Everything is Bigger in Texas

The state of Texas is the second-largest in the Union and also has the second largest population in the nation, with over 24.7 million residents. Everything is bigger in Texas, and the state is home to some of the largest cities in the nation as well. The largest city in Texas is Houston, and Houston is also the fourth-biggest city in the nation.

San Antonio and Dallas are ranked among the ten most populous cities in the nation. Austin, Fort Worth, and El Paso rank in the top 25 largest cities in the nation. The City of Austin, whose slogan is "Keep Austin Weird" is the most liberal part of the state and is known as the Live Music Capital of the World. There are more live music venues per capita in Austin than there are in more famous music cities such as Los Angeles, Nashville, Memphis, New York City or Las Vegas.

Texas has a very interesting history. The name Texas is Native American and means "friends." Residents of the state grow up learning about the "six flags over Texas," which refers to the different nations that owned Texas at different points. First Spain owned the territory, then France. Mexico controlled most of Texas' land until 1836 when Texas won its independence from Mexico. As an independent Republic, Texas actually presented a threat to the still fledgling United States. But, in 1845, Texas was convinced to join the United States as the 28th state. In 1861, at the beginning of the Civil War, Texas seceded from the Union in order to join the Confederates. Texas is the only state in the Union that still maintains its right to secede from the Union at any time. Texas has the nickname of the Lone Star State as a memory of when the state was an independent nation.

Right in the heart of the Bible Belt and often referred to as the buckle of the belt, Texas in general is very conservative. There is a higher percentage of residents who declare some sort of religious affiliation in Texas than in any other state in the country. The largest percentage of the population is Roman Catholic, while there are almost as many Southern Baptists and still well over a million United Methodists.

Finally, there are countless famous people who come from Texas. These include Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson, both Bush Presidents, Sandra Day O'Connor, Carol Burnett, Joan Crawford, Hillary Duff, the Jonas Brothers, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Buddy Holly, Willie Nelson, Janis Joplin and Magic Johnson.