Name	Texas
Fullname	State of Texas
Former	Republic of Texas
Flag	Flag of Texas.svg
Flaglink	Flag
Seal	Seal of Texas.svg
Seallink	Seal
Map	Map_of_USA_TX.svg
Nickname	The Lone Star State
Motto	Friendship
Demonym	TexanTexian (archaic)
Capital	Austin
Largestcity	Houston
Largestmetro	Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington
Governor	Rick Perry (R)
Lieutenant governor	David Dewhurst (R)
Legislature	Texas Legislature
Upperhouse	Senate
Lowerhouse	House of Representatives
Senators	Kay Bailey Hutchison (R)John Cornyn (R)
Representative	23 Republicans, 9 Democrats
Postalabbreviation	TX
Tradabbreviation	Tex.
Borderingstates	Arkansas, Louisiana,New Mexico, Oklahoma
Officiallang	No official language(see Languages spoken in Texas)
Languages	English 68.7%Spanish 27.0%
Arearank	2nd
Totalareaus	268,581
Totalarea	696,241
Landareaus	261,797
Landarea	678,051
Waterareaus	6,784
Waterarea	17,574
Pcwater	2.5
Poprank	2nd
2000pop	25,145,561 (2010 Census)
Densityrank	26th
2000densityus	96.3
2000density	37.2
Total gdp	$1,065,891,000
Total gdp rank	2nd
Per capita gdp	$43,283
Per capita gdp rank	16th
Admittanceorder	28th
Admittancedate	December 29, 1845
Timezone	Central: UTC−6/−5
Tz1where	most of state
Timezone2	Mountain: UTC−7/−6
Tz2where	tip of West Texas
Latitude	25° 50′ N to 36° 30′ N
Longitude	93° 31′ W to 106° 39′ W
Widthus	773
Width	1,244
Lengthus	790
Length	1,270
Highestpoint	Guadalupe Peak
Highestelevus	8,751
Highestelev	2,667
Meanelevus	1,700
Meanelev	520
Lowestpoint	Gulf of Mexico coast
Lowestelevus	0
Lowestelev	0
Isocode	US-TX
Electoralvotes	34
Website	www.texas.gov/ }}

Texas () is the second-largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state in the contiguous United States. The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in East Texas. Located in the South Central United States, Texas is bordered by Mexico to the south, New Mexico to the west, Oklahoma to the north, Arkansas to the northeast, and Louisiana to the east. Texas has an area of , and a growing population of 25.1 million residents.

Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States, while San Antonio is the second largest in the state and seventh largest in the United States. Dallas–Fort Worth and Greater Houston are the fourth and sixth largest United States metropolitan areas, respectively. Other major cities include El Paso and Austin—the state capital. Texas is nicknamed the ''Lone Star State'' to signify Texas as an independent republic and as a reminder of the state's struggle for independence from Mexico. The "Lone Star" can be found on the Texas State Flag and on the Texas State Seal today.

Due to its size and geologic features such as the Balcones Fault, Texas contains diverse landscapes that resemble both the American South and Southwest. Although Texas is popularly associated with the Southwestern deserts, less than 10% of the land area is desert. Most of the population centers are located in areas of former prairies, grasslands, forests, and the coastline. Traveling from east to west, one can observe terrain that ranges from coastal swamps and piney woods, to rolling plains and rugged hills, and finally the desert and mountains of the Big Bend.

The term "six flags over Texas" came from the several nations that had ruled over the territory. Spain was the first European country to claim the area of Texas. France held a short-lived colony in Texas. Mexico controlled the territory until 1836 when Texas won its independence, becoming an independent Republic. In 1845 it joined the United States as the 28th state. The state's annexation set off a chain of events that caused the Mexican–American War in 1846. A slave state, Texas declared its secession from the United States in early 1861, joining the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. After the war and its restoration to the Union, Texas entered a long period of economic stagnation.

