September 28 - October 5, 2008

TEXAS TRIVIA

Texas is popularly known as The Lone Star State.

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.

The Alamo is located in San Antonio. It is where Texas defenders fell to Mexican General Santa Anna and the phrase Remember the Alamo originated. The Alamo is considered the cradle of Texas liberty and the state's most popular historic site.

The name Texas comes from Tejas, an Indian word meaning friendly.

The state's nickname is "The Lone Star State".

The Mockingbird is the state bird.

Texas, Our Texas is the state song.

The state flower is the bluebonnet.

The state tree is the pecan tree.

The state food dish is chili.

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 18 million people live in Texas, only slightly outnumbering its 15 million cattle. Texas today is also home for about 2.5 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.

The worst natural disaster in U.S. history was in 1900 caused by a hurricane in which over 8000 lives were lost on Galveston Island.
 

The King Ranch in Texas is bigger than the state of Rhode Island.

• Today, approximately 18 million people live in Texas, only slightly outnumbering its 15 million cattle. Texas today is also home for about 2.5 million deer and 200,000 alligators.Today, approximately 18 million people live in Texas, only slightly outnumbering its 15 million cattle. Texas today is also home for about 2.5 million deer and 200,000 alligators.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 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 Anton