Texas Vacation Guide System

Texas Fun Facts

Capital: Austin

State abbreviation/Postal code: Tex./TX

Governor: Rick Perry, R (to Jan. 2015)

Lieut. Governor: David Dewhurst, R (to Jan. 2015)

Senators: John Cornyn, R (to Jan. 2015); Kay Bailey Hutchison, R (to Jan. 2013)

U.S. Representatives: 32

Historical biographies of Congressional members

Secy. of State: Hope Andrade (apptd. by gov.)

Comptroller: Susan Combs, R (to Jan. 2015)

Atty. General: Greg Abbott, R (to Jan. 2015)

Entered Union (rank): Dec. 29, 1845 (28)

Present constitution adopted: 1876

Motto: Friendship

State symbols:

flower	bluebonnet (1901)
tree	pecan (1919)
bird	mockingbird (1927)
song	“Texas, Our Texas” (1929)
fish	guadalupe bass (1989)
seashell	lightning whelk (1987)
dish	chili (1977)
folk dance	square dance (1991)
fruit	Texas red grapefruit (1993)
gem	Texas blue topaz (1969)
gemstone cut	Lone Star cut (1977)
grass	sideoats grass (1971)
reptile	horned lizard (1993)
stone	petrified palmwood (1969)
plant	prickly pear cactus
insect	monarch butterfly
pepper	jalapeño pepper
mammal	longhorn
small mammal	armadillo
flying mammal	Mexican free-tailed bat

Nickname: Lone Star State

Origin of name: From an Indian word meaning “friends”

10 largest cities (2005 est.): Houston, 2,016,582; San Antonio, 1,256,509; Dallas, 1,213,825; Austin, 690,252; Fort Worth, 624,067; El Paso, 598,590; Arlington, 362,805; Corpus Christi, 283,474; Plano, 250,096; Garland, 216,346

Land area: 261,797 sq mi. (678,054 sq km)

Geographic center: In McCulloch Co., 15 mi. NE of Brady

Number of counties: 254

Largest county by population and area: Harris, 3,693,050 (2005); Brewster, 6,193 sq mi.

State forests: 5 (7,314 ac.)

State parks: 115 (600,000+ ac.)

Residents: Texan

2005 resident population est.: 22,859,968

2000 resident census population (rank): 20,851,820 (2). Male: 10,352,910 (49.6%); Female: 10,498,910 (50.4%). White: 14,799,505 (71.0%); Black: 2,404,566 (11.5%); American Indian: 118,362 (0.6%); Asian: 562,319 (2.7%); Other race: 2,438,001 (11.7%); Two or more races: 514,633 (2.5%); Hispanic/Latino: 6,669,666 (32.0%). 2000 percent population 18 and over: 71.8; 65 and over: 9.9; median age: 32.3.

Interesting collection from the Internet:

You (we) know you're from Texas if: You measure distance in in hours/minutes instead of miles.

You've ever had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.

It is not a shopping cart, it is a buggy.

Stores don't have bags; they have sacks.

Coldbeer is one word.

When the world ends, only cockroaches and mesquite trees will survive.

You see a car running in the parking lot at the store with the AC going full blast and with no one inside, no matter what time of the year.

You use "fix" as a verb. Example: I am fixing to go to the store.

All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, grain, insect or animal.

You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.

The sound of coyotes howling at night only sounds good for the first couple of weeks.

The word dinner is confusing. There's only lunch and then there's supper.

Iced tea is appropriate for all meals and you start drinking it when you're 2.

'Jeet? is actually a phrase meaning "Did you eat?"

You don't have to wear a watch because it doesn't matter what time it is. (My favorite)

You work until you're done or it's too dark to see.

You carry jumper cables in your car ... for your OWN car.

You know what "cow tipping" and "snipe hunting" is.

You only own four spices: salt, pepper, ketchup, and Tabasco.

You think everyone from a bigger city has an accent.

You think sexy lingerie is a tee shirt and boxer shorts.

The local papers covers national and international news on one page but requires 6 pages for local gossip and high school football.

You think that the first day of deer season is a national holiday.

You know which leaves make good toilet paper.

You find 100+degF "just a little bit warm."

You know whether another Texan is from east, west, north or south Texas as soon as they open their mouth.

There is a Dairy Queen in every town with a population of 1000 or more.

Going to Walmart is a favorite past-time known as "goin' WalMartin' " or off to "Wally World."

You describe the first cool snap (below 70 degrees) as good chili weather. (Yeah buddy! --TM)

A carbonated soft drink isn't a soda, cola, or pop ... it's a Coke, regardless of brand or flavor. And usually you are saying you want a Dr. Pepper.

You can become an American but you have to be born a Texan!!!

"You can get anything you want @ CeeAmerica"