One Texas industry that thrived after the Civil War was cattle. Due to its long history as a center of the industry, Texas is associated with the image of the cowboy. The state's economic fortunes changed in the early 20th century, when oil discoveries initiated an economic boom in the state. With strong investments in universities, Texas developed a diversified economy and high tech industry in the mid-20th century. As of 2010 it shares the top of the list of the most Fortune 500 companies with California at 57. With a growing base of industry, the state leads in many industries, including agriculture, petrochemicals, energy, computers and electronics, aerospace, and biomedical sciences. It leads the nation in export revenue since 2002 and has the second-highest gross state product.

Geography

Texas is the second largest U.S. state, behind Alaska, with an area of . It is 10% larger than France and almost twice as large as Germany or Japan, though it ranks only 27th worldwide amongst country subdivisions by size. If it were a country, Texas would be the 40th largest behind Chile and Zambia.

Texas is in the south-central part of the United States of America. Three of its borders are defined by rivers. The Rio Grande river forms a natural border with the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the south. The Red River forms a natural border with Oklahoma and Arkansas to the north. The Sabine River forms a natural border with Louisiana to the east. The Texas Panhandle has an eastern border with Oklahoma at 100° W, a northern border with Oklahoma at 36°30' N and a western border with New Mexico at 103° W. El Paso lies on the state's western tip at 32° N and the Rio Grande.

With 10 climatic regions, 14 soil regions, and 11 distinct ecological regions, regional classification becomes problematic with differences in soils, topography, geology, rainfall, and plant and animal communities. One classification system divides Texas, in order southeast to west, into the following: Gulf Coastal Plains, Interior Lowlands, Great Plains, and Basin and Range Province. The Gulf Coastal Plains region wraps around the Gulf of Mexico on the southeast section of the state. Vegetation in this region consists of thick pineywoods. The Interior Lowlands region consists of gently rolling to hilly forested land is part of a larger pine-hardwood forest. The Great Plains region in central Texas is located in spans through the state's panhandle and Llano Estacado to the state's hill country near Austin. This region is dominated by prairie and steppe. "Far West Texas" or the "Trans-Pecos" region is the state's Basin and Range Province. The most varied of the regions, this area includes Sand Hills, the Stockton Plateau, desert valleys, wooded mountain slopes and desert grasslands.

Texas has 3,700 named streams and 15 major rivers. The largest of these rivers is the Rio Grande. Other major rivers include the Pecos, the Brazos, Colorado, and Red River, which forms the border with Oklahoma. While Texas has few natural lakes, Texans have built over 100 artificial reservoirs.

Texas's size and unique history make its regional affiliation debatable: it can be fairly considered a Southern or a Southwestern state, or both. The vast geographic, economic, and cultural diversity within the state itself prohibits easy categorization of the whole state into a recognized region of the United States. The East, Central, and North Texas regions have a stronger association with the American South than with the Southwest. Others, such as far West Texas and South Texas share more similarities with the latter.

Geology

Texas is the southernmost part of the Great Plains, which ends in the south against the folded Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico. The continental crust forms a stable Mesoproterozoic craton which changes across a broad continental margin and transitional crust into true oceanic crust of the Gulf of Mexico. The oldest rocks in Texas date from the Mesoproterozoic and are about 1,600 million years old. These Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks underlie most of the state, and are exposed in three places: Llano uplift, Van Horn, and the Franklin Mountains, near El Paso. Sedimentary rocks overlay most of these ancient rocks. The oldest sediments were deposited on the flanks of a rifted continental margin, or passive margin that developed during Cambrian time. This margin existed until Laurasia and Gondwana collided in the Pennsylvanian subperiod to form Pangea. This is the buried crest of the Appalachian Mountains–Ouachita Mountains zone of Pennsylvanian continental collision. This orogenic crest is today buried beneath the Dallas–Waco—Austin–San Antonio trend.

The late Paleozoic mountains collapsed as rifting in the Jurassic period began to open the Gulf of Mexico. Pangea began to break up in the Triassic, but seafloor spreading to form the Gulf of Mexico occurred only in the mid and late Jurassic. The shoreline shifted again to the eastern margin of the state and the Gulf of Mexico passive margin began to form. thumb|left|Palo Duro Canyon Today to of sediments are buried beneath the Texas continental shelf and a large proportion of remaining US oil reserves are located here. At the start of its formation, the incipient Gulf of Mexico basin was restricted and seawater often evaporated completely to form thick evaporite deposits of Jurassic age. These salt deposits formed salt dome diapirs, and are found in East Texas along the Gulf coast.

