Re: Texan\'s view of the world
Pardon us for showing our pride. But if your state could boast these facts, y'all would be proud too! The following facts about Texas were compiled by Lone Star Junction based on the Guinness Book of World Records and other reliable sources.
* The State Capitol in Austin stands largest among all the states.
* The San Jacinto Monument near Houston is among the tallest columns in the world; at 570 feet, its about twenty feet higher than the Washington Monument in the District of Columbia.
* Texas has more counties (254) than any other state. Forty-one counties in Texas are each larger than the state of Rhode Island.
* Of the nation's ten largest cities, three are in Texas (Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio).
* Texas is the nation's leading producer of oil, natural gas, beef, sheep, goats, wool, cotton, rice...and, oh yes, watermelons.
* Today, approximately 23 million people live in Texas, only slightly outnumbering its 17 million cattle. Texas today is also home for about 3 million deer and 200,000 alligators.
* The land area of Texas is larger than all of New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois combined. It extends 801 miles from north to south and 773 miles from east to west.
* The Dallas/Ft. Worth airport is larger than New York City's Manhattan Island.
* El Paso, Texas is closer to Los Angeles on the Pacific Coast than it is to Port Arthur on Gulf Coast of Texas. Port Arthur, on the other hand, is closer to Jacksonville, Florida on the Atlantic Coast than it is to El Paso.
* Texas is the only state to have the flags of 6 different nations fly over it. They are: Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Confederate States, and the United States.
* Although six flags have flown over Texas, there have been eight changes of government: Spanish 1519-1685, French 1685-1690, Spanish 1690-1821, Mexican 1821-1836, Republic of Texas 1836-1845, United States 1845-1861, Confederate States 1861-1865, United States 1865-present
* Texas is the only state to enter the United States by treaty instead of territorial annexation.
* The state was an independent nation from 1836 to 1845.
* The capitol in Austin opened May 16, 1888. The dome of the building stands seven feet higher than that of the nation's Capitol in Washington, D.C.
* Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885.
* The first word spoken from the moon on July 20, 1969 was Houston.
* More land is farmed in Texas than in any other state.
* More US Presidents have come from Texas than any other state.
And, since Hurricane Katrina, Texas has more people from New Orleans living in it than Louisiana does. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif