Texas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Texas (IPA: /ˈtɛksəs/) is a state geographically located in the South Central United States. Texas is known as the Lone Star State. Austin is the state capital. Texas is the second largest U.S. state in both area and population, with an area of 268,820 square miles (696,200 km²) and a growing population of 23.9 million. Houston is the state's largest city. The Dallas/Fort Worth area is the largest metropolitan statistical area.
Traveling from east to west, the landscape of Texas gradually evolves from that of the Deep South into that of the desert Southwest, going from piney woods to semi-forests of oak and cross timbers, into rolling plains and prairie, then finally to desert in the Big Bend. These wide open spaces of the Texas prairie have lent currency to the phrase that "everything is bigger in Texas".[6] Due to its long history as a center of the American cattle industry, Texas is associated throughout much of the world with the image of the cowboy.
Historically and culturally, partly due to settlement patterns and its membership in the Confederacy, Texas has close ties to the American South. However, having once been both a Spanish and Mexican possession, it can also be classified as a Southwestern state. While residents acknowledge these categories, many claim an independent "Texan" identity superseding regional labels.
Spain was the first European country to claim Texas. In 1836 it became the independent Republic of Texas. In 1845 it joined the United States as the 28th state. Texas is the only state to enter the United States by treaty instead of territorial annexation.[7] The state's annexation was part of a chain of events that led to the Mexican-American War and the U.S. Civil War. The discovery of oil in the early 1900s led to an economic boom in the state. It has become economically diversified with a growing base in high technology.
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[edit] Etymology
The state's name derives from táyshaʔ, a word in the Caddoan language of the Hasinai, which means "friends" or "allies".[2][8][9] The word "Texas" has been incorporated into American English vernacular in many ways. Due to the state's large geographic size, the term "Texas-sized" is a metaphor for "big".[10][11] The state's name is used in brands such as Texas Roadhouse and Texas Instruments. The abbreviated form of "Texas", "Tex", is used as a nickname for someone born and/or raised in the state, such as country music singer Tex Ritter. "Tex" is also a prefix for Texas related words including Tex-Mex or the restaurant chain, Texadelphia. The nickname, The Lone Star State, comes from the single star of the former Republic of Texas.[12]
[edit] History
[edit] Colonization
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Alonso Álvarez de Pineda, creator of the first map of the northern Gulf Coast, made the first documented European sighting of Texas in 1519.[14][15] On 6 November 1528, shipwrecked Spanish conquistador Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca became the first known European in Texas.[16] Texas was claimed as part of New Spain but was not settled immediately.[17] In 1685 La Salle established the first European community in Texas, the French colony of Fort Saint Louis.[18] The colony, located along Matagorda Bay, lasted only four years before succumbing to harsh conditions and hostile natives.[19]
Due to the perceived French encroachment, Spain established its first presence in Texas in 1691 constructing of missions in East Texas.[20] The missions failed quickly, and Spain did not resettle Texas until two decades had passed.[21] Spain returned to East Texas in 1716, establishing missions and a presidio to maintain a buffer between New Spain and the territory of Louisiana.[22][23] Two years later, the first civilian settlement in Texas, San Antonio, was established as a way station between the missions and the rest of New Spain.[24]
Fear of attacks from native tribes and remoteness from New Spain discouraged settlers from moving to Texas; it remained one of New Spain's least populated provinces.[25] San Antonio was a target for raids by the Lipan Apache.[26] In 1749, the Spanish signed a peace treaty with the Apache,[27] which angered the enemies of the Apache and resulted in raids by the Comanche, Tonkawa, and Hasinai tribes.[28] The Comanche signed a treaty with Spain in 1785[29] and later assisted in defeating the Lipan Apache and Karankawa tribes which had continued to cause difficulties for Spanish settlers.[30][31] An increased number of missions in the province allowed for a peaceful conversion of other tribes, and by the end of the 1700s only a few nomadic tribes had not been "Christianized".[32]
The Louisiana Purchase by the United States from Napoleon led to a border dispute over Texas.[33] U.S. President Thomas Jefferson insisted that the purchase included land to the east of the Rocky Mountains and to the north of the Rio Grande.[34] The dispute was resolved in 1819, with the signing of the Adams-Onís Treaty recognizing the Sabine River as Texas's eastern boundary.[35]