East Texas outcrops consist of Cretaceous and Paleogene sediments which contain important deposits of Eocene lignite. The Mississippian and Pennsylvanian sediments in the north; Permian sediments in the west; and Cretaceous sediments in the east, along the Gulf coast and out on the Texas continental shelf contain oil. Oligocene volcanic rocks are found in far west Texas in the Big Bend area. A blanket of Miocene sediments known as the Ogallala formation in the western high plains region is an important aquifer. Located far from an active plate tectonic boundary, Texas has no volcanoes and few earthquakes.

Climate

The large size of Texas and its location at the intersection of multiple climate zones gives the state highly variable weather. The Panhandle of the state has colder winters than North Texas, while the Gulf Coast has mild winters. Texas has wide variations in precipitation patterns. El Paso, on the western end of the state, averages as little as of annual rainfall while Houston, in southeast Texas, averages as much as per year. Dallas in the North Central region averages a more moderate per year.

Snow falls multiple times each winter in the Panhandle and mountainous areas of West Texas, once or twice a year in North Texas, and once every few years in Central and East Texas. Snow rarely falls south of San Antonio or on the coast except in rare circumstances. Of note is the 2004 Christmas Eve Snowstorm, when of snow fell as far south as Kingsville, where the average high temperature in December is 65° F.

Maximum temperatures in the summer months average from the 80s °F (26 °C) in the mountains of West Texas and on Galveston Island to around in the Rio Grande Valley, but most areas of Texas see consistent summer high temperatures in the range.

Night time summer temperatures range from the upper 50s °F (14 °C) in the West Texas mountains to in Galveston.

Thunderstorms strike Texas often, especially the eastern and northern portions of the state. Tornado Alley covers the northern section of Texas. The state experiences the most tornadoes in the United States, an average of 139 a year. These strike most frequently in North Texas and the Panhandle. Tornadoes in Texas generally occur in the months of April, May, and June.

Some of the most destructive hurricanes in U.S. history have impacted Texas. A hurricane in 1875 killed approximately 400 people in Indianola, followed by another hurricane in 1886 that destroyed the town. These events allowed Galveston to take over as the chief port city. The Galveston hurricane of 1900 subsequently devastated that city killing approximately 8,000 people (possibly as many as 12,000), making it the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Other devastating Texas hurricanes include the 1915 Galveston Hurricane, Hurricane Audrey in 1957 which killed over 600 people, Hurricane Carla in 1961, Hurricane Beulah in 1967, Hurricane Alicia in 1983, Hurricane Rita in 2005, and Hurricane Ike in 2008. Tropical storms have also caused their share of damage: Allison in 1989 and again during 2001, and Claudette in 1979 among them.

Texas emits the most greenhouse gases in the U.S. The state emits nearly 1.5 trillion pounds (680 billion kg) of carbon dioxide annually. As an independent nation, Texas would rank as the world's seventh-largest producer of greenhouse gases. Causes of the state's vast greenhouse gas emissions include the state's large number of coal power plants and the state's refining and manufacturing industries.

History

Pre-European era

Texas lies between two major cultural spheres of Pre-Columbian North America: the Southwestern and the Plains areas. Archaeologists have found that three major indigenous cultures lived in this territory, and reached their developmental peak before the first European contact. These were:

the Pueblo from the upper Rio Grande region, centered west of Texas;

the Mississippian culture, also known as Mound Builder, which extended along the Mississippi River Valley east of Texas; and

the civilizations of Mesoamerica, centered south of Texas. Influence of Teotihuacan in northern Mexico peaked around AD 500 and declined over the 8th to 10th centuries.

