Texas

Texas The Lone Star State Texas is located in the west south-central U.S. It was the largest state in the US up until Alaska entered the union in 1959. The total area of Texas is 266,807 sq mi (691,030 sq km), of which land comprises 262,017 sq mi (678,624 sq km) and inland water 4,790 sq mi (12,406 sq km). Texas is a huge state that has many different natural regions with widely differing physical characteristics. Texas has four natural geographic regions: the Gulf Coastal Plains, the North Central Plains, the High Plains (also called the Great Plains), and Mountains and Basins (Trans-Pecos). Each of these areas can be subdivided into smaller regions. The name had wide usage among native Americans, meaning "friends" or "allies". Located in the South Central United States, Texas is bordered by Mexico to the south, New Mexico to the west, Oklahoma to the north, Arkansas to the northeast, and Louisiana to the east. Texas has an area of 268,820 square miles (696,200 km2), and a growing population of 24.6 million residents. Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States, while Dallas–Fort Worth and Houston are the 4th and 6th largest United States metropolitan areas. Other major cities include San Antonio, El Paso, and Austin—the state capital. Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State to signify Texas as an independent republic and as a reminder of the state's struggle for independence from Mexico. The "Lone Star" can be found on the Texas State Flag and on the Texas State Seal today.