Texas (TEK-səə ss, locally likewise TEK-siz; Spanish: Texas or Tejas) is the most heavily populated state in the South Central area of the USA. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the west, and a global 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 as of 2024, it is the second-largest state by location and populace. Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State for the single celebrity on its flag, symbolic of its former condition as an independent country, the Republic of Texas. Spain was the initial European nation to claim and control Texas. Complying with a short-term nest managed by France, Mexico regulated the land till 1836 when Texas won its independence, coming to be the Republic of Texas. In 1845, Texas signed up with the United States of America as the 28th state. The state's addition set off a chain of events that brought about the Mexican–-- American War in 1846. Complying with success by the United States, Texas continued to be a slave state till the American Civil War, when it declared its secession from the Union in very early 1861 before formally signing up with the Confederate States on March 2. After the Civil Battle and the restoration of its depiction in the federal government, Texas went into a long period of financial torpidity. Historically, five major industries formed the economy of Texas prior to The second world war: bison, livestock, cotton, oil, and hardwood. Prior to and after the Civil War, the cattle sector—-- which Texas concerned dominate—-- was a major economic driver and created the conventional picture of the Texas cowboy. In the later 19th century, cotton and lumber expanded to be major markets as the cattle industry came to be less financially rewarding. Inevitably, the discovery of major oil deposits (Spindletop specifically) launched a financial boom that came to be the driving force behind the economic situation for much of the 20th century. Texas developed a diversified economic climate and high tech market throughout the mid-20th century. As of 2024, it has the second-highest number (52) of Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the USA. With a growing base of sector, the state leads in lots of markets, consisting of tourist, farming, petrochemicals, power, computer systems and electronics, aerospace, and biomedical scientific researches. Texas has led the U. S. in state export revenue given that 2002 and has the second-highest gross state item. The Dallas–-- Fort Well worth metroplex and Greater Houston areas are the nation's fourth and fifth-most populous city areas specifically. Its resources city is Austin. Due to its size and geologic attributes such as the Balcones Fault, Texas has varied landscapes typical to both the U. S. Southern and the Southwestern areas. A lot of populace centers remain in areas of previous meadows, meadows, forests, and the coastline. Traveling from eastern to west, terrain varieties from coastal swamps and piney timbers, to rolling plains and tough hills, to the desert and mountains of the Huge Bend.
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