No culture was dominant in the present-day Texas region, and many peoples inhabited the area. Native American tribes that lived inside the boundaries of present-day Texas include the Alabama, Apache, Atakapan, Bidai, Caddo, Coahuiltecan, Comanche, Choctaw, Coushatta, Hasinai, Jumano, Karankawa, Kickapoo, Kiowa, Tonkawa, and Wichita. The name ''Texas'' derives from '''', a word in the Caddoan language of the ''Hasinai'', which means "friends" or "allies".

Whether a Native American tribe was friendly or warlike was critical to the fates of European explorers and settlers in that land. Friendly tribes taught newcomers how to grow indigenous crops, prepare foods, and hunt wild game. Warlike tribes made life difficult and dangerous for Europeans through their attacks and resistance to the newcomers.

Colonization

The first historical document related to Texas was a map of the Gulf Coast, created in 1519 by Spanish explorer Alonso Álvarez de Pineda. Nine years later, shipwrecked Spanish explorer Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and his cohort became the first Europeans in Texas. European powers ignored Texas until accidentally settling there in 1685. Miscalculations by René Robert Cavelier de La Salle resulted in his establishing the colony of Fort Saint Louis at Matagorda Bay rather than along the Mississippi River. The colony lasted only four years before succumbing to harsh conditions and hostile natives.

In 1690 Spanish authorities, concerned that France posed competitive threat, constructed several missions in East Texas. After Native American resistance, the Spanish missionaries returned to Mexico. When France began settling Louisiana, mostly in the southern part of the state, in 1716 Spanish authorities responded by founding a new series of missions in East Texas. Two years later, they created San Antonio as the first Spanish civilian settlement in Texas.

Hostile native tribes and distance from nearby Spanish colonies discouraged settlers from moving to Texas. It was one of New Spain's least populated provinces. In 1749, the Spanish peace treaty with the Lipan Apache angered many tribes, including the Comanche, Tonkawa, and Hasinai. The Comanche signed a treaty with Spain in 1785 and later helped to defeat the Lipan Apache and Karankawa tribes. With more numerous missions being established, priests led a peaceful conversion of most tribes. By the end of the 18th century only a few nomadic tribes had not converted to Christianity.

When the United States purchased Louisiana from France in 1803, American authorities insisted that the agreement also included Texas. The boundary between New Spain and the United States was finally set at the Sabine River in 1819. Eager for new land, many United States settlers refused to recognize the agreement. Several filibusters raised armies to invade Texas. In 1821, the Mexican War of Independence included the Texas territory, which became part of Mexico. Due to its low population, Mexico made the area part of the state of Coahuila y Tejas.

Hoping that more settlers would reduce the near-constant Comanche raids, Mexican Texas liberalized its immigration policies to permit immigrants from outside Mexico and Spain. Under the Mexican immigration system, large swathes of land were allotted to ''empresarios'', who recruited settlers from the United States, Europe, and the Mexican interior. The first grant, to Moses Austin, was passed to his son Stephen F. Austin after his death.

Austin's settlers, the Old Three Hundred, made places along the Brazos River in 1822. Twenty-three other empresarios brought settlers to the state, the majority of whom were from the United States. The population of Texas grew rapidly. In 1825, Texas had a population of approximately 3,500, with most of Mexican descent. By 1834, Texas had grown to approximately 37,800 people, with only 7,800 of Mexican descent.

Many immigrants openly flouted Mexican law, especially the prohibition against slavery. Combined with United States' attempts to purchase Texas, Mexican authorities decided in 1830 to prohibit continued immigration from the United States. New laws also called for the enforcement of customs duties angering both native Mexican citizens (''Tejanos'') and recent immigrants.

The Anahuac Disturbances in 1832 were the first open revolt against Mexican rule and they coincided with a revolt in Mexico against the nation's president. Texians sided with the federalists against the current government and drove all Mexican soldiers out of East Texas. They took advantage of the lack of oversight to agitate for more political freedom. Texians met at the Convention of 1832 to discuss requesting independent statehood, among other issues. The following year, Texians reiterated their demands at the Convention of 1833.

