Quick facts

• Austin is the state capital and is located in Central Texas on the Colorado River.
• The Texas Capitol building, built from locally quarried Sunset Red granite in the mid-1880s, was based on the architecture of 15th century Italy and is about 15 feet taller than the U.S. Capitol.
• The Alamo is a Spanish mission and in 1718 became the first mission established in San Antonio.
• The Battle of the Alamo lasted nearly two weeks and ended on March 6, 1836, with the deaths of all 190 of its defenders. The Mexican army numbered 4,000-5,000 during its final charge.
• There are three Indian reservations in the state: the Alabama-Coushatta Reservation, located east Texas; Ysleta del Sur Pueblo (Tigua Indian Reservation) near El Paso; and the Kickapoo Reservation in the Rio Grande Valley. Texas' Native American population ranks sixth among the states, with approximately 65,000 — most living outside reservations.
• Texas was an independent nation from 1836 to 1845.
• Texas became a state on December 29, 1845.
• Six national flags have flown over Texas since the original Spanish expeditions. They are:
  1. Spain — 1519-1685; 1690-1821
  2. France — 1685-1690
  3. Mexico — 1821-1836
  4. Republic of Texas — 1836-1845
  5. Confederate States of America 1861-1865
  6. United States of America — 1845-1861; 1865-present
• Enchanted Rock, which lies on the border between Gillespie and Llano Counties rises 425 feet above ground, 1825 feet above sea level, and covers 640 acres.
• The King Ranch near Corpus Christi is larger than the state of Rhode Island and includes 50,000 head of cattle.
• There are four national forests (Angelina, Davy Crockett, Sabine and Sam Houston); and two national parks (Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains).
• On September 8—9, 1900, an estimated 8,000 people were killed in the disastrous Galveston hurricane and flood. As a result, the community constructed the seawall, an effective means controlling storm surge.
• NASA is based in Houston. In fact, the first word spoken from the moon on July 20, 1969 was Houston.
• The Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) airport is larger (in acres) than Manhattan Island.