In 1821, the state became a province of Mexico after the Mexican War of Independence.[36] Texas became the northern section of Coahuila y Tejas in 1824. Spain's policy of allowing only full-blooded Spaniards to settle Texas also ended with Mexico's independence. On 3 January 1823, Stephen F. Austin began a colony of 297 Anglo-American families known as the "Old Three Hundred" along the Brazos River, after he was authorized to do so by Governor Antonio María Martínez.[37] By 1830, the 30,000 Anglo settlers in Texas outnumbered Tejanos six to one.[38]
[edit] Independence
The Convention of 1832 and the Convention of 1833 were responses to rising unrest at policies of the Mexican government. Delegates feared the end of duty-free imports from the United States and the threat of ending slavery.[39] In 1835, Antonio López de Santa Anna, President of Mexico, created a unified constitution for Mexico.[39] The new constitution, imposed a central style of government with power concentrated in the President, and turned states into provinces with governors appointed from Mexico City. States around Mexico rebelled against this imposition, including Chihuahua, Zacatecas and Yucatan. Centralista forces' suppression of dissidents in Zacatecas also inspired fear of the Mexican government.[40] Texans also resented policies such as, the forcible disarmament of settlers, and the expulsion of immigrants and legal landowners originally from the United States.
On 2 March 1836, the Convention of 1836 signed a Declaration of Independence.[41][42] On 21 April 1836, the Texans—led by General Sam Houston—won their independence at the Battle of San Jacinto. Santa Anna's capture led to the Treaties of Velasco, which gave Texas firm boundaries. Mexico repudiated the treaties, considered Texas a breakaway province, and vowed to reconquer it. Later in 1836, the Texans adopted a constitution that formally legalized slavery. The Republic of Texas included the area of the present state of Texas, and additional unoccupied territory to the west and northwest.[40]
[edit] Statehood
Most Texans wanted their Republic to be annexed into the United States because of the Republic's defensive and financial difficulties. Events such as the Dawson Massacre and two recaptures of Béxar in Texas of 1842 added momentum to the desire for statehood.[43] However, strong Northern opposition to adding another slave state blocked Texas's admission until pro-annexation James K. Polk won the election of 1844. On 29 December 1845, Texas was admitted to the U.S. as a constituent state of the Union.[44] The Mexican–American War followed, with decisive victories by the U.S.[45] Texas's boundaries were set at their present form after the Compromise of 1850. Land which included most of present day Arizona and New Mexico, as well as parts of Colorado, Oklahoma, and Wyoming, was ceded for the federal government's assumption of $10 million of the old republic's debt.[46]
Post-war Texas grew rapidly as migrants poured into the cotton lands of the state.[47] German immigrants started to arrive in the early 1840s because of economic, social and political conditions in their states. In 1842, German nobles organized the Adelsverein, banding together to buy land in central Texas to enable German settlement. The Revolutions of 1848 acted as another catalyst for so many immigrants that they became known as the "48ers". Many were educated artisans and businessmen. Germans continued to arrive in considerable numbers until 1890.[48] With their investments in cotton cultivation, Texas planters imported enslaved blacks. They established plantations mostly in the eastern part of the state. The central area was settled more by subsistence farmers. By 1860, the population of Texas totaled 604,215 and was 30 percent enslaved African Americans.[49]
[edit] Civil War, Reconstruction and disfranchisement
On 1 February 1861, elected delegates met in convention and authorized secession from the United States, which voters later approved in state-wide referendum. The state was accepted as a charter member of the Confederate States of America on 1 March 1861.[50][2] During the American Civil War Texas was a "supply state" for the Confederate forces, due to its distance from the front lines, contributing men, especially cavalry. Texan regiments fought in every major battle throughout the war.[51] Texas was cut off from the rest of the Confederacy mid-1863, when the Union capture of the Mississippi River made large movements of men or cattle impossible. The last battle of the Civil War was fought in Texas, at Palmito Ranch, on 13 May 1865.[52]
Texas descended into anarchy two months between the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia and the assumption of authority by Union General Gordon Granger. Violence also marked the early months of Reconstruction, as people paid off old grudges and struggled for power.[53] Juneteenth commemorates the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation on 19 June 1865 in Galveston by General Gordon Granger, over 2-1/2 years after the original announcement.[54][55] President Johnson, on 20 August 1866, declared that civilian government had been restored to Texas.[56] Despite not meeting reconstruction requirements, on 30 March 1870 the Congress readmitted Texas into the Union.[57] Social volatility continued as Texas struggled with agricultural depression and labor issues.
