Texas is a state in the south-central United States of America.
Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State because it has only one
star on its flag. Texas has the second largest area of any US
state after Alaska and the second largest population after
California. With 254 counties, Texas has the most counties of
any state in the United States.
Texas borders Mexico to
the south. This makes up about half of the border between the
United States and Mexico. Texas also borders the states of
New
Mexico to the west, Oklahoma to the north,
Arkansas to the
northeast, and Louisiana to the east.
North Texas (Lubbock, Amarillo, Wichita Falls)
Great Plains,
Cotton and the Llano Estacado landscape formation.
Prairies and Lakes (Dallas, Fort Worth)
Lakes promising
relaxation and exciting nightlife.
Pine forests
(Nacogdoches, Tyler)
Pine forests, swamps, and civil war and
civil rights history.
Gulf Coast (Houston, Galveston,
Beaumont)
Islands, beaches and port cities.
South
Texas Plains (San Antonio, Laredo)
Border area on the Rio
Grande, Spanish missions.
Hill Country (Austin,
Fredericksburg)
Edwards Plateau, rolling hills, rivers and
the capital.
Big Bend Country (El Paso, Odessa)
Big
Bend National Park, Mountains, Desert and Canyons.
1 Austin - Live Music Capital of the World. capital of the state.
University of Texas (5th largest in the US by student population).
2
Dallas - one of Texas' most popular travel destinations.
3
El Paso -
the largest city on the Mexican border.
4 Fort Worth - "where the
west begins".
5 Houston - largest Texas city and home of NASA's
Control Center.
6 San Antonio - famous for the Alamo and the River
Walk district.
7 Amarillo - wide open city; on the edge of the Great
Plains.
8 Arlington - Home of the Texas Rangers.
9 Beaumont - the
birthplace of the modern oil industry is home to the Spindletop oil
field.
10 Brownsville
11 Corpus Christi - famous Gulf Coast town.
12 Fort Stockton
13 Fredericksburg - German settlement, many
festivals.
14 Galveston - important port city and tourist
destination.
15 Laredo - largest inland port in the United States.
16 Lubbock - Largest city on the Texas Plains.
17 MidlandâOdessa -
twin cities shaped by oil.
18 Nacogdoches - "Cradle of Texas
Liberty", many historic landmarks.
19 San Angelo
Big Bend National Park is located in southern Texas and shares a 1500 km border with Mexico. Desert-like landscapes cover most of the national park area. Yuccas are eye-catching plant species, and there are many types of cacti in Big Bend National Park.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Established on October 15, 1966, Guadalupe Mountains National Park encompasses part of the Guadalupe Mountains range in western Texas. The mountains form a stark contrast to the surrounding Chihuahuan Desert. Carlsbad Caverns National Park is also located 130 kilometers to the north in this southernmost foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The park features Texas' highest point, the 2,667-meter Guadalupe Peak, and a mountain called El Capitan, which has long been a landmark for travelers on an ancient trail later used by the Butterfield Overland stagecoaches. The remains of an old stagecoach station survive near the Pine Springs Visitor Center.
Take a leisurely trip on an inner tube, floating down the Comal,
Guadalupe, San Marcos, Brazos or Frio Rivers.
Spend the weekend
living the Old West at a Dude Ranch
Hike and climb through the
natural wonders of Palo Duro Canyon near Amarillo.
Enjoy live music
and Western heritage at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, held each
spring at Houston's Reliant Park.
Pierce your curiosity about Texas
history at the Alamo in San Antonio.
Take in a show at Houston's
Theater District, the largest performing arts district outside of New
York City.
Sports fans will want to see some of America's most
winning and iconic professional and college sports teams, including the
Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs,
University of Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies.
As in all states of the USA, English is also spoken in Texas. Spanish is also widely spoken, being the mother tongue of around 30% of the population.
Texas shares an international border with Mexico as well as a
600-mile coastline. It is bordered to the north by the state of
Oklahoma, to the west by the state of New Mexico, and to the east by the
states of Arkansas and Louisiana. As a state of the United States, all
US visa and passport rules apply.
By plane
1 Dallas-Fort Worth
International Airport (DFW IATA) and 2 George Bush Intercontinental
Airport (IAH IATA) are the most popular entry points with a wide variety
of flights from Europe, East Asia, India, Australia, Latin America, the
Middle East (Israel, Qatar, Turkey, United Arab Emirates) and from
several US cities on a variety of US and foreign airlines. Houston
serves as a hub for United at Bush Intercontinental Airport and
Southwest at Houston Hobby, while Dallas-Ft Worth serves as a hub for
American Airlines and Dallas Love Field as a hub for Southwest. If you
are flying within Texas or coming from the US, there are other airports
in Texas that are less crowded and may be closer to your final
destination at:
3 Dallas Love Field (DAL IATA) is an "alternate"
airport in the Dallas-Ft Worth Metroplex that is closer to downtown
Dallas. If you are flying with Southwest Airlines to the Dallas Ft Worth
Metroplex, they only land at Dallas Love Field.
4 William P Hobby
Airport (HOU IATA) is the other airport in the Houston area that is
located 10 miles (16 km) southeast of downtown Houston. If you are
flying with Allegiant or Southwest Airlines to the Houston-Sugarland
area, they only land at William P Hobby Airport.
5 Austin-Bergstorm
International Airport (AUS IATA) The third busiest airport in Texas that
receives many non-stop flights.
6 Amarillo Rick Husband Amarillo
Airport (AMA IATA) located 6 miles (9.7 km) east of downtown Amarillo.
