Facts About Texas Learning About US States in Special Ed

Welcome to Texas

If you are teaching about the US states, here are some facts about Texas you may want to know.

Texas is located in the southern central section of the United States. It borders New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mexico, and the Gulf of Mexico. Austin is the capital.

It is the second biggest state after Alaska.

Let’s learn a little more about this great state.

And be sure to scroll to the end to get a free word search about Texas.

A brief history of Texas

Texas became a state in 1845 and was the 28th state to join the United States. But it was not an easy time getting there. Texas has been part of 6 different nations.

Spain
France
Mexico
Republic of Texas
Confederate States
The United States

In 1821, the area of Texas was taken over by Mexico. Mexico ruled over this territory for almost 15 years. But it was an oppressive time, and the people living in this area wanted to be free from Mexican rule.

In 1835, the people formed an army and began the Texas Revolution. This attempt to free themselves from Mexico ended in one of the bloodiest battles in the US at the Battle of the Alamo in 1836.

But, this devastating loss, only seemed to push the soldiers even more. By the end of 1836, they were free from Mexican rule and became the Republic of Texas.

In 1845, Texas agreed to become part of the United States partly to protect themselves from Mexico.

The geography of Texas

Texas is a huge state, covering over 260,000 square miles. There is a lot of variation in its geography as well.

One of the main geographic features of Texas is the large number of rivers you will find. Three of its borders are formed by rivers. The longest is the Rio Grande which divides Texas and Mexico.

You will even find deserts in Texas. The Chihuahuan Desert stretches up from Mexico into Western Texas.

Finally, at one of the southern, western points of Texas, you can even find volcanic mountains in Big Bend National Park, one of the prominent landmarks in the state.

Texas's resources and industries

Agriculture is one of the most significant natural resources and industries in Texas. You will find more cattle living here than in any other state. Specifically, longhorn cattle are prevalent on farms and ranches and are raised for meat.

Crops are also grown in Texas. Texas produces 40% of all the cotton grown in the US.

Oftentimes, when people think of Texas, they think of oil. Oil and natural gas are significant resources and industries in Texas.

But that is not the only energy coming out of this state. Texas is home to one of the largest wind farms in the world. These wind farms are essential to our country’s goal to rely more on renewable energy and less on fossil fuels like oil and natural gas. This certainly puts Texas in an interesting position.

Fun places to visit in Texas

If you plan to visit Texas, there are some things you will want to know and make sure you get to see. It is a vast state, so you will unlikely get to the whole thing in one visit.

The most famous landmark in Texas is the Alamo. Remember, this is where Mexico defeated the Texas soldiers as they were fighting for their freedom. There were almost no survivors once this battle ended.

You can visit the Alamo in San Antonio, which is in the southern, central part of the state. You will see three main buildings holding artifacts from the battle. You will learn a lot about how hard these Texas soldiers fought, and how brave they were even though they were pretty sure they would lose.

Jumping ahead to the modern day, you can see the Reunion Tower if you visit Dallas. It has a large round top called a Geo Deck covered with lights. Once you enter, you can go to the top for a panoramic view of the Dallas area and beyond.

Texas has many national parks to visit as well. Bracken Cave is in San Antonio and is home to the largest population of bats in the world! Over 20 million bats are living in this cave.

Fun facts about Texas

Here are a few fun facts you might not know about Texas. The blue bonnet is the state flower, and the Mockingbird is the state bird.

There are more species of birds living in this state than any other.

Texas is known as the Lone Star State. It gets its name from the star on its flag, symbolizing the state’s struggle for independence.

Charles Alderton invented Dr. Pepper in Waco, Texas, in 1885. Alderton was a pharmacist and liked the way the pharmacy smelled. So, he tried to develop a drink flavor that would taste like all the fruit-flavored syrups he used to mix up medications.

Finally, the holiday Juneteenth started in Texas. On June 18, 1865, almost three years after President Lincoln had declared an end to slavery, news reached Texas. Today, people celebrate June 19 as the first day enslaved African Americans were finally free in Texas.

Texas is a big state with a big history and big things to see. Next time you go on a trip, consider visiting this state and see what you can find.