Mendeleev believed. Mendeleev

Perhaps nowhere in the United States have local residents discussed the topic of annexing Crimea to Russia as in the state of Texas. The reason for the keen interest of Texans in this problem is that the history of Crimea has many similarities with the history of their own state.

Texans never forget to emphasize that they are “special Americans.” Sometimes Texans flaunt their uniqueness so zealously that they threaten secession from the United States. This was the case, for example, in 2011, when Texans, dissatisfied with the country’s growing national debt, held a demonstration in the state capital of Austin demanding independence.

And in 1997, the police had to carry out a real special operation to disarm the few but extremely determined members of one of the groups advocating the independence of Texas.

There are few active separatists in Texas, but if the economic situation worsens, join them to scare federal center, many are ready.

Texas is truly a special state of America. It is the only state that joined the United States with the status of an internationally recognized independent state. Texas joined the United States twice - the second time this happened at the end of the Civil War, in which the Texans sided with the Confederates.

Expulsion of "friends"

To early XVI centuries, numerous tribes of Indians lived on the lands of Texas, including such famous ones as the Apaches, Comanches and Cherokees.

The name of the state of Texas comes from the Spanish word “tejas”, and then, in turn, from the Indian “táysha”, in the language of the Caddo tribes meaning “friend”, “ally” (the first Spanish explorers of the territory called the Indians who were part of the Hasinai confederation of tribes ).

The expansion of Europeans into the lands of the future Texas, which began in the 16th century, did not bring anything good to the Indians. The Spanish and French, and later the Mexicans and Americans, who fought for control of these lands, used the Indians to their advantage, mercilessly exterminating them when they were no longer needed.

When the Texans opposed Mexico, they managed to attract representatives of Indian tribes to their side. But after the victory, the freedom-loving Texans treated their allies no better than the Spaniards and Mexicans had previously done.

The last Indians to occupy significant territories in Texas were the Apaches, but they, under pressure from the American authorities, were forced to leave their lands by the end of the 1870s. On this Indian history Texas is almost over.

Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

Fatal mistake of the Mexicans

But we got ahead of ourselves a little. TO end of the XVIII centuries, the lands of modern Texas belonged to the Spanish colony “New Spain”. In 1821, the war for independence from Spain led to the fact that yesterday's colony of "New Spain" became part of the territory of independent Mexico.

According to the Mexican Constitution of 1824, Texas became part of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas with the right to subsequently form a new, independent state.

Texas was a problem and a headache for the Mexican government. Its vast territories were sparsely populated and unsafe - there was practically no one to resist the periodic Comanche raids on the settlements of immigrants from Europe.

In 1824, Mexico passed the Basic Law of Colonization, which allowed all heads of families, regardless of race or immigrant status, to claim land in Mexico. The Mexican government liberalized immigration laws, allowing settlers from the United States to move to Texas.

At first, this plan seemed extremely successful. The influx of settlers from the United States very quickly led to the fact that there were more of them on these lands than Spanish-speaking residents.

This situation did not scare the Mexican government. The problems began in 1829, when slavery was abolished in Mexico. The migrants from southern states The United States used slave labor widely, and they did not like such innovations.

Another reason for discontent was the introduction by the Mexican government, concerned about the rapid flow of immigrants from the United States, of restrictions on moving to Texas. New customs restrictions, established between the United States and Mexico, angered not only English-speaking, but also Spanish-speaking residents of Texas.

A family of slaves on a cotton plantation. Texas Photo: Public Domain

From peaceful protests to armed uprising

The Texans' dissatisfaction could have ended in mere verbal indignation, but just at this time the central government of Mexico was mired in internecine conflicts, as a result of which the Texans began talking about independence.

As often happens in such cases, at first the Texans' demands were limited to expanding powers within Mexico: maintaining the right to slavery, renewing the right to immigrate from the United States to Texas, and abolishing customs restrictions.

The Texan Convention to the Mexican Government of 1833 also contained a demand for independence. One of the Texan leaders, Stephen Austin, who presented this document to the Mexican authorities, was imprisoned on charges of treason.

A detachment of government troops stationed in Texas attempted to seize a weapon in the town of Gonzales that had previously been given to the settlers for protection against Comanche raids. The settlers refused to comply, and the confrontation resulted in a skirmish between a hundred Mexican soldiers and 140 settlers. The collision ended with minimal losses- there was one wounded on both sides, but the gun remained in the hands of the Texans.