It has commercial service with Allegiant, American, United and Southwest
from other parts of the state and from Las Vegas, Phoenix-Mesa and
Denver. :*7 El Paso International Airport (ELP IATA)
8 Lubbock
Preston Smith International Airport ( LBB IATA ), located 7.5 mi (12.1
km) north of downtown Lubbock and 120 mi (190 km) south of Amarillo. It
is served primarily by intrastate flights with American, United and
Southwest. The same airlines also offer direct flights from Las Vegas,
Phoenix Sky Harbor and Denver.
9 McAllen-Miller International Airport
( MFE IATA ) The closest airport to Laredo, McAllen and Brownsville in
South Texas, near the border. In addition to domestic flights from the
US and within Texas (American, United, Allegiant), Aeromar also offers
flights to McAllen from several cities in Mexico.
10 San Antonio
International Airport ( SAT IATA )
In addition to Dallas-Ft Worth
and Bush Intercontinental in Houston, flights from Mexico land in
Austin, San Antonio and McAllen in Texas and in Ciudad Juarez and
Monterrey as the closest Mexican airports to Texas. The roads leading
from Monterrey to Reynosa/McAllen and Nuevo Laredo/Laredo are unsafe due
to incidents of carjacking, illegal roadblocks and other acts of
violence perpetrated by drug cartel members against travelers. The same
goes south of Brownsville/Matamoros in the state of Tamaulipas.
By train
Three daily Amtrak trains serve the state. First, the Texas
Eagle between Chicago and San Antonio , with stops in Texarkana , Dallas
and Austin . Second, the Sunset Limited between Los Angeles and New
Orleans , with stops in Houston , San Antonio and El Paso . This train
also carries a direct car to and from Chicago three times a week.
Finally, there is the Heartland Flyer which travels between Fort Worth
and Oklahoma City.
Amtrak fares are often higher than a
comparable flight and travel times are long, but traveling by train
offers a unique perspective and spectacular views that cannot be
obtained from a car, bus, or plane for those who are interested.
However, Amtrak is also known for delays, as they do not own most of
their tracks and have to wait for hours to allow freight trains to pass
through parts of the single-track network.
By Car
Texas is
well connected from other points in the U.S. by the U.S. Interstate
Highway system, the quality and condition of which are generally very
good. There are many highways that cross into Texas from Mexico, most
notably at McAllen, Brownsville, Laredo, and El Paso. Due to the massive
amount of traffic from Mexico and Central America, Laredo is the largest
inland port in the country, and wait times at this and all border
stations can often be tremendous. In total, Texas has more than 72,000
miles of state and federal highways.
If you are not a US citizen
and are driving into the US from Mexico, you must have a valid visa or
permit beforehand, as they are not issued at the bridges crossing the
Rio Grande. If you are a US citizen, you must present a passport at
customs at border crossings to re-enter the United States. Otherwise,
your vacation in Mexico will be extended!
Please note that roads
in the states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, Chihuahua, and Nuevo Laredos (and
perhaps further south), particularly those connecting Monterrey to
Reynosa/McAllen and Nuevo Laredo/Laredo, are not safe due to incidents
of carjacking, illegal roadblocks, and other cartel violence against
travelers. Same with roads south of Brownsville/Matamoros in the state
of Tamaulipas.
By Bus
For the bravest, most adventurous (and
most frugal) passengers, intercity buses are an option. Please note that
this mode of transportation is primarily used by those who cannot afford
air travel and you may be traveling with migrant workers and very
low-income Americans. Still, conditions at the stations and on the buses
are adequate. Greyhound takes you to remote towns within Texas and can
take you as far as Mexico City and all points in Canada.
By boat
Major ports in Texas include Houston, Corpus Christi, Galveston,
Beaumont, Port Arthur, and Brownsville. Both the Port of Houston and the
Port of Galveston are home ports for cruise ships.
By Car
The highway system is almost universally excellent, and
even the most remote points of the state can be accessed with an average
sedan. Gas stations are numerous; however, in rural West Texas, don't
push your luck. Texas highways are often built with parallel frontage
roads and turns at most exits. Speed limits are very strictly enforced
in rural parts of the state; Texas State Police will pull you over for
as little as five miles per hour over the speed limit, as traffic
tickets are often a major source of revenue for many smaller towns. When
traveling through larger cities, however, observing the "common speed"
of traffic around you is much safer. The rural speed limit in Texas is
generally 70 MPH, although it increases to 80 MPH on Interstates 10 and
20 in the sparsely populated western part of the state.
On the
downside, Texas has one of the worst road safety records in the United
States and one of the highest numbers of alcohol-related traffic deaths
in the United States.
If you plan to drive through Texas, these
are generally the most important routes you should be aware of:
Interstate 10 Interstate 10 runs on an east-west route through Texas,
connecting Beaumont, Houston, San Antonio, West Texas, and El Paso.
Interstate 20 Also on an east-west route, Interstate 20 connects
Longview, Tyler, Metroplex, Abilene, Midland, and El Paso.
Interstate
27 A north-south route, Interstate 27 connects Amarillo and Lubbock.
Interstate 30 Although it has a short run in Texas, Interstate 30
connects Texarkana and the Metroplex.
Interstate 35: The main
north-south route in Texas, this interstate connects Laredo, San
Antonio, Austin, Waco, and the Metroplex.
Interstate 40: The main
east-west route of the Panhandle region, Interstate 40 connects Amarillo
to parts of Oklahoma and New Mexico.
Interstate 45: A north-south
route connecting the Metroplex, Houston, and Galveston.
US 59: The
north-south route through eastern Texas, this route connects Texarkana,
Houston, Victoria, and Laredo. The segment from Rosenberg to Cleveland,
which runs through Houston, is now signed as Interstate 69. The latter
route will eventually run northeast-southwest, connecting Nacogdoches,
Houston, and Victoria before splitting into three segments in Victoria.