Like other Southern states, by the late 1870s white Democrats regained control, often with a mix of intimidation and terrorism. They passed a new constitution in 1876 that segregated schools and established a poll tax to support them, but it was not originally required for voting.[58] In 1901 the legislature passed a poll tax as a prerequisite for voter registration. Given the economic difficulties of the times, the poll tax caused participation by poor whites, African Americans and Mexican Americans to drop sharply. By the early 20th century, the Democratic Party in Texas started using a "white primary", which the state legislature authorized in 1923.[54] Since the Democratic Party dominated the state after 1900 for decades, the "white primary" provision reduced what little minority participation there was as the primaries were the true competitive contest. These provisions extended deep into the 20th century.[54]
[edit] Modern era
The first major oil well in Texas was Spindletop, south of Beaumont, on 10 January 1901. Other fields were later discovered nearby in East Texas, West Texas, and under the Gulf of Mexico. The resulting “Oil Boom” permanently transformed the economy of Texas.[59] Oil production eventually averaged three million barrels of oil per day at its peak in 1972.[60]
The economy, significantly improved since the civil war, was dealt a double blow by the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. Migrants abandoned the worst hit sections of Texas during the Dust Bowl years. Especially from this period on, blacks left Texas in the Great Migration to get work in the North or California and to escape the oppression of segregation.[61] With increased immigration, although the numbers of African Americans increased, their proportion of population decreased from 20.4 percent in 1900 to 12.4 percent in 1960.[61]
From 1950 through the 1960s, Texas modernized and expanded its system of higher education. Under the leadership of Governor John B. Connally, the state created a long-range plan for higher education, a more rational distribution of resources, and a central state apparatus designed to manage state institutions more efficiently. These changes helped Texas universities receive federal research funds during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.[62]
[edit] Geography
- See also: List of Texas state parks
Texas is located at the southernmost part of the Great Plains, which ends in the south against the folded Sierra Madre Oriental of Mexico. It is in the south-central part of the United States of America. The state has been categorized as part of the U.S. South and also part of the U.S. Southwest.
The Rio Grande, Red River and Sabine River are natural state borders, Oklahoma on the north, Louisiana and Arkansas on the east, & the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the south. To the west, its borders with New Mexico & Oklahoma are not based on natural features of terrain. The state's Texas Panhandle has a western border with New Mexico at 100° W, a northern one at 36°30' N and a western one at 103° W. The state's western tip is located on the 32th parallel extending from the Rio Grande to the Panhandle.[46]
Because of its size and unique history, the regional affiliation of Texas is debatable. Depending on the source, it can be fairly considered either or both a Southern or Southwestern state. The vast geographic, economic, and cultural diversity within the state itself prohibits easy categorization of the whole state into a recognized region of the United States. The East, Central, and North Texas, regions have a stronger association with the American South than with the Southwest. Others, such as far West Texas and South Texas share more similarities with the latter. The upper Texas Panhandle is similar to the Midwestern United States and the South Plains parts of West Texas, is a blend of South and Southwest.[citation needed]
Texas can be divided into five human geographical regions: North, East, Central, South, and West. Texas Almanac divides Texas into four physical geographical regions: Gulf Coastal Plains, Interior Lowlands, Great Plains, and The Basin and Range Province.[citation needed]
[edit] Geology
Texas is the southernmost part of the Great Plains, which ends in the south against the folded Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico. The continental crust here is a stable Mesoproterozoic craton which changes across a broad continental margin and transitional crust into true oceanic crust of the Gulf of Mexico. The oldest rocks in Texas date from the Mesoproterozoic and are about 1,600 million years old. These Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks underlie most of the state, and are exposed in three places: Llano uplift, Van Horn, and the Franklin Mountains, near El Paso. This is overlain by mostly sedimentary rocks. The oldest sediments were deposited on the flanks of a rifted continental margin, or passive margin that developed during Cambrian time. This margin existed until Laurasia and Gondwana collided in the Pennsylvanian era to form Pangea. This is the buried crest of the Appalachian Mountains—Ouachita Mountains zone of Pennsylvanian continental collision. This orogenic crest is today buried beneath the Dallas—Waco—Austin—San Antonio trend. During this time E. Texas was a region of high mountains and shallow seas covered W. Texas.[citation needed]
