 Texas
Information
Capital
City: Austin
Economy: Oil, ranching,
high technology, agriculture, tourism and industry.
Language Description: English,
Spanish
Passport/Visa U.S.:
Canadians need to show proof of citizenship accompanied by a photo ID (we
recommend a passport). Reconfirm travel document requirements with your
carrier prior to departure.
Population: 20,851,820
Religion: Christian
(Roman Catholic, Protestant), though other major religions are represented.
Time Zone: 6-7 hours
behind Greenwich Mean Time (-6 and -7 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is observed
from the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October
Voltage Requirements: 110
volts
Texas's Flag:
The flag was adopted as the state flag when Texas became the 28th state
in 1845. As with the flag of the United States, the blue stands for loyalty,
the white represents strength, and the red is for bravery.
History of Texas:
Spanish explorers, including ?lvar N??ez Cabeza de Vaca
and Francisco V?squez de Coronado, were the first to visit the region in
the 16th and 17th centuries, settling at Ysleta near El Paso in 1682. In
1685, sieur de la Salle established a short-lived French colony at Matagorda
Bay. Americans, led by Stephen F. Austin, began to settle along the Brazos
River in 1821 when Texas was controlled by Mexico, recently independent
from Spain. In 1836, following a brief war between the American settlers
in Texas and the Mexican government, the Independent Republic of Texas was
proclaimed with Sam Houston as president. This war was famous for the battles
of the Alamo and San Jacinto. After Texas became the 28th U.S. state in
1845, border disputes led to the Mexican War of 1846–48. Today, Texas,
second only to Alaska in land area, leads all other states in such categories
as oil, cattle, sheep, and cotton. Possessing enormous natural resources,
Texas is a major agricultural state and an industrial giant. Sulfur, salt,
helium, asphalt, graphite, bromine, natural gas, cement, and clays are among
the state's valuable resources. Chemicals, oil refining, food processing,
machinery, and transportation equipment are among the major Texas manufacturing
industries. Texas ranches and farms produce beef cattle, poultry, rice,
pecans, peanuts, sorghum, and an extensive variety of fruits and vegetables.
Millions of tourists spend well over $20.6 billion annually visiting more
than 70 state parks, recreation areas, and points of interest such as the
Gulf Coast resort area, the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, the
Alamo in San Antonio, the state capital in Austin, and the Big Bend and
Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
Other Texas Links:
Texas Association of
Convention and Visitor Bureaus
Texas Association of Mexican-American Chambers
Texas Chambers of Commerce
Texas Municipal League
Texas Education Agency
Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives
Texas Rural Development Council
Texas State Electronic Library
Travel Texas
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