One will follow a generally coastal route through Corpus Christi to
Brownsville. The other two will follow inland routes, one to western Rio
Grande Valley cities and the other to Laredo.
US 67 A north-south
route, this highway runs northeast to southwest, connecting Texarkana,
Metroplex, San Angelo, Fort Stockton, Marfa, and Presidio.
US 87
Another north-south route, this highway runs a bit more northwest to
southeast, connecting Amarillo, Lubbock, San Angelo, Fredericksburg, San
Antonio, and Victoria.
With regard to drivers licenses, Texas
has reciprocity agreements with 83 countries (including Canada, Mexico,
the United Kingdom, most of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan,
Taiwan, and South Korea), meaning your drivers license will likely be
valid in Texas if you plan to stay for less than a year. That said, it
never hurts to carry an International Drivers Permit (IDP) in addition
to your domestic license; for foreigners from countries that do not have
reciprocity agreements, this is mandatory. IDPs are available from your
local automobile association and are usually valid for one year.
By Air
Texas is home to three major airlines: American Airlines,
based in Dallas-Ft. Worth, United Airlines, based at Houston's George
Bush Intercontinental Airport, and Southwest Airlines, with hubs in
Austin, Dallas Love-Field, and Houston Hobby. Southwest is the major
budget airline and flies throughout Texas and most of the United States.
Travel to any destination around the world is fairly straightforward
from the larger Texas airports and many of them have nonstop flights to
many foreign countries in addition to most U.S. cities.
By Train
Since Texas cities are geographically dispersed, train travel is
expensive and often inconvenient, although Amtrak offers several lines
and a private company is acquiring land for a Japanese-style bullet
train between Houston and Dallas, the two largest urban areas. Passenger
service is no longer an option for cities in the Panhandle or South
Texas. Again, the size of the state is surprising; traveling across the
width of Texas (from Orange, at the eastern end, near Houston, to El
Paso at the western end) is about the same distance you would encounter
traveling from El Paso to Los Angeles or from Houston to Jacksonville,
Florida. Texarkana, in the northeast corner of the state, is closer to
Chicago than to the southern tip of Texas. The northwest corner of the
Panhandle is closer to Bismarck, North Dakota than to Brownsville.
By Bus
The bus is not the most glamorous way to get around the
state, but it can be the most economical. The most frequent services are
between Dallas/Ft Worth (in the north), San Antonio/Austin (in the SW)
and Houston/Katy (in the SE), arranged in a triangular pattern on the
map. There are additional services connecting El Paso from the west and
Houston in the east to Austin, College Station and/or San Antonio in
between; and from the Mexican border to San Antonio and Houston. There
are additional companies, county bus services and those connecting rural
towns not listed here, please see the city or destination article and
company schedules for all transportation options. Transit information
can be found here:
Galgo, toll-free number: +1-800-231-2222.
Connects Dallas to El Paso (I-20); Houston (I-45); Laredo (via San
Marcos, Austin, San Antonio ) (I-35); Oklahoma City (I-35); Atlanta
(I-20/I-85); Memphis (I-30) and points in between; and from Houston to
Baton Rouge (I-10). They also connect San Antonio and Dallas to Denver
via Lubbock, Amarillo, Big Springs, and points in between in the
northern/northwestern part of the state. They serve the most places in
Texas than the other bus companies.
Valley Transit Co (VTC) operates
primarily in the S/SE areas of San Antonio and Houston towards the Rio
Grande (Mexico border) as a subsidiary brand of Greyhound.
Greyhound
Mexico connects Monterrey, Nuevo Laredo (state) to Laredo (via Nuevo
Laredo), and McAllen (via Reynosa) on two separate routes. Otherwise,
they have Autobus Americanos as a co-brand with Grupo Estrella Blanca
for further travel into Mexico.
Flixbus _Connects Los Angeles to
El Paso; Houston to Austin, Dallas, and New Orleans; and San Antonio to
Dallas (via San Marcos and Austin) on three separate networks. Flixbus
does not offer direct connections between El Paso and San Antonio along
the I-10 corridor.
Megabus, Kerryville (Coach, United States).
Connects Dallas to Houston, College Station, Prairie View, San Antonio
(via Austin); and Houston to Dallas, New Orleans (via Baton Rouge),
Austin (via San Marcos), and San Antonio. Kerryville operates some of
Megabus' routes in Texas; otherwise, they are chartered.
Red Coach, ☏
+1 407-851-2843, toll-free: +1-877-733-0724. Service between Houston,
San Antonio, Austin, College Station, and Dallas.
Tornado Bus, El
Expreso.
Turimex (operated by Senda Group). Its intrastate
connections are between Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Laredo, McAllen,
and Brownsville.
By thumb
Along with Oklahoma, Oregon, and
Missouri, Texas is one of the few U.S. states that allows pedestrian
traffic on all toll-free interstate highways (except within the city
limits of El Paso). This makes hitchhiking relatively easy.
Sales tax in Texas typically ranges from 6.25% to 8.25%. Major items
exempt from sales tax include drugs (prescription and over-the-counter),
food, and food seeds (but prepared foods, such as those from a
restaurant, are subject to sales tax). Texas offers one sales tax
holiday per year (usually in August before the start of the school year,
Friday through Sunday of the designated weekend). Clothing under $100
(except certain items, such as golf shoes) and school supplies are
exempt from all sales taxes (state and local) during this weekend only.
Major department stores in Texas include Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth
Avenue, Nordstrom, Dillard's, Macy's, JCPenney, Sears, Kohls, and
Bealls. The first three are considered upscale. Macy's and Dillard's are
primarily mid-range and most stores feature their own brands. JCPenney,
Sears, Kohls, and Bealls generally target a middle-class to
working-class market.