The late Paleozoic mountains collapsed as rifting in the Jurassic era began to open the Gulf of Mexico. Pangea began to break up in the Triassic but seafloor spreading to form the Gulf of Mexico occurred only in the mid and late Jurassic. The shoreline shifted again to the eastern margin of the state and the Gulf of Mexico passive margin began to form. Today there are 9 miles (14 km) to 12 miles (19 km) of sediments buried beneath the Texas continental shelf and a large proportion of remaining US oil reserves are to be found here. At the start of its formation, the incipient Gulf of Mexico basin was restricted and seawater often evaporated completely to form thick evaporite deposits of Jurassic age. These salt deposits have buoyantly risen up through the passive margin sediments to form salt dome diapirs, commonly found in East Texas, along the Gulf coast.[citation needed]
East Texas outcrops consist of Cretaceous and Paleogene sediments with contain important deposits of Eocenelignite. Oil is found in the Mississippian ad Pennsylvanian sediments in the north, Permian sediments in the west, Cretaceous sediments in the east, and along the Gulf coast and out on the Texas continental shelf. Oligocene volcanic rocks are found in far west Texas, in the Big Bend area. A blanket of Miocene sediments known as the Ogallala formation in the western high plains region is an important aquifer. Texas has no volcanoes and few earthquakes, being situated far from an active plate tectonic boundary.[citation needed]
[edit] Climate
The large size of Texas and its location at the intersection of multiple climate zones gives the state very variable weather. In general, though, there are three main climate zones: the humid subtropical climate (Koppen Cfa) of the eastern half of Texas, the temperate semi-arid (Koppen BSk) steppe climate of the northwestern part, including the Panhandle, and the subtropical steppe climate (nearly an arid desert climate, Koppen BSh) of the southern parts of West Texas, particularly around El Paso.[citation needed]
The Panhandle of the state is colder in winter than North Texas, while the Gulf Coast has mild winters. Texas has wide variations in precipitation patterns. El Paso, on the western end of the state, averages as little as 8 inches (200 mm) of annual rainfall while Houston, on the southeast Texas averages as much as 54 inches (1,400 mm) per year.[63] Dallas in the North Central region averages a more moderate 37 inches (940 mm) per year. Snowfall often falls in the winter months in the north. Maximum temperatures in the summer months average from the 80s °F (26 °C) in the mountains of West Texas and on Galveston Island to around 100 °F (38 °C) in the Rio Grande Valley. Night time summer temperatures range from the upper 50s °F (14 °C) in the West Texas mountains[64] to 80 °F (27 °C) in Galveston.[65]
Thunderstorms are very common in Texas, especially the eastern and northern portion of the state. Texas also experiences the highest number of tornadoes out of every state in the Union, with an average of around 139 a year. Although these tend to strike most frequently in North Texas and the Panhandle, every part of the state is subject to these violent storms.[66] Tornadoes occur mostly between the months of April–July but may strike any time.[citation needed]
Texas emits the most greenhouse gases in the US.[67] The state's annual carbon dioxide emissions are nearly 1.5 trillion pounds (680 billion kg). Texas would be the world's seventh-largest producer of greenhouse gases if it were an independent nation.[68][69] Much of the greenhouse gas emissions come from the state's refining and manufacturing industries which provide the bulk of the United States's petroleum products.[citation needed]
[edit] Demographics
As of 2006, the state has an estimated population of 23,507,783, an increase of 2.5% from the prior year and 12.7% since the year 2000. The natural increase since the last census was 1,389,275 people, immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 801,576 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 451,910 people.[2] As of 2004, the state has 3.5 million foreign-born residents (15.6 percent of the state population), of which an estimated 1.2 million are illegal aliens. More than one-third of the foreign-born population in Texas and 5.4 percent of the total state population comes from illegal immigration.[citation needed] Texas from 2000–2006 had the fastest growing illegal immigration rate in the nation.[70]
[edit] Racial group and ethnic origins
As of the 2006 US Census estimates, the racial distribution in Texas are as follows:
- 69.8% White American – includes 21.0% White Hispanic,
- 35.7% are Latino,
- 11.6% African American,
- 3.3% are Asian American,
- 0.6% are American Indian,
- 13% are of other racial groups.[4]
