Texas is a state in the South Central United States, nicknamed the Lone Star State.
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 with a growing population of 24.6 million residents.
The phrase "everything is bigger in Texas" derives in part from the state's geographic sprawl and the wide open spaces of its desert and prairie regions.
The term "six flags over Texas" comes from the multiple countries that have claimed the territory.
Spain was the first European country to claim the area of Texas. France held a short lived colony in Texas.
Mexico owned the territory until 1836 when Texas won its independence, becoming an independent Republic. In 1845 it joined the United States as the 28th state.
