Texas (TEK-səə ss, in your area additionally TEK-siz; Spanish: Texas or Tejas) is the most 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 an international 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. Treatment 268,596 square miles (695,660 km2) and with over 31 million residents since 2024, it is the second-largest state by area and population. Texas is nicknamed the Lone Celebrity State for the single star on its flag, symbolic of its former condition as an independent nation, the Republic of Texas. Spain was the first European nation to case and control Texas. Adhering to a temporary swarm managed by France, Mexico controlled the land until 1836 when Texas won its self-reliance, coming to be the Republic of Texas. In 1845, Texas joined the United States of America as the 28th state. The state's addition triggered a chain of events that resulted in the Mexican–-- American Battle in 1846. Following triumph by the USA, Texas continued to be a slave state till the American Civil War, when it stated its secession from the Union in very early 1861 before formally joining the Confederate States on March 2. After the Civil Battle and the remediation of its representation in the federal government, Texas entered an extended period of economic stagnancy. Historically, five major sectors shaped the economic situation of Texas before The second world war: bison, cattle, cotton, oil, and hardwood. Prior to and after the Civil Battle, the cattle sector—-- which Texas involved control—-- was a major economic chauffeur and developed the typical picture of the Texas cowboy. In the later 19th century, cotton and lumber expanded to be significant industries as the livestock market came to be less financially rewarding. Ultimately, the exploration of significant petroleum down payments (Spindletop specifically) started an economic boom that became the driving force behind the economic climate for much of the 20th century. Texas created a varied economic situation and advanced market during the mid-20th century. Since 2024, it has the second-highest number (52) of Ton of money 500 companies headquartered in the United States. With an expanding base of sector, the state leads in several industries, consisting of tourism, agriculture, petrochemicals, power, computers and electronic devices, aerospace, and biomedical scientific researches. Texas has actually led the U. S. in state export earnings given that 2002 and has the second-highest gross state item. The Dallas–-- Ft Worth metroplex and Greater Houston areas are the country's fourth and fifth-most populated metropolitan areas respectively. Its funding city is Austin. Because of its size and geologic functions such as the Balcones Fault, Texas includes varied landscapes typical to both the U. S. Southern and the Southwestern regions. Many populace centers remain in areas of previous prairies, meadows, woodlands, and the coastline. Taking a trip from eastern to west, surface ranges from seaside swamps and piney woods, to rolling plains and rugged hills, to the desert and mountains of the Huge Bend.
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