The largest reported ancestry groups in Texas are: Mexican (25.3%), German (10.9%), African American (10.5%), English (7.2%), and Scots-Irish (7.2%). Descendants from these ancestry groups are underreported.[citation needed] Much of the population of east, central, and north Texas have a white Protestant heritage, primarily descended from ancestors from Great Britain and Ireland.[citation needed] Much of central and southeast-central Texas is inhabited by German descendants. African Americans, who historically made up one-third of the state population during the 19th century, are concentrated in the parts of East Texas where the cotton plantation culture was most prominent before the American Civil War, as well as in Dallas and Houston.[citation needed] Because of a strong labor market, from 1995–2000, Texas is one of three states in the South that are receiving the high numbers of black college graduates in a New Great Migration.[71] Recently, the Asian population in Texas has grown—primarily in Houston and Dallas.
After the European revolutions of 1848, German, Polish, Swedish, Norwegian, Czech and French immigration grew, and continued until World War I.[citation needed] The influence of the diverse immigrants from Europe survives in the names of towns, styles of architecture, genres of music, and varieties of cuisine. German settlements formed in frontier Texas, particularly in Fredericksburg and New Braunfels.[citation needed] Lavaca County is predominantly Czech.[citation needed]
Over one-third of Texas residents are of Hispanic origin.[4] Many recently arrived, while Tejanos have ancestors with multigenerational ties in Texas. Hispanics dominate south, south-central, and west Texas. They are a significant proportion of residents in the San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas metropolitan areas. Immigrants (including illegal aliens)—primarily from far southern Mexico and Central America, contribute heavily to the state's growth.[citation needed] The influx of immigration is partially responsible for the state's having a young population compared relative to the rest of the United States.[citation needed]
American Indian tribes who once lived inside the boundaries of present-day Texas include Apache, Atakapan, Bidai, Caddo, Comanche, Cherokee, Kiowa, Tonkawa, Wichita, Hueco and the Karankawa of Galveston. Currently, there are three federally recognized Native American tribes that reside in Texas: the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas, the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, and the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of Texas.[72]
[edit] Religion
Texas is a part of the strong socially conservative Evangelical Protestant, Bible Belt, and has the highest percentage people with an religious affiliation in the nation.[73] Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas is home to three major evangelical seminaries and several of America's largest megachurches, including the Potter's House pastored by T.D Jakes and Prestonwood Baptist pastored by Jack Graham. Houston is home to the largest "church" in the nation, Lakewood Church, pastored by Joel Osteen. Lubbock, Texas has the most churches per capita in the nation.[73]
In 2000, The religious demographics of Texas were:[74]
- Evangelical Protestant – 24.4%
- Mainline Protestant – 8.1%
- Orthodox – 0.1%
- Roman Catholic – 21.0%
- Hindu,Sikhs,Buddhists,Muslim,others; 2.0%
- Unclaimed – 44.5%
The largest single denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Catholic Church 4,368,969, the Southern Baptist Convention 3,519,459 and the United Methodist Church 1,022,342.[74] Figures further note that there are approximately 400,000 Muslims in Texas.[75]
[edit] Cities and towns
- See also: List of cities in Texas, List of Texas metropolitan areas, and Population of Texas cities in 2000
As of 2000, six incorporated places in Texas had populations greater than 500,000, of which two are global cities: Houston and Dallas.[76] Texas has a total of 25 metropolitan areas, with four having populations over 1 million and two over 5 million. Texas has three cities with populations exceeding 1 million: Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas. This is the most cities of this size within one state.[citation needed] These three are also among the 10 largest cities of the United States. Austin, Fort Worth, and El Paso are also among the top 25 largest U.S. cities.[77] The Texas Urban Triangle is a region defined by three interstate highways – I-35 to the west (Dallas-Fort Worth to San Antonio), I-45 to the east (Dallas to Houston), and I-10 to the south (San Antonio to Houston). The region contains most of the state's largest cities and metropolitan areas, as well as nearly 75 percent of Texas' total population.[78]
[edit] Colonias
Colonias along the U.S.–Mexican border, refer to rural, unincorporated settlements which often lack basic infrastructure and which are marked by poverty. As of 2007, Texas has the largest concentration of people, approximately 400,000, living in colonias on the U.S. side of the border.[79] There are more than 2,294 Texas colonias, located primarily along the state's 1,248-mile (2,008 km) border with Mexico. The colonia population is predominately Hispanic.
