Texas is a state located in the southern and southwestern regions of the United States.  With an area of 261,797 square miles and a population of 23,507,783 (based on a 2006 U.S. census bureau estimate) in 254 counties, the state is second-largest in both area (behind Alaska) and population (behind California).  About half the state’s population resides in either the Dallas-Fort Worth or Houston metropolitan areas.

Texas is internationally known for its energy and aeronautics industries, and for the ship channel at the Port of Houston – the largest in the U.S. in international commerce and the sixth-largest port in the world.

The state is home to the most Fortune 500 companies in the U.S. and has the second-largest economy (behind California) in the U.S.  The Texas Medical Center in Houston contains the world’s largest concentration of research and healthcare institutions.

Climate

The large size of Texas and its location at the intersection of several climate zones give the state highly variable weather.  In general, there are three main climate zones:  humid subtropical climate of the eastern half of Texas, the temperate semi-arid climate of the northwestern part, including the Panhandle, and the nearly arid desert climate of the southern parts of West Texas, particularly around El Paso.

Thunderstorms are more common in the eastern and northern part of the state, although they are far from rare elsewhere in the state.  Tornadoes are common in Texas, with the state averaging around 139 a year, more than any other state.  Tornadoes are most frequent in the Northern half of the state from April-July, although tornadoes can happen anywhere in the state at any time of year.

Culture

Due to the U.S.’s history of immigration, the culture of Texas has been a melting pot of different cultures around the world.  Texas is a diverse and international place to live, in part because of its many academic institutions and strong biomedical, energy, manufacturing and aerospace industries.

Austin features a vibrant live music scene boasting more music venues per capita than any other U.S. city, befitting the city’s official slogan as The Live Music Capital of the World.  Austin’s music revolves around the many nightclubs and the annual film/music/multimedia festival known as South by Southwest.  The longest-running concert music program on American television, Austin City Limits, is videotaped on The University of Texas at Austin campus or in Zilker Park.

Over the past couple of decades, San Antonio evolved into what has been billed as the “Nashville of Tejano Music.”  The Tejano Music Awards have provided a forum to create greater awareness and appreciation for Tejano music and culture.

Arts and Theatre

Dallas and Fort Worth serve as epicenters of the North Texas region’s art scene.  The Modern (formerly the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth), founded in 1892, is the oldest art museum in Texas.  The city is also home to the Kimbell Art Museum, the Amon Carter Museum, the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, the Will Rogers Memorial Center, and the Bass Performance Hall downtown.  The Arts District of Downtown Dallas is home to several arts venues including the Dallas Museum of Art, the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, The Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art, and the Nasher Sculpture Center.

Also within Dallas is the notable Deep Ellum district, which originally became popular during the 1920’s and 1930’s for jazz and blues hotspots, now boasts an “artist’s colony” complete with lofts and studios for artists to live and work alongside bars, pubs and concert venues.

Sports

Texas is known for its love of American football and is noted for the intensity with which people follow high school and college football teams.  The Dallas Cowboys is the professional team based in Arlington, Texas.

Baseball has a strong presence in Texas with the Texas Rangers (Arlington) and the Houston Astros.  Minor league baseball is also closely followed in Texas, especially in the smaller metro areas.

Basketball is also popular and Texas hosts three NBA teams:  the Houston Rockets, the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks.  Texas is also home to two WNBA teams:  the Houston Comets and San Antonio Silver Stars.

Other popular sports in Texas include golf (which can be played year-round because of the South’s mild climate), fishing, hunting, horse-back riding and auto racing.  Lacrosse and soccer are gaining popularity, especially among children.  Hockey has been a growing participatory sport in the Dallas/Fort Worth area since the Minnesota North Stars became the Dallas Stars in 1993.

(Source:  Wikipedia on “Texas”)