Some notable malls and shopping centers
include:
La Galeria (Houston)
Katy Mills (Katy)
North Park
Center (Dallas)
Galleria Dallas (Dallas)
Grapevine Mills
(Grapevine)
Shops at La Cantera (San Antonio)
North Star Mall (San
Antonio)
The Dominion (Austin)
Barton Creek Plaza (Austin)
Cielo Vista Mall (El Paso)
Additionally, there are also several
malls located in Texas, of which the largest are located in San Marcos,
Round Rock, Texas City, Terrell, Grand Prairie, El Paso, and McAllen. In
particular, the San Marcos outlet mall has been rated as one of the best
in the country and is popular with both locals and Mexican tourists.
For those who want to buy genuine cowboy boots and other western
apparel, they are found all over Texas.
As with the rest of the
U.S., the leading convenience store chain in Texas is 7-Eleven, which
coincidentally was founded and headquartered in Dallas. The other three
major convenience store chains are Stripes, Buc-ee's, and Circle K.
For basic supplies, try to use grocery stores and pharmacies if
possible, as they have a better selection and provide better value for
your money than convenience stores. The major pharmacy chains in Texas
are CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid. Major grocery chains include HEB,
Kroger, Randall's, Tom Thumb, Albertsons, United, Brookshire Brothers,
and Aldi. Austin-based Whole Foods Market is the leading organic/natural
grocery store in the entire state; and other organic/natural chains like
Trader Joe's, Central Market, and Sprouts Farmers Market also have a
presence in larger cities. Ubiquitous discount chain stores Walmart and
Target offer some groceries (Walmart Supercenters and SuperTargets offer
a full grocery selection) and typically have on-site pharmacies as well.
HEB, in particular, is ubiquitous in South Texas and replaced most
other grocery store chains. It is well-loved by locals for its good
deals and support of the community.
Barbecue is the mainstay of any true Texan's diet (some Texans will
frown if you call it barbecue). The International Barbecue Cookoff is
held annually in Taylor, TX (northeast of Austin). A Texas specialty is
chopped or thinly sliced beef brisket, usually served with a slice of
white bread, pickles, onions, and salsa in a separate bowl (although
Central European-style sausage is also common). Classic sides are
coleslaw, beans, and potatoes.
Chili is the official state dish of
Texas. There are many varieties of chili, but the original Texas-style
chili contains no beans. The place to try all the varieties is the
International Chili Cookoff, held the first weekend in November in
Terlingua, TX.
Tex-Mex is Mexican cuisine with a Texas twist. Take
old traditions (like stuffed tortillas) and add beef, sauces, cheeses,
and spices, and Tex-Mex is born. Nachos, burritos, crispy tacos, crunchy
chalupas, chili con queso, chili con carne, chili gravy, and fajitas are
all Tex-Mex inventions. Serving tortilla chips and a spicy salsa or
cheese dip as an appetizer is also an original Tex-Mex combination, and
one that Texan diners insist on. While Texans are generally nice people
and not easily offended, it bears repeating: Tex-Mex food is definitely
not the same as Mexican food, a point that locals will be happy to point
out.
Down Home Cookin' is a blend of American and German cuisine
created by the need to cook on the back of a food cart. Meals include
steaks, stews, casseroles, breads, and pastries. There are many
steakhouses throughout the state, notably Big Texan Steak Ranch in
Amarillo, Bob's Steak and Chophouse in Dallas, Fort Griffin General
Merchandise in Albany, and Taste of Texas Steak House on Houston's west
side.
Chicken fried steak is a cube steak pounded until tender,
breaded, and pan-fried, usually covered in a creamy, spicy white sauce
and served with mashed potatoes and beans. CFS (as it is sometimes
known) can be found everywhere, from school cafeterias to fast food
places, where it might be served on a sandwich, to upscale restaurants
(with a creative twist, of course). Its presence on the menu is a sure
way to tell if you're in Texasjust don't order it "rare" or "well
done"; it's not that kind of steak!
Kolaches are a type of dough that
contains a portion of fruit or other fillings such as sausage,
chocolate, jalapeno cheese, etc. bordered by a puffy pillow of pliable
dough. Due to the earlier large influx of Czech settlers to Texas along
with their descendants, kolaches later became extremely popular in the
state and both Caldwell and West, Texas lay claim to the title of the
state's "Kolache Capital" and most donut shops and convenience stores
such as Shipley's Do-Nuts will also sell kolaches.
In addition to the
Texas staples mentioned above, it is also relatively easy to find
hole-in-the-wall ethnic restaurants that serve a wide variety of
authentic ethnic cuisines from around the world such as upstate Mexican,
Cajun, Italian, Chinese, Lebanese, Honduran, Cuban, Ethiopian, and more.
, Salvadoran, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, etc., especially in large and
mid-sized cities thanks to the large and rapidly growing
transplant/immigrant population in Texas, particularly in Houston,
Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio. Additionally, cities like Austin have
started the national food truck trend. These typically offer a variety
of foods, usually at lower than normal prices. Some popular food trucks
include East Side King , Chi'lantro , Hey Cupcake! , and the Peach
Tortilla
Texas has many cities with fabulous nightlife. Some of the most
notable include:
Austin: 6th Street and Warehouse District.
Dallas: Uptown, Deep Ellum, and Greenville Avenue districts.
Fort
Worth: Fort Worth's historic stockyards, including the world-famous
Billy Bob's Texas, which claims to be the world's largest Honky-Tonk (it
even has its own rodeo arena). Also, in Fort Worth's surprisingly clean
and vibrant downtown area, there's Sundance Square, where one can find
food, drink, and entertainment ranging from live music to first-run
movies.
Houston: Downtown, The Heights, or Montrose.
Historic San
Antonio: Downtown/Riverwalk, Southtown Arts District, and Pearl Brewery
District.
