Texas Info
 |
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
|
|
|
|