[edit] Government and politics
The Texas Constitution, adopted in 1876, like many state constitutions, explicitly provides separation of powers. The state's Bill of Rights has provisions unique to Texas and is considerably longer than its federal counterpart.[80]
[edit] State government
- See also: List of Texas state agencies
Texas's has a plural executive branch system with limits the power of the Governor. Except for the Secretary of State, all executive officers are elected independently making them directly answerable to the public not the Governor.[81] Past executive branches have been split between parties. When Republican President George W. Bush served as Texas' governor, the state's Lieutenant Governor, Bob Bullock, was a Democrat. The executive branch positions consists of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Comptroller of Public Accounts, Land Commissioner, Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner, the three-member Texas Railroad Commission, the State Board of Education, and the Secretary of State.[citation needed]
The bicameral Texas Legislature consists of the House of Representatives, with 150 members, and a Senate, with 31 members. The Speaker of the House leads the House, and the Lieutenant Governor leads the Senate. The Legislature meets in regular session biennially, but the Governor can call for special sessions as often as desired.[citation needed]
[edit] Judicial system
- See also: Capital punishment in Texas
The judicial system of Texas is one of the most complex in the United States, with many layers and overlapping jurisdictions. Texas has two courts of last resort: the Texas Supreme Court, for civil cases, and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Except for some municipal benches, partisan elections select judges at all levels of the judiciary; the Governor fills vacancies by appointment.[82]
The justice system in Texas has strict sentencing for criminals. Texas leads the nation in the curious distinction of carrying out the most executions, 400, from 1982 to 2007.[83] Only capital murder is eligible for the death penalty. In 2008 the state considered a bill making rape of a child a capital crime in some instances.[84] Before 2005, the alternate sentence was life with the possibility of parole after 40 calendar years; in 2005, the law was modified to make the alternate sentence life without parole.
Known for their role in Texas law enforcement history, the Texas Ranger Division of the Texas Department of Public Safety continue to provide special law enforcement services to the state. Texas Game Wardens—law enforcement officers employed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department—are given the same level of authority as standard law enforcement officers.[citation needed]
[edit] Politics
- See also: Disfranchisement after the Civil War
Like other "Solid South" states, whites resented the Republican Party after the American Civil War. After regaining power near the end of Reconstruction, the Democratic Party held a monolithic political presence in Texas until the late 20th century. After the 1960s, Conservative Democrats in Texas began to endorse Republican presidential candidates.[citation needed] When President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, he reportedly said "We have lost the South for a generation".[85] Scholars attribute the change to the success of Nixon's Southern Strategy. In 1978, Texas Republicans elected their first post-reconstruction governor and in 2003 they gained control of the state legislature.[citation needed]
Today, Republicans control most of Texas's U.S. House of Representatives delegation, and both U.S. Senators. Of the 32 congressional districts in Texas, 19 seats are held by Republicans and 13 by Democrats. Texas Republicans in the U.S. Senate are Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn. Since 1994, Texans have not elected a Democrat to a statewide office. The state's Democratic presence is primarily comprised of minority groups and urban voters, particularly in Austin. Democrats and independents still hold positions in city governments.[citation needed]
The Texas political atmosphere leans towards fiscal and social conservatism.[citation needed] Since 1980, most of Texas voters have supported Republican Presidential candidates. In 2000 and 2004, Republican George W. Bush won Texas with 60.1% of the vote. He was a "favorite son" as a recent Governor of the state. Austin is the state's most liberal or "populist" city. Houston is among the few urban areas that consistently vote Republican, but its metropolitan areas are very divided politically. Dallas remains approximately split. In the southwest part of the state, particularly in El Paso, Democrats are strong.[citation needed]
