Texas

Capital	Austin
Population	20,851,820 Source: U.S. Census Bureau GCT-PH1-R. Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density (geographies ranked by total population): 2000 Data Set: Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data
Governor	Rick Perry (R, to January 2011)
Entered the Union	Dec. 29, 1845 as the 28th state
Motto	Friendship
Nickname	Lone Star state
Flower	Bluebonnet
Bird	Mockingbird
Song	Texas, Our Texas
Professional Sports Teams (sports listing policy)	Houston Astros, Texas Rangers (Baseball); Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, (Basketball); Houston Comets (Women's Basketball); Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans (Football); Dallas Stars (Hockey); FC Dallas (Soccer)
Origin of Name	From a Native American word meaning friends
Top 3 Industries	Trade, Real Estate, Oil and Gas
Historical Sites	The Alamo in San Antonio
Points of Interest	Gulf Coast resort area, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, State capital in Austin, and the Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks
Bordering States	Texas borders New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
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Follow these links to read articles about Texas from Encyclopedias and Almanacs:

• Encarta Concise Encyclopedia
• Columbia Encyclopedia
• Information Please Almanac

• Texas Online
  http://www.state.tx.us/
  This is the official website for the State of Texas.
• Texas State Library and Archives Commission
  http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/
  Here is the homepage for the Texas State Library Agency.
• TSHA Online: a Digital Gateway to Texas History at the University of Texas at Austin
  http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/
  Here is the homepage for the Texas State Historical Society.
• The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum
  http://www.thestoryoftexas.com/
  Here is the homepage for the Texas State Museum.
• Archives & Manuscripts: Texas State Archives and Library Commission
  http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/
  Here is the homepage for the Texas State Archives.
• Texas Parks & Wildlife
  http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/
  Here is the homepage for Texas State Parks.
• TravelTex.com: the Official Site of Texas Tourism
  http://www.traveltex.com/
  Here is the official state tourism website for Texas.
• About Texas: Kid's Corner
  http://www.texasonline.state.tx.us/category.jsp?language=eng&categoryId=1.5
  Here is an official state of Texas web site with fun facts and figures just for kids.

• 50states.com: Texas
  http://www.50states.com/texas.htm
  The site provides a wealth of information about Texas. It includes everything from the highest point to county profile to climate.
• Things To Do in Texas
  http://www.thingstodo.com/states/TX/index.htm
  ThingsToDo.com is an online guide to information about entertainment, recreation, and travel in Texas, and includes the state's interesting facts, famous people, and special events.
• Roadside America: Texas Attractions
  http://www.roadsideamerica.com/map/tx.html
  Roadside America describes itself as an online guide to offbeat attractions. This site offers reviews of "weird sites along the highway" in Texas.
• The Cowboy Culture: Texas-Best.com
  http://www.texas-best.com/
  A must see! This site is loaded with interesting information on just about any Texas topic imaginable, including detailed sections on Texas animals and beverages and Cowboy culture. Take a look at Texas Rodeo Cowboys, learn about the Rodeo Events and discover who holds Rodeo Cowboy world records, study the Texas Rodeo Schedule, and uncover where to buy Texas-made jeans, hats, boots, saddles and tack.
• Welcome to the Heart of Texas
  http://hotx.com/hot/hotspots/nuhotindex.nclk
  Discover the sites to visit in Big Bend, San Antonio and the Hill Country, and the Rio Grande Valley on this Texas travel site.
• FedStats: MapStat: United States: Texas
  http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/states/48000.html
  Fast access to statistics from more than 100 federal agencies on "economic and population trends, crime, education, health care, aviation safety, energy use, farm production and more" in Texas.

• The first Europeans to come through the area were Spanish explorers such as Coronado, who traveled the region in the 16th and 17th centuries.
• The Republic of Texas, with Sam Houston as president, was born In 1836 following the war between American settlers in Texas and the Mexican government which featured the well known battle of the Alamo.
• Texas is the country's biggest producer of oil, cattle, sheep, minerals and cotton.
• Tourists spend $20.6 billion a year visiting Texas.
• Texas is second in size only to Alaska.

• Dwight David Eisenhower, former U.S. president and general.
• Sandra Day O'Connor, U.S. Supreme Court justice.
• Dan Rather, TV newscaster and host of CBS Evening News.
• Mary Kay Ash, cosmetics entrepreneur and founder of Mary Kay cosmetics.
• Steven Fuller Austin, founding father of Texas and namesake of the state's capital.