Lubbock: Warehouse District.
The maximum legal blood
alcohol content (BAC) limit for adults is 0.08.
In early 2006,
the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission's (TABC) controversial program
allowing arrests for "public intoxication" in any public area or
business establishment, including bars, garnered national attention.
This was due to an unfortunate incident where people staying at a hotel
were arrested for being intoxicated at that hotel's bar. There has been
enough negative feedback from the public about the TABC program that it
has been suspended for review.
Texas produces a number of famous beers, particularly German-style
beers, which are available throughout the state and beyond.
Anheiser-Busch's Houston brewery produces Ziegen Bock, which is sold
only in Texas.
Lone Star Beer. Brewed in San Antonio, it is
advertised as the "national beer of Texas" but is sold as far away as
New York and is reportedly even seen in Tallinn, Estonia. edit
San
Arnoldo and Estrella del Sur in Houston.
Live Oak Brewing Company and
Austin Beerworks in Austin.
Freetail Brewing Company in San Antonio.
Real Ale Brewing Company in Blanco.
While not on the level of Napa Valley or Sonoma Valley in California,
Texas does have a thriving wine industry that is concentrated primarily
in the Hill Country west of San Antonio and Austin and in the Panhandle
region around Lubbock. Several wineries in Texas, such as Llano Estacado
Winery, have won many awards. There are several wineries in and around
Fredericksburg that are open to the public throughout the week, but the
rest typically open their tasting rooms only on weekends.
Tito's
Vodka is also produced in Texas and is unusual compared to other vodkas
in that it is made from yellow corn, rather than the more commonly used
wheat or potatoes, resulting in a slightly sweet aftertaste, and is
distilled six times.
The surprising heat of a Texas summer should not be underestimated.
Even in areas of Texas outside of the desert, it is not uncommon for
temperatures to consistently hover between 90 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit
(32 and 38 degrees Celsius) for long periods of time, including at night
during the spring and summer months. The state has experienced
temperatures as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius), and
while this extreme is uncommon, it is a good indicator of how hot things
can get. Areas from north central Texas to the coast also tend to
experience stifling humidity during the spring and summer months, so
pack accordingly with plenty of loose, light-colored clothing.
The western parts of the state tend to experience higher temperatures
and lower humidity. It's true that the Texas deserts are beautiful, but
the heat can be dangerous without proper precautions. Bring plenty of
water and sunscreen. If you venture into the desert, it is best to do so
later in the afternoon, once the sun has begun to lower in the sky.
Don't go alone, and always let someone else know where you will be going
and when you need to return. If you are going to West Texas, check out
Desert Safety.
Be aware of the weather during coastal hurricane season (June through November, although hurricanes move slowly and provide days or weeks of warning).
The eastern and central regions of Texas fall within the infamous
"tornado alley." Always remain alert for any severe weather threats
while traveling to these regions of the state during the spring and
summer months. Dangerous weather conditions can strike suddenly, and if
a traveler is unprepared, dire consequences can occur. Tornadoes in this
region can be exceptionally large and deadly. If there is an imminent
threat of such weather, do not stand outside to take photographs. Do not
try to outrun a tornado in your vehicle. Seek immediate shelter!
Please see the Tornado safety page for more information.
The crime rate in Texas is relatively low. In larger cities, if you
stay in the tourist areas, you will generally be safe (talk to your
hotel concierge or manager if you are unsure about a certain area).
Rural areas have a very low crime rate. Texans have a reputation for
carrying firearms or settling disputes with gunfire, but such actions
are not significantly more common here than elsewhere in the U.S.
Concerns about crime spilling over from Juarez across the border into El
Paso are unwarranted, as El Paso remains a very safe city. Of course,
Juarez unfortunately remains a very unsafe city, and El Pasoans will
strongly advise you not to cross the bridges.
Law enforcement is
provided throughout the state. Every major city and nearly every town
has a police department, and every county maintains a sheriff's office
and several police districts. However, in some less populated areas of
the state, agencies may be understaffed and spread out. This is
especially true in West Texas, where many towns are too small to operate
police departments, and county sheriff's offices may be understaffed and
spread out over huge areas of land. As in the rest of the United States,
the "911" number should be called in an emergency.
State-level
policing is typically provided by the Texas Highway Patrol. This agency
primarily enforces state traffic laws, but also provides more localized
police services in areas such as West Texas. The Texas Highway Patrol
has an excellent reputation in the United States for being extremely
courteous and professional. Officers of this agency (called "troopers")
can be easily recognized by their signature tan uniform and matching
cowboy hat. The Texas Rangers, despite being internationally known and
famous, are unlikely to be seen by the public and are not prominent in
daily police work. In fact, their job is more similar to that of the
FBI.
Despite the stories of extremely harsh and brutal justice in
Texas, the law is enforced in the Lone Star State as fairly as in any of
the other forty-nine states.
While major cities and nearby towns, as well as most areas near the Mexican border tend to be accepting, rural areas outside of these tend to be extremely socially conservative and not LGBT-friendly, and LGBT travelers to these areas are advised to use discretion.
Texas has a very strong gun culture, even more so than the rest of the United States. Because of its rural character, strong hunting traditions, and numerous U.S. military bases, many Texans consider gun ownership a basic human right. While the vast majority of people who carry guns are kind, law-abiding individuals who wont cause anyone any trouble, even if you personally oppose gun control, you should avoid discussing gun policy as it stirs up a lot of strong emotions and opinions in many Texans. Under Texas law, it is illegal for any establishment to restrict the carrying of firearms in public spaces. Texas also allows its residents to kill in order to defend their property (even property of minimal value), rather than solely in self-defense.
Texas has very tough laws regarding narcotics. Simply possessing even
small amounts of any illegal substance can get you into significant and
costly legal trouble.
