Texas Bob

Texas

Facts About The Lone Star State

The Government

Capital: Austin
Government: Bicameral Legislature
28th State to enter the Union: Dec. 29,1845
Present Constitution adopted: 1876
State motto: Friendship (1930)

State symbols

  • Flower: Bluebonnet (1901)
  • Bird: Mockingbird (1927)
  • Tree: Pecan (1919)
  • Song: 'Texas, Our Texas" (1929)

Origin of name: Texas, or Tejas, was the Spanish pronunciation of a Caddo Indian word meaning 'Friends.' or "allies."

Nickname: Texas is called the Lone Star State because of the design of the state flag: a broad vertical blue stripe at left centered by a single white star, with horizontal bars of white (uppermost) and red on the right.

The Natural Environment

Area (total)
267,277 sq. miles (171,057,280 acres)
Land area
261,914 sq. miles (167,624,960 acres)
Water area
5,363 sq. miles (3,432,320 acres)
Forested area
22.032 million acres
State forests
5 (7,519 acres)
National forests
4 (637,386 acres)

Geographic center: About 15 miles northeast of Brady in northern McCulloch County.

Highest point: Guadalupe Peak (8,749 ft.) in Culberson County in far West Texas.

Lowest point: Gulf of Mexico (sea level).

Normal average annual precipitation range: From 60.57 inches at Jasper County, in far East Texas, to 9.43 inches at El Paso, in far West Texas.

Record highest temperature:
Seymour, August 12,1936 120°F
Monahans, June 28,1994 120°F

Record lowest temperature:
Tulia, Feb. 12,1899 -23°F
Seminole, Feb. 8,1933 -23°F

The People

  • Population (June 2018 Estimate) - 28,525,596
  • Population (2010 U.S. Census) - 25,145,561
  • Population (2000 U.S. Census) - 20,851, 820
  • Population Increase 2000 - 2018 - 37.8%

Ethnicity, 2013

  • Anglo - 11,838,122 - 41.5%
  • Hispanic - 11,267,610 - 39.5%
  • Black - 3,651,276 - 12.8%
  • Asian - 1,483,331 - 5.2% 
  • Other - 285,256 - 1%

Population density (2010) 90.3 per square mile.

Voting-age Pop., (2012) 18,279,737

  • On an average day in Texas in 2013
  • There were 1,107 resident live births.
  • There were 489 resident deaths.
  • There were 572 more births than deaths
  • There were 491 marriages.
  • There were 209 divorces.
(2014 Texas Vital Statistics, Texas Dept. or Health)

Ten largest cities:

  • Houston (Harris Co.) ----------- 2,331,354
  • San Antonio(Bexar Co.) --...-- ---1,462,766
  • Dallas (Dallas Co.)-------.......-----1,298,196
  • Austin (Travis Co.)------ ------------921,781
  • Fort Worth (Tarrant Co.) --------- --832,030
  • El Paso (El Paso Co.)----------------678,253
  • Arlington (Tarrant County) ---------387,148
  • Corpus Christi (Nueces Co.)------ --325,080
  • Plano (Collin Co.)------------------- 296,641
  • Laredo (Webb Co.)--------- --------260,799

(2014 Texas Vital Statistics)

  • Number of counties:            254
  • Largest by pop.            4,698,619      Harris Co.
  • Smallest by pop                     152       Loving Co.

;

  • Number of incorporated cities:                      1,215
  • Number of cities of 100,000 pop. or more:         35
  • Number of cities of 50,000 pop or more:            64
  • Number of cities of 10,000 pop or more:          221