[edit] Administrative divisions
- See also: List of Texas counties
Texas has 32 congressional districts, the second-most after California. See map. There are 254 counties—the most nationwide. Each county is run by a Commissioners' Court consisting of four elected commissioners and a county judge. County government is similar to a "weak" mayor-council system; the county judge has no veto authority, but votes along with the other commissioners. County elections are partisan.[citation needed]
Texas does not allow consolidated city-county governments, nor does it have metropolitan governments. Cities and counties are permitted to enter "interlocal agreements" to share services. Further, counties are not granted home rule status; their powers are strictly defined by state law. The state does not have townships— areas within a county are either incorporated or unincorporated. Incorporated areas are part of a municipality. The county provides services to unincorporated areas. Municipalities are classified as either "general law" or "home rule". A municipality may elect home rule status once it exceeds 5,000 population with voter approval. Municipal elections in Texas are nonpartisan.[citation needed]
[edit] Economy
- See also: List of military installations in Texas
Texas' large population, its abundance of natural resources, and diverse population and geography has led the state to have a large and highly diverse economy. For a time, since the discovery of oil, the state's economy reflected the state of the petroleum industry. In recent times, urban centers of the state have diversified employing two-thirds of the population in 2005. Growth in the state's economy has caused problems in Texas associated with urban sprawl.[86]
In the fourth quarter of 2006, Texas had a gross state product of $1.09 trillion, the second highest in the U.S.[87][88] Gross state product per capita as of 2005 was $42,975. The state is home to the most Fortune 500 companies in the United States.[89][90] In 2004, the Site Selection magazine ranked Texas as the most business friendly state in the nation. A big reason for this ranking is the state's three billion dollar, Texas Enterprise Fund.[91]
Texas's growth can be attributed to the availability of jobs, the low cost of housing, the lack of a personal state income tax, high quality of education, low taxation and limited regulation of business, a central geographic location, a limited government, favorable weather, and abundant natural resources.[citation needed] On a darker note, the economic impact of illegal immigration is significant but difficult to estimate.[citation needed]
[edit] Agriculture and mining
Texas is a productive agricultural state with the most farms both in number and acreage in the United States.[92] Texas leads the nation in the value of cattle it produces, the state's most valuable agricultural product.[92] The state also leads nationally in production of sheep and goat products. Texas is king of cotton leading the nation in cotton production, its leading crop and second-most-valuable farm product.[92] Texas is a leader in cereal crop production. The state is a large produce growing state especially with watermelons, grapefruits and cantaloupes.[92] Texas also has a large commercial fishing industry. With mineral resources, Texas leads in creating cement, crushed stone, lime, salt, sand and gravel.[92]
[edit] Energy
Texans consume the most energy in the nation both in per capita and as a whole.[93] Since 2002, Texas deregulated its electric service with mixed results.[citation needed]
The Railroad Commission of Texas, contrary to its name, regulates the state's oil and gas industry, gas utilities, pipeline safety, safety in the liquefied petroleum gas industry, and surface coal and uranium mining. Until the 1970s, the commission had enormous control the price of petroleum because of its ability to regulate Texas oil reserves. The founders of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) used the Texas agency as as one of their models for petroleum price control.[94]
The state has known petroleum deposits of about 8 billion barrels (1,300,000,000 m³), which makes up approximately one-third of the known U.S. supply.[95] Texas refineries can process 4.6 million barrels (730,000 m³) of oil a day.[93] As wells are depleted in the eastern portions of the state, drilling in state has moved westward.[92] Several petroleum companies are based in Texas such as: Conoco-Phillips, Exxon-Mobil, Halliburton, Valero, and