Near the Mexican border, it is very common
to encounter CBP (Customs & Border Patrol) agents. They are generally
somewhat gruff, but always professional. If you encounter a CBP
roadblock while driving, relax and answer any questions calmly and
honestly. Agents are looking for drug cartel members and smugglers, and
are unlikely to hassle the average tourist.
Texas is located in the southern United States and is bordered by Oklahoma to the north, Arkansas to the northeast, Louisiana to the east, Mexico to the southwest, and New Mexico to the northwest.
Texas can be divided into three different climate zones: A zone in the west determined by a dry continental climate, a subtropical zone in the south and a maritime to temperate subtropical zone in the east. The division into different sub-regions depends on the criteria according to which they are made. A simple breakdown by major regions distinguishes between East Texas, the Gulf of Mexico region, South Texas, West Texas, North Texas and Central Texas.
Landscape-oriented classifications tend to be finer -
partly because of the many different landscapes and ecoregions that
exist in Texas. Major landscape zones here are the East Texas Piney Wood
or Forest region, the Gulf Coast Prairie region, the lower and upper Rio
Grande valleys, the Trans-Pecos region to the southwest, the High Plains
to the west with the two Llano sub-regions Estacado in the middle and
Texas Panhandle to the north, and finally the Blackland Prairie and
Edwards Plateau in the Texas heartland.
The landscape and the
type of economic use change according to the outlined eco-zones: from
the coast, which is bordered by lagoons for almost its entire length, a
relatively flat area stretches 50 to 100 kilometers inland, some of
which is very fertile and suitable for suitable for the cultivation of
cotton, sugar cane and, in places, rice. Rising behind is an undulating
hilly country, up to 200 miles wide, encompassing the entire north-east
of the state and mostly covered by prairies. The northwestern part of
the national territory is mountain and highland and consists in part of
a 1300 meter high desert sandstone plateau (Llano Estacado).[5][6] The
north, also called the Texas Panhandle, is very fertile and used for
cattle ranching. Oil was mined throughout the south and west until the
early 1980s.
Texas is rich in rivers, although few are navigable
year-round. The Red River separates it from Oklahoma and Arkansas, the
Sabine from Louisiana, and the Rio Grande from Mexico. Other important
rivers are the Colorado River, the Pecos River and the Brazos River.
Houston is the largest city in the southeast of the state. The
second largest city, San Antonio, is to the south, while Dallas, the
third largest city, and Fort Worth are to the northeast. El Paso is on
the extreme west and Corpus Christi is on the south on the Gulf Coast.
Outline
Texas is divided into 254 counties. These are most of the
counties in a state in the USA.
prehistory
The oldest datable finds of human artifacts in North
America were made in Texas. At the Buttermilk Creek Complex in Bell
County, certain stone implements and flakes have been discovered to lie
between 15,500 and 13,200 years before present, underlying a Clovis
culture find horizon.
Texas is located in two of the North
American cultural areas, on the one hand prairies and plains, on the
other hand the southwest. The Texan Paleo-Indians from 9200 to 6000 B.C.
were related to the Clovis culture and that of Folsom. They left their
mark primarily to the north, in present-day Alibates Flint Quarries
National Monument. They made a living from hunting mammoths and bison
(bison latifrons). The oldest finds are the Midland Man, found in
Midland County in 1953, a female found near Leander in Williamson County
in 1983, and a male and boy near Waco. Around 4000 BC BC petroglyphs
appeared on the Pecos River. The first corn farmers lived around 1500
BC. on the lower Pecos.
Around 500 BC A sedentary culture
developed in the east, which was under the influence of the Mississippi
region, beyond the Rio Pecos the Mogollon culture dominated.
After 700 the bow began to displace the spear thrower (Atlatl) and
pottery was made. The trade in obsidian reached as far north as the
Rocky Mountains and in the south mainly as far as TeotihuacĂĄn. Between
about 800 and 1500 the so-called Buried City existed, stone dwellings
southeast of Perryton in Ochiltree County.
The Plains Village
People, who lived around 1150 to 1450, are believed to be the ancestors
of the Caddo, Pawnee and Wichita. They lived in permanently inhabited
large villages, whose houses consisted of one, but also of up to a
hundred rooms. Before 1500 they were driven westward, probably by
Apaches.
When the Spaniards arrived, the cultures were divided
into numerous ethnic groups of different composition. They included the
Alabama, Apache, Atakapan, Bidai, Caddo, Coahuiltecan, Comanche,
Cherokee, Choctaw, Coushatta, Hasinai, Jumano, Karankawa, Kickapoo,
Kiowa, Tonkawa, and Wichita.
Today in Texas there are only three
tribes recognized by the federal government in the 1960s and 1970s, the
Alabama-Coushatta, formed from the merging of a group of the Alabama
with the Coushatta, the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas (on the Rio
Grande in the Maverick County), and the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo in El Paso
and Socorro. There is also a South Texas subgroup of the Kickapoo Tribe
of Oklahoma. They had been expelled from the Republic of Texas to Mexico
in 1839.
Spaniards
In 1519 the Spaniard Alonso Ălvarez de
Pineda was the first to map the Texas coast. This was also the beginning
of the Spanish occupation of the territory. In 1528, the Spaniard Cabeza
de Vaca was shipwrecked off the coast of what is now Galveston. A small
group of survivors marched across the Indian lands to Mexico City and
later spread the legend of the "Seven Cities of Gold." The Spanish
adventurer Coronado, attracted by this story, traversed western Texas
and parts of present-day New Mexico all the way up to Kansas. Although
he did not find the golden cities, the rumor persisted through the
centuries.