This battle was the first open armed action against the President of Mexico Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.

The triumph of the “separatists”

The federal government sent armed forces to suppress the separatists. Volunteers arriving from the United States took the side of the Texas militia, while the United States government declared its non-participation in the intra-Mexican conflict.

On March 2, 1836, in Washington-on-the-Brazos, at the Meeting of Representatives of American Settlers (Texas Convention), a declaration of independence of Texas from Mexico was signed. The document stated that the Mexican government "has ceased to protect the life, liberty and property of the people from whom it received its legal powers," and it also criticized the attitude of the authorities towards issues of religion, education, political rights, weapons storage, etc. In this regard, the people of Texas took their own destiny into their own hands.

Sam Houston at the Battle of San Jacinto. Painting by Harry Arthur McArdle Photo: reproduction

Texas's declaration of independence sparked another violent attempt by Mexican authorities to defeat the separatists. A series followed bloody battles, the decisive of which was the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836. The Mexican army was defeated, and President Santa Anna, who was taken prisoner, became the “trophy” of the Texans.

The captive Mexican leader had no choice but to sign an agreement to cease hostilities and withdraw Mexican troops from Texas.

On May 14, 1836, in the city of Velasco, Mexican President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and provisional President of Texas David Burnet signed an agreement under which Mexico de facto recognized the independence of Texas.

The treaty provided for a cessation of hostilities and the redeployment of Mexican troops south of the river Rio Grande, Mexican return of captured property and exchange of prisoners of war; in exchange for this, Santa Anna received the opportunity to return to Mexico.

“American Strelkov” became the President of the Republic

Samuel Houston. Reproduction from a portrait

In fact, neither one nor the other party fully fulfilled the agreement. Mexico refused to ratify it, citing that the captive president did not have the right to sign it. In turn, the Texans prevented Santa Anna from returning to Mexico. The demarcation line between Texas and Mexico also remained unclear. This circumstance The parties expected to use each for their own purposes.

However, in 1836, Texas acquired its own Constitution, which enshrined the right to slavery and a republican system. First official president Texas was elected commander of the rebel army Sam Houston. Interesting point- before becoming president of independent Texas, Houston did quite successfully political career in the United States, serving as governor of Tennessee for two years.

The large number of Americans like Houston in the leadership and army of the rebels allowed Mexico to declare that what was happening in Texas was not a choice local residents, but caused hidden aggression neighboring state.

The Mexican army continued to carry out raids into Texas, without losing hope of regaining full control over it.

And the Texans were faced with the question “How to live further?” The majority of residents of the young republic were in favor of joining the United States, the minority supported the construction of an independent power on the territory from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

Texas cowboy (early 20th century photograph) Photo: Public Domain

Path to America

The first formal proposal for the annexation of Texas to the United States to the President of the United States Martin Van Buren in 1837, handed over to the Counselor of the Texas Embassy in the United States Memukan Hunt. However, the US authorities rejected it - perspective open war Americans were not inspired by Mexico. The project was then delayed for several years as opponents of annexation came to power in Texas.

The situation began to change after he was elected President of the United States in 1844. James Polk supporter of further territorial expansion, in whose election program a separate item was the accession of Texas to the United States.

Relying on support public opinion, administration of the outgoing president John Tyler began consultations with Polk and developed a plan for annexation through a joint resolution. The resolution stated that Texas would be admitted as a state if the Republic approved annexation before January 1, 1846, that the territory of the state could be divided into several states, numbering up to five, and that state lands the republics will become the property of the state of Texas after its formation. The US Congress passed a joint resolution on February 28, 1845. Soon after this, Andrew Jackson Donelson American attorney in Texas presented the American resolution to the President of the Republic of Texas Anson Jones. On July 4, 1845, the Texas Congress approved the American-proposed annexation with a single dissenting vote, and began writing a constitution for Texas as a US state. The citizens of Texas approved by popular vote approved new constitution and the convention of accession on October 13, 1845. US President James Polk signed the documents officially integrating Texas into the United States on December 29, 1845.

This accession procedure was questioned by many, and in 1901 Supreme Court The United States issued a ruling confirming the legality of the accession through a joint resolution.

