Mini Fact: An oil well among rows of cotton in West Texas helps lift oil out of the ground.

Everything’s bigger in Texas! That’s just one slogan about this huge state — the second largest by area, after Alaska. Texas became our 28th state in 1845. Its capital is Austin, but the largest city is Houston. More than 31 million people live in the state.

Texas history

Indigenous peoples lived in what is now Texas for more than 10,000 years. They included the Pueblo people, the Mound Builders of the Mississippian culture and other communities centered in southern and western Texas.

Spanish explorers arrived in the region in the early 1500s. After the Mexican War of Independence in 1821, Texas was part of Mexico. Texans declared independence from Mexico in 1836 and formed the Republic of Texas.

Texas joined the Confederate States of America in 1861, seceding from the U.S. Nine years later, it was returned to statehood.

Natural Texas

The state’s southern border with Mexico is the Rio Grande, a 1,900-mile-long river that starts in Colorado. Texas comprises 10 climatic regions, or areas of temperature and average rainfall.

Forests, rolling hills, prairies, deserts, colorful wildflowers, vast ranchland and mountains are all found in Texas.

Making a living

Beef is the biggest agricultural product in Texas, and it leads the nation in raising beef cattle. Texas is also first in producing cotton, horses, sheep, goats, wool, mohair and hay.

Texas is also known for oil production and wind energy production.

Texas fun

Sports fans will find many teams to support: two NFL teams, two MLB teams, three NBA teams and one NHL team, along with WNBA and Major League Soccer action.

In addition, college sports are popular, with fans cheering for the University of Texas, Baylor University and Texas A&M University, among many others.

Many Texans also follow rodeo and NASCAR races.

Presidential Texas

Texas has been home to four U.S. presidents.

• Dwight D. Eisenhower, our 34th president, was born in Denison, Texas. He was a general in the U.S. Army before entering the race for president.

• Lyndon B. Johnson was our 36th president, from 1963 to 1969. He was the vice president when John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas in 1963. Johnson was born in Stonewall, Texas. Before running for the U.S. House of Representatives, he was a teacher.

• Our 41st president, George H.W. Bush, was born in Connecticut but lived much of his adult life in West Texas. He served in the U.S. Navy Reserve in World War II and as vice president with Ronald Reagan.

• George W. Bush, the eldest son of our 41st president, became our 43rd president in 2001. He, too, was born in Connecticut but was raised in Texas. Before becoming president, Bush 43 served as governor of Texas.

Resources

On the Web: • bit.ly/MPTexas 

At the library: • “The Alamo and the Birth of Texas” by JSB Morse • “Animals of Texas!” by Hope Aicher

Next Week: Black Hole Week!