Higher Education  

Texas has 95 colleges and universities, as well as 92 two-year and community colleges. The University of Texas is the state's largest institution, with campuses in Austin (main campus), Arlington, Dallas, El Paso, Odessa, San Antonio, and Tyler. Other public institutions include Texas A & M University, at College Station (main campus); Texas Tech University, at Lubbock; Texas Woman's University, at Denton; and the University of Houston. Private institutions include Abilene Christian University, in Abilene; Baylor University, in Waco; Rice University, in Houston; Southern Methodist University, in Dallas; Texas Christian University, in Forth Worth; Trinity University, in San Antonio; and the University of Dallas, in Dallas.

Geography

Covering an area of 691,030 square kilometers, Texas is America's second largest state. Texas has four main land areas: the West Gulf Coastal Plains, the North Central Plains, the Great Plains, and the Trans-Pecos Region. A fertile lowland that covers the southeastern one-third of the state, the West Gulf Coastal Plains is suitable for farming, fruit growing, or cattle grazing. Extending over the center of Texas and the eastern half of the Panhandle, the North Central Plains is a generally treeless region characterized by hills and valleys. The Great Plains, lying west of the North Central Plains, is an extension of the vast prairie that extends to Canada. In the western part of the state, the Trans-Pecos Region is a beautiful, but rocky and arid region. The Gulf of Mexico forms the southeastern border of the state. Major rivers include the Rio Grande, the Pecos River, and the Red River. Important cities include Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso, Austin (capital), Forth Worth, and Arlington. The population of Texas is over 19.4 million.

Climate

The climate of Texas is quite varied  the state may experience winter blizzards, summer droughts, tornadoes, and even hurricanes. Northern Texas has an average winter temperature of around 1.7° C and an average summer temperature of 26.1° C. In southern Texas, temperatures average 15.6° C in the winter and 29.4° C in the summer. Houston, in the eastern plains, receives about 114 cm of precipitation annually. In contrast, El Paso, at the western end of the state, gets less than 25 cm of precipitation.

Cultural Profile

Museums in Texas include the Amon Carter Museum of Western Art, the Kimball Art Museum, the Forth Worth Art Museum, and the Forth Worth Museum of Science and Industry, all in Forth Worth; the Museum of Natural Science and the Museum of Fine Arts, in Houston; the Museum of Natural History, the Aquarium, the Age of Steam Museum, and the Southwest Museum of Science and Technology, all in Dallas; the El Paso Museum of History; and the Texas Memorial Museum, in Austin.

In Texas, one can find a wide variety of music forms, including blues, Mexican, country, rock, and classical. Performing arts organizations include more than twenty symphony orchestras in cities such as Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and El Paso. Houston is home to the Houston Grand Opera. Houston and Dallas have active theater scenes, and different college and university drama groups throughout the state present many plays.

Recreation

Texas' two national parks are Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks. The state has 122 state parks and many historic sites. Some interesting places to visit in Texas are the Alamo, Institute of Texan Cultures, and Mission San Jose, all in San Antonio; Texas Ranger Hall of Fame, in Waco; the Astrodome and the Johnson Space Center, both in Houston; Padre Island National Seashore; Water Garden, in Forth Worth; and the Republic of the Rio Grande Building, in Laredo.

Interesting Facts

Prior to becoming a state, Texas was an independent nation called the Republic of Texas. Texas is the leading state for producing oil, beef cattle, horses, and cotton. Famous Texans include Gene Autry (singer and actor), Dwight Eisenhower (thirty-fourth president of the US), Buddy Holly (musician and songwriter), Howard Hughes (industrialist, aviator, film producer), Lyndon Baines Johnson (thirty-sixth president of the US), Scott Joplin (songwriter), Mary Martin (actress), Willie Nelson (country-and-western singer), Katherine Anne Porter (writer), Mildred "Babe" Didrikson (athlete).