Approaching dust storm in the Stratford area (1935) Photo: Public Domain

Texas special status

During the Civil War, Texas, which had once left Mexico due to disagreement with the ban on slavery, of course, became part of the Confederacy. Separation from the United States was formalized in a popular referendum on February 23, 1861: 46,129 people voted “for”, 14,697 voted “against”. This time, however, the freedom ended in a return - in 1870, the US Congress re-incorporated Texas into the country .

Texas still has a special position among others. American states. The most powerful economic potential, comparable to the potential of states at the G20 level, allows Texans to look at official Washington condescendingly. Today's Texas is not striving for independence, but it is not afraid of it either.

Residents of the “Lone Star State” know their worth, and are confident that they will decide their own destiny independently - just as their ancestors once decided it.

Texas(English) Texas, IPA (English): [ˈtɛksəs], (Spanish) [ˈtexas]) is a state in the southern United States. It ranks 2nd in territory in the United States (696,241 km²) after Alaska and 2nd in population after California (26,956,958 people). Texas is one of the centers of American agriculture, cattle breeding, education, oil and gas and chemical industries, financial institutions. The state capital is Austin; administrative division- districts (254).

The state's name comes from the Spanish word "tejas", otherwise, in turn, from the Indian "taysha", in the language of the Caddo tribes meaning “friend”, “ally” (the first Spanish explorers of the territory called it the Indians who were part of the Hasinai confederation of tribes). The American abbreviation of the state is TX.

Story

Spanish colonization

Before settlement by the Spanish and other European settlers modern territory Texas was home to various Indian tribes: Apache, Atakapa, Biday, Caddo, Comanche, Cherokee, Kiowa, Tonkawa, Wichita and Karankawa. In the 1870s. the Apaches left Texas; they were the last Indians to occupy a significant area of ​​the state. There are currently three indigenous tribes recognized by the U.S. government in Texas: the Alabama and Coushat Tribes, the Kickapoo Tribes, and the Isleta del sur Pueblo Tribes.

In 1519, the Spanish navigator Alonso Alvarez de Pineda sailed along the Texas coast and first mapped coastline Gulf of Mexico. The first European to set foot in Texas (November 6, 1528) was the shipwrecked conquistador Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca. He spent six years in Texas setting up trade relations with local tribes. The first settlement was established by the Spanish in the area of ​​Isleta near present-day El Paso in 1682. Meanwhile, the east of modern Texas began to be developed by the French, who were expanding their colony of Louisiana. On February 18, 1685, the Frenchman Rene-Robert Cavalier founded Fort Saint-Louis, a French outpost in Texas, at Matagorda Bay. In 1690, Alonso de Leon crossed the Rio Grande River and founded the Catholic mission of San Francisco de los Tejas in eastern Texas. The mission was located in the area old road on San Antonio, the oldest transport artery on the territory modern USA. By the end of the 18th century, the entire territory of modern Texas, along with Mexico, was part of the Spanish colony “New Spain”.

IN early XIX century, east Texas began to be developed by settlers from the United States. Moses Austin acquired 800 km²; On January 3, 1823, Stephen Austin formed a colony of 300 on the Brazos River. American families(now known as the "Old Three Hundred"). In 1821, New Spain, which included Texas, achieved independence from Spain, and thus Texas became part of the Mexican Empire.

Republic of Texas

By the mid-1830s. dictatorship and lawlessness in Mexico led to the fact that the state was on the verge of collapse: the territories of Texas and Yucatan expressed - according to constitutional law- desire to separate. In 1835, Mexican President General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna proposed a new constitution that would abolish slavery. formerly the norm among American immigrants. In addition, he increased pressure on Americans, demanding disarmament and the forced removal of illegal immigrants from the US border states and the return of their lands. This policy of the Mexican government caused discontent among the residents of Texas, and served as the reason for the War of Independence.

On October 2, 1835, the Texans clashed with a detachment of Mexican cavalry near the city of Gonzales, which led to the outbreak of hostilities. On October 28, 1835, at the Battle of Concepcion, 90 Texans defeated 450 Mexicans. On March 2, 1836, at the Meeting of Representatives of American Settlers, a declaration of independence from Mexico was signed. In response, Mexican troops were sent, and in the Battle of the Alamo in San Antonio, they almost completely destroyed the small Texian garrison after a thirteen-day siege. Next, on March 27, 1836, on the orders of Lopez de Santa Anna, the Mexicans executed James Fannin and about 400 Texans in Goliad. These defeats, in turn, inspired the Texans to raise an army, which, under the leadership of Sam Houston, won the decisive battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836 (Lopez de Santa Anna was captured).

