What to Know Before Donating to A Charity in Texas?

Texas (/ˈtɛksəs/, also locally /ˈtɛksɪz/; Spanish: Texas, Tejas) is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2) and over 29.1 million people (as of 2020), it is the second largest state in the United States by land area (after Alaska) and population (after Alaska, California). Texas borders the states of Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the west, and the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the south and southwest. and has a coastline with the Gulf of Mexico to the southeast. Houston is the most populous city in Texas and the fourth largest in the United States, while San Antonio is the second largest in the state and the seventh largest in the United States. Dallas-Fort Worth and Greater Houston are the fourth and fifth largest statistical metropolitan areas in the country, respectively. Other major cities include Austin, the second largest state capital in the United States, and El Paso. Texas is also known as the "Lone Star State" due to its former status as an independent republic and as a reminder of the state's struggle for independence from Mexico. The lone star is found on the Texas state flag and on the Texas state seal. The name Texas comes from the Caddo word táyshaʼ, meaning "friends". Due to its size and geological features such as the Balcones Fault, Texas has several landscapes common to the southern and southwestern United States. Although Texas is generally associated with the deserts of the southwestern United States, less than ten percent of Texas' land area is desert. Most of the population centers are located in areas of ancient grasslands, prairies, forests and on the coast. Traveling east to west, one can see terrain ranging from coastal marshes and pine forests, to rolling plains and rugged foothills, to desert and the Big Bend Mountains. The term "six flags over Texas" refers to various nations that have governed the territory. Spain was the first European country to claim and control the Texas region. France had a short-lived colony. Mexico controlled the territory until 1836 when Texas gained its independence and became the Republic of Texas. In 1845, Texas became the 28th state to join the Union. The state's annexation triggered a series of events that led to the Mexican-American War of 1846. Prior to the American Civil War, Texas was a slave state that seceded from the United States in early 1861 and formally joined the United States Confederates of America in 1861. March. 2 of the same year. After the Civil War and the restoration of its representation in the federal government, Texas entered a long period of economic stagnation. Historically, four major industries shaped the pre-World War II Texas economy: cattle, bison, cotton, lumber, and oil. Before and after the Civil War in the United States, ranching, which dominated Texas, was an important economic driver for the state and created the traditional image of the Texan cowboy. In the late 19th century, cotton and lumber became important industries as ranching became less profitable. Ultimately, it was the discovery of large oil fields (Spindletop in particular) that sparked an economic boom that became the engine of the economy for much of the 20th century. Texas developed a diverse economy and high-tech industry in the mid-20th century. As of 2022, it has the most Fortune 500 corporate headquarters (53) in the United States. With a growing industrial base, the state is a leader in many industries, including tourism, agriculture, petrochemicals, energy, information and electronics, aerospace, and biomedical sciences. Texas has led the United States in government export revenue since 2002 and has the second-highest gross government product. If Texas were a sovereign state, it would have the 10th largest economy in the world.

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