Austin is the state capital and is located in Central Texas on the Colorado River.
The Texas Capitol building, built from locally quarried Sunset Red granite in the mid-1880s, was based on the architecture of 15th century Italy and is about 15 feet taller than the U.S. Capitol.
The Alamo is a Spanish mission and in 1718 became the first mission established in San Antonio.
The Battle of the Alamo lasted nearly two weeks and ended on March 6, 1836, with the deaths of all 190 of its defenders. The Mexican army numbered 4,000-5,000 during its final charge.
There are three Indian reservations in the state: the Alabama-Coushatta Reservation, located east Texas; Ysleta del Sur Pueblo (Tigua Indian Reservation) near El Paso; and the Kickapoo Reservation in the Rio Grande Valley. Texas' Native American population ranks sixth among the states, with approximately 65,000 – most living outside reservations.
Texas was an independent nation from 1836 to 1845.
Texas became a state on December 29, 1845.
Six national flags have flown over Texas since the original Spanish expeditions. They are:
Spain – 1519-1685; 1690-1821
France – 1685-1690
Mexico – 1821-1836
Republic of Texas – 1836-1845
Confederate States of America 1861-1865
United States of America – 1845-1861; 1865-present
Enchanted Rock, which lies on the border between Gillespie and Llano Counties rises 425 feet above ground, 1825 feet above sea level, and covers 640 acres.
The King Ranch near Corpus Christi is larger than the state of Rhode Island and includes 50,000 head of cattle.
There are four national forests (Angelina, Davy Crockett, Sabine and Sam Houston); and two national parks (Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains).
On September 8–9, 1900, an estimated 8,000 people were killed in the disastrous Galveston hurricane and flood. As a result, the community constructed the seawall, an effective means controlling storm surge.
NASA is based in Houston. In fact, the first word spoken from the moon on July 20, 1969 was Houston.
The Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) airport is larger (in acres) than Manhattan Island.