On May 14, 1836, Texas officials and General Santa Anna signed a treaty of independence in the city of Velasco. However, the Mexican government did not ratify this treaty, leaving the question of independence from Mexico open (while the western part of modern Texas continued to have an unclear legal status). At the end of 1836, a constitution was adopted (affirming the right to own slaves), and Texas was proclaimed a republic. Sam Houston became the first president. After moving the capital several times, Houston was chosen as the center of power in 1837. The Republic of Texas has received international recognition. At the same time, Mexican raids into Texas continued. (On March 5, 1842, a Mexican force of more than 500 men, led by Rafael Vasquez, invaded Texas for the first time since the Revolution; after reaching San Antonio, he retreated back to the Rio Grande; on September 11, 1842, the 1,500-strong Mexican army, led by Adrian Wall, captured part of San Antonio, but later retreated, taking prisoners). The clashes continued for almost 10 years and depended on whether the Mexican government was strengthening or weakening. The United States did not officially intervene in this fight, although thousands of volunteers in the United States were recruited to help the Texans. Armed conflicts between Mexico and the Texas Republic was allowed to end not so much by the annexation of the latter by the United States in 1845, but by the US victory in the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848, which completely suppressed resistance and territorial claims Mexico. When Texas separated from Mexico, it initially intended to become part of the United States sooner or later (although among Texans there was also the idea of ​​​​expanding Texas into huge state with the territory to the Pacific Ocean).

According to the treaty of December 29, 1845, Texas became the 28th state of the United States. Previously American government twice (in 1837 and 1844) it rejected the request for annexation, but in 1844 James Polk, who was a supporter of annexation, became President of the United States.

Texas is the first and so far the only internationally recognized independent state, directly admitted to the United States as a state - an equal member of the union (the state of Vermont, which declared itself the Republic of Vermont in 1777 and joined the United States in 1791, actually had autonomy, but did not have international recognition; The United States annexed the self-proclaimed Republic of California and the Kingdom of Hawaii, but only incorporated them as states some time later). Having a high status, Texas, when entering the United States, stipulated some features unique to the United States. Firstly, all the lands and mineral resources of the state remained owned by the people of the state; there were no federal lands in Texas. Second, out of fear of political instability, Texas stipulated the possibility of dividing into five states. In 2009, Rick Perry, then governor of the state, declared that Texas had the right to secede from the United States, but this right has been questioned.

Second half of the 19th century

When it joined the United States, the territory of Texas included all the lands of the modern state of Texas, as well as uninhabited northern areas, which, according to the treaty of September 9, 1850, were transferred to the US government as payment of the foreign debt of Texas ($10 million). Subsequently these federal territories were divided among the future states of New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas and Wyoming.

Despite the fact that all residents and veterans of battles in Texas were given land grants and other benefits, there was no particular influx of immigrants. Special agencies were created to recruit emigrants from Europe: there were German, French, Swedish and Dutch agencies. The most active immigration came from Germany (this is evidenced by the names of many cities - Fredericksburg, Aldorf, New Braunfels, etc.). After the European revolutions of 1848, the German settlers were joined by Poles, Swedes, Norwegians, Czechs and the French. Immigration grew until World War II.

During the Civil War, Texas was part of the Confederacy (on February 23, 1861, in a referendum, Texans voted to secede from the United States by 46,129 votes to 14,697 - a 76% majority). However, Governor Sam Houston refused to swear an oath to the Confederacy, and the Convention assembled a new state government. It was in Texas - on May 12, 1865 - that the last battle Civil War (Texans did not yet know that Confederate troops led by General Lee surrendered on April 9 in Virginia). In 1870, the US Congress reincorporated Texas into the country. In 1876, the modern Texas Constitution was adopted.