In the years that followed, many towns and, above all,
missions emerged in today's state territory of Texas. In 1621, Spanish
immigrants founded the town of Corpus Christi de la Isleta. El Paso
followed in 1659.
A French attempt to colonize Texas territory
occurred in 1685. Adventurer Robert Cavelier de La Salle sailed into
Matagorda Bay and founded Fort St. Louis there. However, the settlement
suffered greatly from Indian attacks, disease and the loss of important
material through shipwrecks. Just two years later, La Salle was murdered
by his own people while trying to get help. St. Louis was subsequently
abandoned; Texas was Spanish again. However, the French were able to
hold their own in the settlements in the Mississippi Delta. From 1686 to
1689, Alonso de Leon, governor of Coahuila, searched the French colony
and found few survivors.
In the course of another Spanish
expedition, several mission stations were founded. This is how the
Mission of San Antonio de Valero came into being in 1718. Over 100 years
later, this mission went down in history as The Alamo. In 1786 Pedro
Vial found a path from San Antonio to Santa Fe, but it did not gain
importance as a trade route.
Mexico
In 1821 Texas became part
of Mexico, which had become independent from Spain. Many adventurers
from the United States gathered here during the Mexican War of
Independence. In 1823, after North American Colonel Stephen F. Austin
received permission from the central government of Mexico to settle in
Texas with 300 families, he founded the city of San Felipe de AustĂn.
The arrangement with Austin was very simple. He had to exchange his US
citizenship for a Mexican one and was therefore subject to Mexican
jurisdiction. More and more settlers from the north reached the Gulf of
Mexico. It was the beginning of Anglo-American colonization, by 1835
about 45,000 people from the North had settled in Texas.
Tensions
between American settlers on the one hand and the Mexicans and the
Mexican government under President General Santa Anna on the other
became increasingly acute when Mexico outlawed slavery. Because the
United States wanted to buy the entire state of Texas, Mexican state
authorities banned further immigration from the United States in 1830.
Religious, cultural and political problems in particular seemed
insurmountable. But new laws and regulations granted Texas settlers so
many exemptions and freedoms that tensions eased and 1835 was a
relatively quiet year at first. However, US land speculators fueled
mistrust of Mexico. When Stephen F. Austin was arrested during a visit
to Mexico City and spoke out against staying in Mexico due to personal
disappointment, separatists saw their chance. After Austin's return,
they declared Texas' secession from Mexico at a hastily called meeting.
Shortly thereafter, Santa Anna sent troops (about 5,000 men) to Texas.
The Texan War of Independence began on October 2, 1835 with the Battle
of Gonzales.
Republic of Texas
On March 2, 1836, the Texans,
relying on the support of the Democratic Party in the United States,
which advocated the proliferation of slave states, proclaimed the
independent Republic of Texas and appointed General Sam Houston as
military commander-in-chief. The Mexican army under Santa Anna occupied
San Felipe de AustĂn, the capital of Texas, in the course of
hostilities.
On March 6, 1836, the mission city of Alamo was
taken by the Mexicans after a 13-day siege. All of the approximately 190
defenders were killed, including Davy Crockett, James Bowie and William
Travis.
The approximately 1,600-strong Mexican troops were
surprisingly defeated by the Texans under Sam Houston on April 21, 1836
in the Battle of San Jacinto. Mexican President General Santa Anna was
captured. In the years that followed, the Mexican government attempted
to reverse Texan independence through further military expeditions, but
failed.
Texas was recognized as an independent republic by France
and the United Kingdom on November 23, 1839 and November 14, 1841,
respectively. Sam Houston became the first president of the independent
nation and republic of Texas. Stephen F. Austin became Secretary of
State for his state, but died of lung disease just two months after
taking office.
Domestically, the young Republic of Texas was
divided into two camps. A group led by Sam Houston advocated rapid
accession to the United States. The other group, led by Mirabeau B.
Lamar, the second President of the Republic, wished to avoid such a
move. Instead, an expansion of the Republic of Texas to the Pacific was
considered. Texas was supposed to form a kind of buffer state between
Mexico and the United States. Finally, the group around President
Houston, who had held this office with interruptions until shortly
before the merger with the USA and also became governor of the US state
from 1856 to 1861, prevailed.
US state
The country was annexed
by the US on February 19, 1845; the US Congress approved the annexation
on March 1, 1845, and on December 29, 1845 voted to admit Texas into the
Union. The Mexican-American War broke out in 1846, which ended on
February 2, 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Mexico renounced
its claims to Texas and the area between the Rio Grande and the Nueces
River, but the United States government, by resolution of September 7,
1850, ceded part of that area to New Mexico, which had since been
annexed to the Union as a territory. Texas received $10 million in
compensation for this.
The victory of Abraham Lincoln, known for
his strict principles on the slave issue, in the presidential election
of November 6, 1860, triggered the secession of the slave-holding
southern states from the Union, beginning with South Carolina on
December 20, 1860. Texas, whose declaration of resignation resolved at a
convention in Austin on February 1, 1861, was approved by referendum on
February 23 and thus came into force on March 2, was the seventh and
last southern state to sign up before Abraham Lincoln took office on
March 4. March and the beginning of the Civil War left the Union and
joined the Confederate States of America founded in February 1861 (see
also: Texas Germans in the American Civil War). After the end of the
Civil War in 1865, US President Andrew Johnson installed Unionist Andrew
Jackson Hamilton as provisional governor of Texas. The process of
Reconstruction ended for Texas on March 30, 1870, with the reinstatement
of Texas representatives in the United States Congress.
To this
day, the flawed modern myth persists that Texas is the only US state
that has the right to leave the United States at will because it was
admitted to the Union by treaty.
German immigrants
German
immigrants have significantly shaped the US state. Caroline Ernst and
her family were the first German settlers. An enthusiastic letter from
her father to Germany in 1832 was one of the triggers for German
involvement in Texas.
