Facts about Texas
There are some facts about Texas which clearly illustrate, why the state is iconic. Through these facts about Texas you learn about, some little known things about the state of Texas.
• Texas is called the Lone Star State due to the single star on its flag. Texas has so many open wide aces that - everything is bigger in Texas - has become a well known expression, referring to the state’s geography. Similarly, the word ‘Texas sized’ is used to refer to anything that is big or huge in size. Before joining the United States in 1850, it was a separate Republic - The Republic of Texas. The armadillo is the official animal of the state.
• The King Ranch in Texas is so huge that it covers more than the entire area of Rhode Island. It is a sprawling area of 825,000 acres, which is a part of six counties. The King ranch is not one single area. There are four separate divisions among which, only two are besides each other, sharing boundaries only for a short distance. It was started by Richard King and Mifflin Kennedy in 1853.
• The state of Texas has the highest output of wool among the 50 states that comprise the United States. Fulton is home to the oldest tree in the state which is believed to be over 1500 years old – a coastal live oak. The Hertzberg Circus Collection and Museum which was closed in 2001 in San Antonio had the largest collect of circus memorabilia.
• Austin is considered to be the world’s live music capital. Two of the world’s major computer manufacturers are from the state – Dell and Compaq, and thus Texas is often referred to as the Silicon Valley of the south.
• The city of Waco in McLennan County was the city in which Dr. Pepper, the soft drink, started. The name Texas is derivative of the word teja from the Caddoan language of Hasinai Indian origin which mean allies or friends.
• The world’s first ever domed stadium - Reliant Astrodome - was built in Houston in 1865. An architectural marvel, it is sometimes referred to as the eighth wonder of the world. It was first called the Harris County Domed Stadium and is also called the Houston Astrodome or just the Astrodome.
• The state of Texas has the most variety of bats, among all the 50 states. Port Lavaca in Calhoun County has the world largest pier. Before the Hurricane Carla struck in 1961, it was a causeway connecting the two sides of Lavanca Bay.
• The world’s largest rose garden Tyler Municipal Rose Garden in the city of Tyler has the largest variety of roses in one garden – 500 varieties situated in 38,000 bushes set over 22 acres.
These facts about Texas sure make it an impressive state to visit.