XX century

At the beginning of the 20th century, significant oil reserves were discovered in Texas and the Gulf of Mexico, which reshaped the state's economy (before World War II, Texas was dominated by ranching and farming). In the 1910-20s. The Texas border area was attacked by Mexican bandits taking advantage of the turmoil of the Mexican Revolution. In the years Great Depression the state was also experiencing sharp decline quality of life; added to this were numerous dust storms in the 30s, caused by drought and improper cultivation of the land. All this led to a significant outflow of population from Texas in those years.

After World War II, Texas became a center of scientific technology, education, and industry. Houston is home to NASA's administration and manned spaceflight center. spaceships them. Lyndon Johnson with Mission Control. In the 60s Texas began to gradually move away from segregation, a process that took more than a decade.

On November 22, 1963, President John Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. The crime still does not have a clear explanation. His post was taken by Vice President Lyndon Johnson, a former US senator from Texas.

Geography

Location

Texas is bordered by New Mexico (to the west), Oklahoma (to the north), Louisiana (to the east), and Arkansas (to the northeast). The southwestern border of Texas is along the Rio Grande River, which separates the United States and Mexico. In the southeast, Texas is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico.

Eastern and southern part Texas are located on the Mexican Lowland (Gulf Coast); rising in the west, it passes into the Edwards plateau (up to 835 m) and Llano Estacado (up to 1200 m). On far west The spurs of the Rocky Mountains begin (up to 2665 m high).

The largest rivers in Texas: Red River, Trinity, Brazos, Colorado and Rio Grande; many small rivers in central and western parts often dry out.

Most of Texas (centre and north) is plains covered with shrubs, increasingly thinning towards the west, where steppes and deserts begin. In the east and southeast, savannas and oak-pine forests remain (areas of the extreme southeast, on the border with Louisiana, are significantly swampy).

Flora and fauna

Texas is rich in a variety of fauna and flora. The most abundant animals are coyotes, deer and armadillos. There are several national wildlife refuges in Texas. Rattlesnakes can also be seen in the suburbs. Pumas and scorpions live in the mountains.

Largest settlements

According to 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data, the state has 25 metropolitan areas, two of which (Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington and Houston-Galveston-Brazoria) are among the top 10 largest in the United States. Eleven interstate highways pass through Texas - I-10, I-20, I-27, I-30, I-35, I-37, I-40, I-44, I-45, I-69 and I-110 , connecting the state with New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. There are also four auxiliary interstate highway beltways in Texas - I-635 (Dallas), I-820 (Fort Worth), I-610 (Houston), I-410 (San Antonio).

Administrative system and politics

Basics of State Administrative Organization

Since Texas joined the United States as an independent state, this state is the only one with the right to hold a popular referendum on the issue of independence. Also, the Texas flag is the only one that has the right to be on flagpoles at the same level as the federal one.

The governor of Texas is Republican Greg Abbott. He took this post in January 2015, having defeated Democratic Representative Wendy Davis in the December 2014 election. In the Senate, the state is represented by two Republicans - Ted Cruz (since 2013) and John Cornyn (since 2002).

Texas's modern constitution, adopted in 1876, is the second longest of any state. Like many other state constitutions, it clearly separates the branches of government and includes a set of rights in the body of the law (Article One). The Texas Code of Rights is longer and more detailed than the US Code of Rights, and it also includes some Texas specifics.

The executive branch of government consists of the governor, lieutenant governor (lieutenant governor), inspector public relations, Commissioner for Land, Supreme Prosecutor, Commissioner for Agriculture, Railway Commission from three people, representatives public education and the Secretary of State.

With the exception of the Secretary of State (who is appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate), all other positions are elected. Also in the state play a significant role government boards and commissions. Partly because of the large staff of officials, the governor's power is limited compared to other state governors and the President of the United States. More power is concentrated in the hands of the lieutenant governor, who heads the state senate and creates senate committees and groups. The governor controls the state police and has the power to veto laws approved by legislative assemblies. He also appoints members of the executive and judicial panels.

The highest legislative body in Texas, as well as in every other state except Nebraska, is bicameral. There are 150 people in the House of Representatives, and 31 in the Senate. The head of the lower house of parliament is the speaker, and the lieutenant governor is at the head of the senate. The House of Representatives meets regularly only once every two years.

