20th century. Texas developed a varied economic situation and high tech industry throughout 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 several industries, consisting of tourism, farming, petrochemicals, energy, computers and electronics, aerospace, and biomedical scientific researches. Texas has led the U. S. in state export income given that 2002 and has the second-highest gross state item. The Dallas–-- Ft Well worth metroplex and Greater Houston areas are the nation's fourth and fifth-most heavily populated city areas specifically. Its capital city is Austin. Due to its dimension and geologic features such as the Balcones Mistake, Texas consists of varied landscapes common to both the U. S. Southern and the Southwestern areas. A lot of population centers remain in areas of former meadows, grasslands, forests, and the coastline. Taking a trip from eastern to west, surface varieties from coastal swamps and piney timbers, to rolling plains and rugged hills, to the desert and hills of the Huge Bend.
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