Organized German immigration began in the
1830s in 1834 and is largely due to the Giessen Emigration Society and
the Association for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, also
known as the Mainzer Adelsverein. After the March Revolution of 1848,
some of the Forty-Eighters followed.
At the beginning of the 20th
century, about 100,000 Texans were German speakers. Most settled in
central Texas in the so-called Texas Hill Country, the German Hills in
the area of Austin and San Antonio. Early settlements were the Latin
Settlements, founded by German emigrants. Above all, the influence of
the First World War led to a significant decline in the German language.
The German-English mixed dialect is also called Texas German.
The
influence of German immigrants can be seen in place names such as New
Braunfels (founded in 1845 by Carl Prinz zu Solms-Braunfels, a member of
the Mainzer Adelsverein) and the name of the Schlitterbahn water park.
In New Braunfels, about 40 miles south of the capital Austin, the
Wurstfest is celebrated every year. In the district of Gruene, founded
in 1872 by Henry D. Gruene, is the oldest surviving dance hall in Texas,
the Gruene Hall. It is now a historic venue for live music and dance
events.
Also near Fredericksburg (founded in 1846 and named
"Friedrichsburg" in honor of Prince Friedrich of Prussia (1794-1863),
another member of the Mainzer Adelsverein) is a German colony. The local
chamber of commerce greets visitors on the Internet with "Welcome", and
some restaurant menus are bilingual.
Also known here was the
settlement of Luckenbach, which was mentioned in a song performed by
Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson entitled Luckenbach, Texas. The song
reached #1 on the US country charts. Up to 20,000 Texans still speak
German today.
Sorbs from Lusatia also emigrated to Texas in
significant numbers in the middle of the 19th century and founded, among
other things, the settlement of Serbin there under the leadership of Jan
Kilian. Although the inhabitants have not spoken Sorbian for a long
time, e.g. the Texas Wendish Heritage Museum and a Wendish Heritage
Society remember this chapter of Texas history.
Constitutional law
In Texas law, the sunset clause applies.
Electoral College
Texas has had a total of 38 electors in the
Electoral College since 2012, and the number has increased in the past
as the Texan population grew faster than that of the entire United
States.
Political landscape
Politically, Texas has been a
Republican stronghold since the 1970s. Only the Democratic presidential
candidates John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Hubert H. Humphrey and
Jimmy Carter have been able to win in Texas since the early 1960s. After
that, however, the Republicans in Texas usually won by a clear margin.
Today's strongholds of the Democrats are the counties between San
Antonio and the Mexican border as well as the counties in the El Paso
and Houston area.
Texas is now considered the stronghold of
American conservatism in Europe. From 1874 to 1979, as part of the Solid
South, all governors belonged to the Democratic Party, which was then
pursuing conservative and racist politics in the southern states. This
only changed with the civil rights movement, when the Dixiecrats
switched to the Republicans and the former Abraham Lincoln party thus
became attractive to racist voters. Presidents George W. Bush and his
father George HW Bush made careers in Texas. In the USA, Texas is viewed
as conservative through and through, but states such as Mississippi and
Alabama still rank well ahead of Texas in the internal view.
Since the mid-2000s, however, a demographic change has been looming in
Texas, which is why it can no longer be clearly assigned to the
Republicans. While Texas-born George W. Bush was more than 20 percent
ahead of his Democratic competitors in both 2000 and 2004âeven Barack
Obama was more than 10 percent behind his rivals John McCain and Mitt
Romney in 2008 and 2012âthis has changed this in the recent past. Donald
Trump was just nine percentage points ahead of Hillary Clinton in 2016,
and four years later his lead over Joe Biden had shrunk to five and a
half percentage points. Of all the states in which he received a
majority in 2020, he only narrowly won in Florida and North Carolina.
Due to this development, Texas is to be classified as a swing state in
future elections, which will be as hard fought as Florida. Since the
state has the second highest number of residents and thus electors after
California, it is essential for the Republicans to win presidential
elections. The last Republican to win a presidential election without
winning a majority in Texas was Richard Nixon in 1968.
Death
penalty
In both the US and Europe, Texas stands out for its rigorous
use of the death penalty. Unlike other states, the governor of Texas
cannot grant pardons to prisoners himself. A pardon by the governor is
only possible if the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles recommends a
pardon. If the committee says no, the governor can only delay the
execution for 30 days. When it comes to the number of foreclosures,
Texas takes the top position in the USA; from 1976 to September 2015,
528 people were executed in Texas, accounting for 37% of all executions
in the US.
children without health insurance
In no other state
did so many children live without health insurance in 2010 (14%).
Hair waivers in schools
As of 2021, half of Texas school
districts have policies such as male students not having long hair.
Corporal punishment
Corporal punishment of students is allowed
through the so-called paddle. Texas consistently ranks among the top
five US states where most paddling is practiced.
Protection of
unborn children
In 2021, Abbott signed the Heartbeat Bill. A Texas
law passed by the Republican majority in the state legislature that
limits the right to an abortion to the time before a fetus's heartbeat
begins (which begins around 6 weeks of pregnancy). The law included a
rule that citizens could sue anyone who assisted a pregnant woman to
have an illegal abortion in Texas. If the lawsuit were successful, the
plaintiffs would receive a bounty of up to $10,000 for each illegal
abortion borne by the defendant or entity. Through this civil law
regulation, the decision Roe v. Wade of the United States Supreme Court
to be circumvented. Since these 2022 by the decision Dobbs v. Jackson
Women's Health Organization was suspended, imprisonment is again
threatened. Abortion before the heartbeat begins is also a punishable
offense. Abortion is only punishable if the life of the pregnant woman
is at risk.