The Texas court system has a reputation as one of the most complex in the world, due to the multiple layers of courts and the nuances of overlapping jurisdictions. Texas has two higher courts: the Texas Supreme Court - which hears private cases - and the Texas Criminal Court. Except for some municipalities, judges at all levels are elected locally by vote, after which the position is approved by the governor. The state Department of Criminal Justice is located in Huntsville.

Texas has 254 counties governed by boards of elections. The head of such a commission is a district judge elected by the population of the district.

State politics

In Texas politics present moment dominates Republican Party, which has a majority of seats in the Texas Senate and House of Representatives. Every elected chief executive is a Republican, as is every elected member both higher courts. Democrats have failed to win an election in Texas since 1994. The vast majority of Texas's elected congressmen are Republicans, and both senators are also Republicans. In the history of the country, 3 US presidents were politicians from Texas: Lyndon Johnson (Democrat), George W. Bush (Republican) and George W. Bush (Republican).

Independence

On March 6, 2011, a demonstration demanding state independence took place in front of the Congress building in Austin, the capital of Texas. The reason for this was primarily attributed to the growing US national debt. The demonstration was timed to coincide with Texas Independence Day.

The organizer of the action was the small but active political organization “Republic of Texas”. It is reported that both Republicans and Democrats took part in the action.

In 1836, Texas became independent from Mexico. In 1845, he entered into an agreement with the United States to join this country as another state. Interesting,[ significance of the fact?] that's already in civil war between the northern and southern states in 1861-1865, Texas participated on the side of the southerners, opposing Washington.

Members of the "Republic of Texas" believe that the territory was illegally annexed by Washington in 1845 and is currently under its occupation. Participants in the movement formed their own government, judicial system And law enforcement agencies. They also filed large lawsuits against the US government for "undermining the welfare of Texas."

Rick Perry former governor from 2000 to 2015, back in the spring of 2004 he made it clear that he did not rule out Texas secession from the United States. “We have a lot of scenarios,” he said then. - We have great country, and we have no reason to dissolve our union. But if Washington continues to poke its nose into the affairs of the American people, it is clear what the outcome of all this could be. Texas is a unique place, very independent in spirit.”

In 2012, after Barack Obama was re-elected to a second term, a petition to the US presidential administration for a peaceful secession was posted on the White House website. This petition was subsequently joined by citizens of at least 20 more states. These appeals to the president were the first mass “secessionist” protest since the secession of six Southern states that did not vote for the newly elected President Lincoln in 1861. The petitioners cited provisions of the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution, as well as "neglect of the federal government." economic issues and “egregious violations of the rights of U.S. citizens.” However, in the end, the petition was signed by &&&&&&&&0125746.&&&&&0125 746 people, which is less than 0.5% of general population Texas.

Culture

Texas culture has absorbed many ethnic and foreign regional traditions, thanks to ongoing immigration from other states and countries, while many Texas cultural institutions (sports, music, architecture, cuisine, etc.) were generated by the state's border position (proximity with Mexico).

Facts

• Over Texas in different times 6 flags were flying: the French Fleur-de-lis, the Spanish, the Mexican, the flag of the Republic of Texas, the flag of the Confederate States of America and, finally, the USA.
• The Texas State Capitol, located in Austin, generally replicates appearance Washington, but lined with pink granite and topped with the Statue of Liberty holding a Texas star. Like the governor's buildings of some other southern states, the Texas Capitol faces south rather than north. The Texas Capitol building is taller than Washington's and somewhat less massive.
• The capital of Texas has moved 15 times.

A little reference information by state of Texas:

Official name: State of Texas

Other major cities: Abilene, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Brownsville, Victoria, Wichita Falls, Fort Worth, Arlington, Killeen-Temple, College Station, Bryan, Corpus Christi, Lubbock, Longview, McAllen-Edinburgh, Marshall, Midland, Odessa, Round Rock, San Angelo, Tyler, Texarkana, Waco, Sugar Land, Sherman, .

State nicknames: Lone Star State; Beef State.

State motto: Friendship

Texas Zip Code: TX

State formation date: 1845 (28th in order)

Square: 695.6 thousand sq. km. (2nd place in the country.)

Population: more than 20.8 million people (2nd place in the country).

