Texas (United States)

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Texas (United States) Texas is the second-largest state by area and population in the United States and contains major metropolitan regions such as Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin, Texas. It borders Mexico, the Gulf of Mexico, and U.S. states including Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and New Mexico; it also hosts landmark sites like the Alamo and institutions such as the University of Texas at Austin and the Texas Medical Center.

Introduction

Texas occupies the south-central portion of the United States and is known for diverse landscapes including the Edwards Plateau, Llano Estacado, Big Bend National Park, and the Gulf Coast of Texas. Major transportation hubs include Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, George Bush Intercontinental Airport, and the Port of Houston, while cultural attractions range from the State Fair of Texas to the South by Southwest festival.

Precontact inhabitants in the region included ancestral peoples associated with the Caddo people, Karankawa, Comanche, and Apache. European exploration involved expeditions by Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and Cabeza de Vaca's companions, later followed by Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca-era Spanish missions such as Mission San José (San Antonio). The territory was contested among Spain, France, Mexico, and the Republic of Texas after the Texas Revolution and Battle of San Jacinto, with figures like Sam Houston and Antonio López de Santa Anna prominent. Annexation to the United States in 1845 preceded conflicts including the Mexican–American War and internal developments linked to the Civil War and Reconstruction under leaders such as Edmund J. Davis. The oil boom centered at Spindletop and entrepreneurs like H. L. Hunt and companies including Standard Oil and Eastman Kodak Company shaped 20th-century industrialization; later federal projects like the Interstate Highway System and events such as Hurricane Harvey influenced infrastructure and disaster response.

Texas spans several ecoregions including the Great Plains, Piney Woods, and the Chihuahuan Desert, with major rivers such as the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo del Norte), Brazos River, and Colorado River (Texas). Protected areas include Big Bend National Park, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, and the Padre Island National Seashore, while environmental challenges involve oil and gas extraction in regions served by companies like ExxonMobil and BP plc and events linked to Deepwater Horizon. Conservation and research institutions such as the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the Smithsonian Institution-affiliated museums in Washington, D.C. collaborate with Texas universities.

The state's population centers include Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin, Texas, with notable suburban networks like Plano, Texas and Irving, Texas. Texas has large communities with roots in immigration from Mexico, Germany, Vietnam, and the Philippines, and significant populations affiliated with faiths represented by institutions like the Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston and the Texas Islamic Center. Census-designated trends tracked by the United States Census Bureau show urbanization in metropolitan areas such as Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and demographic shifts involving age cohorts studied by organizations like the Pew Research Center.

Texas hosts major energy companies including ExxonMobil, Chevron Corporation, and ConocoPhillips, and is a leader in sectors such as petrochemicals around the Houston Ship Channel and technology in Silicon Hills centered on Austin, Texas. The state economy features multinational corporations such as AT&T, Dell Technologies, American Airlines Group, and Tesla, Inc. facilities, with logistics anchored by the Port of Corpus Christi and Port of Houston Authority. Agriculture commodities include cattle ranching tied to historic ranches like King Ranch and crops marketed through organizations such as the Texas Farm Bureau; research and finance intersect at institutions like the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

Texas operates under a constitution adopted in 1876 and is governed from Austin, Texas by offices including the Governor of Texas and the Lieutenant Governor of Texas; legislative functions occur in the Texas Legislature and legal matters are adjudicated by the Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Political dynamics feature major parties such as the Republican Party (United States) and the Democratic Party (United States), with presidential contests and campaigns involving figures like George W. Bush and Beto O'Rourke; policy debates have included issues litigated in the United States Supreme Court and administered by federal agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency.

Cultural institutions in Texas encompass the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Dallas Museum of Art, and performing arts venues like the Harris Theater and AT&T Performing Arts Center. Music scenes include Austin City Limits and venues associated with artists such as Willie Nelson and Buddy Holly; culinary traditions feature Tex-Mex cuisine and barbecue from locales like Lockhart, Texas. Higher education is anchored by systems including the University of Texas system and the Texas A&M University System, with flagship campuses such as Texas A&M University and University of Texas at Austin conducting research in partnership with national labs like Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and agencies including the National Science Foundation.