Texas (TEK-səə ss, locally likewise TEK-siz; Spanish: Texas or Tejas) is the most heavily populated state in the South Central region of the United States. 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 single star on its flag, symbolic of its previous condition as an independent nation, the Republic of Texas. Spain was the very first European country to case and control Texas. Following a temporary nest controlled by France, Mexico regulated the land up until 1836 when Texas won its freedom, ending up being the Republic of Texas. In 1845, Texas signed up with the USA of America as the 28th state. The state's annexation set off a chain of occasions that led to the Mexican–-- American War in 1846. Complying with triumph by the USA, Texas stayed a servant state till the American Civil Battle, when it proclaimed its secession from the Union in very early 1861 prior to officially joining the Confederate States on March 2. After the Civil Battle and the remediation of its depiction in the federal government, Texas entered an extended period of economic stagnancy. Historically, 5 major sectors formed the economic climate of Texas before The second world war: bison, livestock, cotton, oil, and lumber. Before and after the Civil War, the cattle market—-- which Texas came to dominate—-- was a major economic vehicle driver and created the conventional photo of the Texas cowboy. In the later 19th century, cotton and lumber grew to be major industries as the livestock industry ended up being much less lucrative. Ultimately, the exploration of significant petroleum down payments (Spindletop specifically) initiated an economic boom that ended up being the driving pressure behind the economic situation for much of the 20th century. Texas developed a diversified economy and advanced industry during the mid-20th century. Since 2024, it has the second-highest number (52) of Lot of money 500 business headquartered in the United States. With an expanding base of sector, the state leads in several markets, consisting of tourism, agriculture, petrochemicals, energy, computers and electronic devices, aerospace, and biomedical scientific researches. Texas has led the U. S. in state export revenue because 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 metropolitan areas specifically. Its resources city is Austin. Due to its dimension and geologic attributes such as the Balcones Mistake, Texas includes varied landscapes usual to both the U. S. Southern and the Southwestern regions. Many population centers are in areas of previous grassy fields, grasslands, woodlands, and the coast. Taking a trip from east to west, terrain varieties from coastal swamps and piney woods, to rolling plains and rugged hillsides, to the desert and mountains of the Large Bend.
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