Texas is the second-largest state in the United States, covering about 268,000 square miles in the south-central part of the country. Only Alaska is bigger. Texas borders Mexico to the south, the Gulf of Mexico to the southeast, and four other US states: Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.

Texas was once its own independent country called the Republic of Texas, which existed from 1836 to 1845 after Texans won independence from Mexico. The state's flag still reflects this history, featuring a single white star on a blue stripe, which is why Texas is called the Lone Star State. When Texas joined the United States in 1845, it kept some unusual rights, including the ability to divide itself into as many as five separate states if it ever chose to do so.

The state's geography varies dramatically. East Texas has pine forests and gets plenty of rain, while West Texas features vast deserts and dramatic canyons. The Gulf Coast has beaches and wetlands, while the central part of the state has rolling hills and prairie. This diversity made Texas valuable for different industries: cattle ranching in the plains, cotton farming in the east, and eventually oil production, which made the state wealthy and powerful in the 20th century.

Today, Texas has nearly 30 million people, making it the second most populous state after California. Major cities include Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and the capital, Austin. Texas produces more oil, cattle, cotton, and wind energy than any other state. The state's size and independent history have given Texans a strong sense of pride in their home, often expressed in the saying “Everything's bigger in Texas.”