Before you arrive European population, the territory of the state was inhabited by numerous Indian peoples: Apache, Karankawa, Cherokee, Atapacan, Tonkawa, Bidai, Caddo, Comanche, Kiowa, Wichita. The first European to visit the state was the Spanish conquistador Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca in 1528, after his ship was shipwrecked. In the 18th century, the entire territory of modern Texas was part of the Spanish colony of New Spain. In 1821, New Spain gained independence and became part of Mexico. Due to Texans' dissatisfaction with the new Mexican order, a war broke out between Texas and Mexico in 1835. In 1836, the independent Republic of Texas was proclaimed. At the same time, Mexico did not lose hope of returning Texas and continued its attacks throughout the decade. On December 29, 1845, Texas officially became a US state. And the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848 finally determined that Texas belonged to the United States.

The eastern and southern parts of the state occupy the Mexican Lowland; in the west, the plain passes into the foothills, and then into the spurs of the Rocky Mountains. The state's largest rivers are: Rio Grande, Colorado, Red River, Trinity and Brazos. Central and northern parts of Texas, located in the plains, are covered with shrubs, thinning out to the west, gradually turning into steppes and deserts. In the east, savannas and oak-pine forests are preserved. In the border areas with Louisiana, the lands are significantly swampy. In the west the state borders with New Mexico, in the north is Oklahoma, in the east is the border with the states of Louisiana and Arkansas, in the southwest is the border of Texas and the United States with Mexico, which runs along the Rio Grande River. Southeast Texas is located on the Gulf of Mexico.

From attractions, tourist areas and most interesting places states are distinguished: national reserve coast of Padre Island, Capitol in Austin, Six Flags Amusement Park, National parks Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains, Gulf Coast Resorts.

Texas State Map:

Texas (English: Texas) is a state in the southern United States. It ranks 2nd in territory in the United States (695,622 km²) after Alaska and 2nd in population after California (25.1 million). Texas is one of the centers of American agriculture, cattle breeding, education, oil and gas and chemical industries, and financial institutions. The state capital is Austin; administrative division - districts (254).

The name of the state comes from the Spanish word “tejas”, and then, in turn, from the Indian “táysha”, in the language of the Caddo tribes meaning “friend”, “ally” (the first Spanish explorers of the territory called the Indians who were part of the Hasinai confederation) . The American abbreviation of the state is TX.

Official name: State of Texas

State capital: Austin

Largest city: Houston

Other major cities: Abilene, Amarillo, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Brownsville, Victoria, Wichita Falls, Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Killeen Temple, College Station, Bryan, Corpus Christi, Lubbock, Laredo, Longview, McAllen -Edinburgh, Marshall, Midland, Odessa, Austin, Round Rock, San Angelo, San Antonio, Tyler, Texarkana, Waco, Sugar Land, Sherman, El Paso.

State nicknames: Lone Star State; Beef State.

State Motto: Friendship

Texas Zip Code: TX

State formation date: 1845 (28th in order)

Area: 695.6 thousand sq. km. (2nd place in the country.)

Population: more than 20.8 million people (2nd place in the country).

Location of the state of Texas

Texas is bordered by New Mexico (to the west), Oklahoma (to the north), Louisiana (to the east), and Arkansas (to the northeast). The southwestern border of Texas is along the Rio Grande River, which separates the United States and Mexico. In the southeast, Texas is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico.

The eastern and southern parts of Texas are located on the Mexican Lowland (Gulf Coast); rising in the west, it passes into the Eduarde plateau (up to 835 m) and Llano Estacado (up to 1200 m). In the far west, the spurs of the Rocky Mountains begin (up to 2665 m in height).

The largest rivers in Texas: Red River, Trinity, Brazos, Colorado and Rio Grande; many small rivers in the central and western parts often dry up.

Most of Texas (centre and north) is plains covered with shrubs, increasingly thinning towards the west, where steppes and deserts begin. In the east and southeast, savannas and oak-pine forests remain (areas of the extreme southeast, on the border with Louisiana, are significantly swampy).

Texas climate

Climatically, Texas represents two zones: in the south (along the coast) the climate is subtropical, hot; in central and northern parts The climate is continental with hot summers and cool winter (average temperature January from 1 to 15 °C, July from 25 to 30 °C). Precipitation decreases in the direction from east to west from 1000-1300 mm to 200-300 mm per year. Texas is characterized by frequent tornadoes in the central part and occasional tropical cyclones along the coast, causing severe damage.