Texas, or the Lone Star State as it’s commonly referred to, is one of the Southern states within the U.S.
While Texas might be one of the more famous American states, there’s no need to feel bad if you’re not sure where exactly it is; after all, we live in a big world, and it’s not always easy to keep track of where everything is.
However, our goal in writing this article is to ensure that you’re never unsure again about where Texas is and how to find it on a map.
We’ll be going over these things today, and we’ll also share with you some fun facts about the state of Texas that you might be interested in.
Where Is Texas Located?
As we’ve mentioned, Texas is one of the Southern American states. More specifically, Texas is in the South Central region of the U.S., which aside from Texas includes Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma.
Texas shares a border with each of the other three states in the South Central region, as well as the state of New Mexico just to the west.
Texas also shares a border with the Mexican states of Coahuila, Chihuahua, Tamaulipas, and Nuevo León. A large part of Texas also makes up part of the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico.
Where Is Texas on a U.S. Map?
Texas is pretty easy to identify on a map of the U.S., thanks to both the distinctive shape of the state and its location within the U.S.
If you look up a picture of Texas on a map, you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about. The northwest part of the state is taken up by the Texas Panhandle, which has a rectangular shape and squared-off borders.
To the southwest is the border with Mexico, which has a gentler, more curved appearance, and to the southeast is the coastline by the Gulf of Mexico and the borders with Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma have a somewhat more jagged look to them.
Basically, when looking for Texas on a map of the U.S., just look for the big, oddly shaped state right at the bottom middle of the country that appears to jut down into Mexico.
Interesting Facts About Texas
Where to even begin with this? Texas is probably one of the most interesting states in all of the U.S., thanks to its storied past and significance in many important historical events within the States.
Brief History of Texas
For starters, six different nations have laid claim to Texas at one point or another; if you’ve ever heard the slogan “six flags over Texas” before, this is what it’s referring to.
This began in 1519 when Spain gained control over the region; in the following centuries, control of the state switched to France and then to Mexico. In 1836, Texas became a sovereign state and remained that way until 1845 when it joined the Union.
During the American Civil War, the Confederacy briefly controlled the state from 1861 until 1865, at which point the Union took the state back.
We could talk for ages about the history of Texas alone, but you’re probably more interested in the weird, lesser-known trivia concerning the state.
Languages spoken in Texas
For example, you can probably guess that English is the most commonly spoken language in the state, and you probably won’t be surprised to learn that Spanish is the second most common language.
But did you know that Vietnamese is the third?
This is because tons of Vietnamese ended up fleeing the country during and in the years following the Vietnam war, and many of them decided to move to Texas because the climate was similar to Vietnam, the Texas economy was doing well at the time, and the proximity to the Gulf of Mexico made it appealing to Vietnamese who had a background in the fishing industry.
Food and Drink
Texas is also the origin of several well-known food-related items.
The popular soft drink Dr. Pepper was created in Texas in 1885, and the classic frozen margarita was also invented by a Texan in 1971.
Whole Foods, a grocery store chain that currently has hundreds of stores in North America (and even a few in the U.K.) was also founded in Texas.
Maverick
Other things that come from Texas are the word “maverick”, meaning an unorthodox or free-thinking person.
The origin of this word comes from Samuel Maverick, a Texan rancher in the 19th century who gained notoriety for refusing to brand his cattle.
Size of Texas
What else is interesting about Texas? How about the fact that with an area of almost 269,000 square miles, it’s larger than literally every country in Europe (except Russia)?
Bat Colony
Or that the state is home to the largest bat colony in North America?
Speed Limit
Or the fact that the road with the fastest speed limit in all of the U.S. is in Texas?
We could go on and on about interesting Texas facts, but for the sake of moving things along let’s finish off by talking about the state’s capital.
What Is the Capital of Texas?
Austin is the capital of Texas, and was first incorporated on December 27th, 1839.
Austin is the fourth-most-populous city in the state, after Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas, and is the eleventh-most-populous city in the U.S. overall.
Located more or less in the center of the state, Austin is definitely a place you’ll want to check out if you plan on paying a visit to the Lone Star State.
Austin is a major cultural hub in the States and is home to a ton of interesting events and sights.
One of the most well-known Austin events is the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) festival.
SXSW is actually a collection of festivals centered around music, film, and interactive media that all take place at the same time.
Several artists such as James Blunt and Hanson have achieved their initial success through participating at SXSW.
Other less famous but still noteworthy sights in Austin include The Cathedral of Junk, a crazy construct of miscellaneous trash constructed over the course of several decades by a single man in his own backyard, and the classic “Hi, How Are You” mural created by visual artist and outsider musician Daniel Johnston, among many others.
See Also
10 LARGEST STATES IN THE UNITED STATES
