You might associate Texas with images of cowboys and tumbleweed, but
there’s a lot more to this huge state than just rodeos. To begin with,
it’s one of the fastest growing states in the U.S. The economy is vast
and booming, prices are cheap, and the cities are bustling with people.
Texas is an incredibly complicated state with tons of history. In many
ways it’s probably the exact opposite of what you would expect it to be.
Get to know this awesome state like you’ve never known it before! These
are some impressive facts about Texas you might find hard to believe.
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Between 1836 (independence from Mexico) and 1845, Texas was an
independent country
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1 in every 12 Americans lives in Texas
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If Texas was its own country, it would be the world’s 7th largest oil
producer
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Although Texas is usually associated with heat, the climate is highly
varied. A lot of people don’t realize that it snows in the mountainous
western portion of the state
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The Texas economy has witnessed a boom in recent years thanks to the
high-tech, aerospace, biomedical, and energy industries. In fact,
between 2002 AND 2011 Texas added nearly ⅓ of the country’s high paying
jobs and Austin is turning into one of the premier high tech hubs of the
nation
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Texas is a leader in wind power technology and wind farms are a common
sight across the state
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The Texas Triangle, also known as the Texaplex, is a region enclosed by
3 highways (I-35, I-45, I-10) and contains most of Texas’s big cities.
70% of the state’s population lives in this region.
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Due to its natural resources, Texas has more farms and ranches than any
other state
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Texas is the second most populous state in the US. In fact, it has more
people than Australia (about 10 million more). It is also one of the
fastest growing states. This is largely because of how cheap it is and
the fact that taxes are very low (there is no income tax). It’s much
easier to afford big city life here than perhaps anywhere else.
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Almost 20%
of Texas’s population is foreign born (roughly 5 million people)
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The Texas Military Forces is the state’s three branch military. It
consists of the Texas Army National Guard, the Texas Air National Guard,
and the Texas State Guard.
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On August 25, 2017, Category 4 hurricane Harvey hit Texas causing around
$180 billion in damage. That's more than any other natural disaster in
U.S. history for the exception of the largest estimates of Hurricane
Katrina. |