Square Miles of Texas

The square miles of Texas totals 266,807. This is equal to 695,621.13 sq km. It is the second largest state in America. It has a population of approximately 18,418,000. It is the second most populated in the country. In terms of population density, it is number 29.

General Information

The capital is Austin. It was named after Stephen Austin, who led Texas’ fight for independence against Mexico.

Other major cities in Texas are San Antonio, Houston, Fort Worth and Dallas. It is the 28th state to be admitted to the union on December 29, 1845. The state’s name was derived from the Indian word “tejas” which means “friends”.

Texas’ moniker is the Lone Star State. It is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico on the southeast. At the southwest is Mexico. Other bordering states are Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma.

Together with Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona, they constitute the American southwest.

State Emblems and Symbols

The state bird is the mockingbird. The bluebonnet is the state flower and the pecan is the state tree. The state mammal is the large longhorn. The Texas blue topaz is the state gem. The state insect is the monarch butterfly. The guitar is the state instrument.

Historical Background

Even before the Europeans arrived, the state was already populated by Native American tribes. The tribes numbered in the hundreds. However, diseases eventually killed most of the population. The square miles of Texas allowed different European explorers to settle in. Colonists settled in the east and north. The south was occupied by the Spanish and Mexicans.

The Rio Grande was included in the Louisiana Purchase the US made in 1803. Stephen Austin’s grant for the settlement was approved by the Mexican government.

When General Antonioni de Lopez de Santa Ana took over Mexico, Austin was jailed. But Texas declared independence in 1836. Subsequently the Alamo siege took place. Santa Anna was captured and Texas’ independence was assured.

Motto

Its motto is friendship. The Texas seal has a 5 pointed star with live oak branches. The flag is also adorned with a blue strip with a white star. There is also a red stripe under it and a white stripe over it. The term Lone Star State refers to this flag.

Almost as vast as the square miles of Texas are its food symbols. It has a state fruit (Texas red grapefruit), state bread (pan de campo) and pepper (chiltepin).