Portal:Texas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

The Texas Portal

Flag of Texas

Texas is a state in the South and Southwest regions of the United States of America. With an area of 268,581 square miles (695,622 km²) and a population of 27.6 million, Texas is the second-largest U.S. state in both area and population, and the largest state in the contiguous 48 states in area. The state name derives from a word in a Caddoan language of the Hasinai, táyshaʔ, tecas (or tejas, as the Spaniards spelled it), meaning "those who are friends", "friends", or "allies"".

Texas joined the United States in 1845 as the 28th state, after nearly a decade of being the Republic of Texas—an independent country. Texas historically had a "larger than life" reputation, especially in cowboy films. The term "Texas-sized" is used to describe something larger than average, and large geographic areas are often described in terms of the size of Texas. It is the southernmost part of the Great Plains, which ends in the south against the folded Sierra Madre Oriental of Mexico. It is in the south-central part of the United States of America. It is considered to form part of the U.S. South and also part of the U.S. Southwest.

Texas centennial half dollar commemorative obverse.jpg

In 2011, Texas had a gross state product of $1.3 trillion, the second-highest in the U.S. after California. Texas is the only state in the U.S. to have three cities with populations exceeding one million: Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas, which are also among the 10 largest cities of the United States. They are larger than any other cities in the Southern United States. Austin, El Paso, and Fort Worth are in the top 25 largest U.S. cities.

Selected article

Mission-Concepcion.jpg

The Battle of Concepción was fought on October 28, 1835 between Mexican troops under Colonel Domingo Ugartechea and Texian insurgents led by James Bowie and James Fannin. The 30-minute engagement, which historian J.R. Edmondson describes as "the first major engagement of the Texas Revolution", occurred on the grounds of Mission Concepción, 2 miles (3.2 km) from San Antonio de Bexar.

On October 13, the newly created Texian Army under Stephen F. Austin had marched towards Bexar, where General Martín Perfecto de Cos commanded the remaining Mexican soldiers in Texas. On October 27, Austin sent Bowie and Fannin, with 90 soldiers, to find a defensible spot near Bexar for the Texian Army to rest. After learning that the Texian Army was divided, Cos sent Ugartechea with 275 soldiers to attack the Texians camped at Concepción. The Texians took cover in a horseshoe-shaped gully; their good defensive position, longer firing range, and better ammunition helped them to repel several Mexican attacks, and the Mexican soldiers retreated just 30 minutes before the remainder of the Texian Army arrived. Historians estimate that between 14 and 76 Mexican soldiers were killed, while only one Texian soldier died.

Selected biography

Wiley Post.jpg

Wiley Hardeman Post (November 22, 1898 – August 15, 1935) was the first pilot to fly solo around the world. Also known for his work in high-altitude flying, Post helped develop one of the first pressure suits. His plywood aircraft, the Winnie Mae, is on display at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center adjacent to Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, VA, and his pressure suit is being prepared for display at the same location. On August 15, 1935, Post and American humorist Will Rogers were killed when Post's plane crashed on takeoff from a lagoon near Point Barrow, in Alaska.

Texas news

Things you can do


Here are some tasks awaiting attention: No results were found.

Selected picture

Spotlight city

CorpusChristiTX Night.jpg

Corpus Christi is the county seat of Nueces County and a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the region known as South Texas. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 277,454 people (though a July 1, 2004 estimate placed the population at 281,196), making it the eighth-largest city in the state. The translation of the city's name is Body of Christ, given to the settlement by the Spanish, in honour of the Blessed Sacrament (Eucharist).

The city is often referred to as "The Sparkling City by the Sea," particularly in literature promoting tourism. Locals and natives often just call it Corpus. The city is home to Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. Corpus Christi is served by the Corpus Christi International Airport on the west side of the city.

State symbols

WikiProjects

Flag of Texas.svg You are invited to participate in WikiProject Texas, a WikiProject dedicated to developing and improving articles about Texas.

Categories

Lists

Attractions


Federally protected areas

Eagle Point, Caprock Canyons State Park

Texas topics

Statistics: Population

Related pages

Wikimedia