Republic

Within Mexico, tensions continued between federalists and centralists. In early 1835, wary Texians formed Committees of Correspondence and Safety. The unrest erupted into armed conflict in late 1835 at the Battle of Gonzales. This launched the Texas Revolution, and over the next two months, the Texians successfully defeated all Mexican troops in the region. Texians elected delegates to the Consultation, which created a provisional government. The provisional government soon collapsed from infighting, and Texas was without clear governance for the first two months of 1836.

During this time of political turmoil, Mexican President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna personally led an army to end the revolt. The Mexican expedition was initially successful. General Jose de Urrea defeated all the Texian resistance along the coast culminating in the Goliad Massacre. Santa Anna's forces, after a thirteen-day siege, overwhelmed Texian defenders at the Battle of the Alamo. News of the defeats sparked panic amongst Texas settlers. The newly elected Texian delegates to the Convention of 1836 quickly signed a Declaration of Independence on March 2, forming the Republic of Texas. After electing interim officers, the Convention disbanded. The new government joined the other settlers in Texas in the Runaway Scrape, fleeing from the approaching Mexican army. After several weeks of retreat, the Texian Army commanded by Sam Houston attacked and defeated Santa Anna's forces at the Battle of San Jacinto. Santa Anna was captured and forced to sign the Treaties of Velasco, ending the war.

While Texas had won their independence, political battles raged between two factions of the new Republic. The nationalist faction, led by Mirabeau B. Lamar, advocated the continued independence of Texas, the expulsion of the Native Americans, and the expansion of the Republic to the Pacific Ocean. Their opponents, led by Sam Houston, advocated the annexation of Texas to the United States and peaceful co-existence with Native Americans. The conflict between the factions was typified by an incident known as the Texas Archive War. Mexico launched two small expeditions into Texas in 1842. The town of San Antonio was captured twice and Texans were defeated in battle in the Dawson Massacre. Despite these successes, Mexico did not keep an occupying force in Texas, and the republic survived. The republic's inability to defend itself added momentum to Texas's eventual annexation into the United States.

Statehood

As early as 1837, the Republic made several attempts to negotiate annexation with the United States. Opposition within the republic from the nationalist faction, along with strong abolitionist opposition within the United States, slowed Texas's admission into the Union. Texas was finally annexed when the expansionist James K. Polk won the election of 1844. On December 29, 1845, Congress admitted Texas to the U.S. as a constituent state of the Union.

After Texas's annexation, Mexico broke diplomatic relations with the United States. While the United States claimed that Texas's border stretched to the Rio Grande, Mexico claimed it was the Nueces River. While the former Republic of Texas could not enforce its border claims, the United States had the military strength and the political will to do so. President Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor south to the Rio Grande on January 13, 1846. A few months later Mexican troops routed an American cavalry patrol in the disputed area in the Thornton Affair starting the Mexican-American War. The first battles of the war were fought in Texas: the Siege of Fort Texas, Battle of Palo Alto and Battle of Resaca de la Palma. After these decisive victories, the United States invaded Mexican territory ending the fighting in Texas.

After a series of United States victories, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the two year war. In return, for US $18,250,000, Mexico gave the U.S. undisputed control of Texas, ceded the Mexican Cession in 1848, most of which today is called the American Southwest, and Texas's borders were established at the Rio Grande.

The Compromise of 1850 set Texas's boundaries at their present form. Texas ceded its claims to land which later became half of present day New Mexico, a third of Colorado, and small portions of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming to the federal government, in return for the assumption of $10 million of the old republic's debt. Post-war Texas grew rapidly as migrants poured into the cotton lands of the state.

Civil War and Reconstruction

Texas was at war again after the election of 1860. Abraham Lincoln's election triggered South Carolina's declaration of secession from the Union, which was quickly followed by that of five other Lower South states. A State Convention considering secession opened in Austin on January 28, 1861. On February 1, by a vote of 166–8, the Convention adopted an Ordinance of Secession from the United States. Texas voters approved this Ordinance on February 23, 1861. Texas joined the Confederate States of America, ratifying the permanent C.S. Constitution on March 23, 1861. Not all Texans favored secession initially, although many of the same would later support the Southern cause. Texas's most notable unionist was the state Governor, Sam Houston. Not wanting to aggravate the situation, Houston refused two offers from President Lincoln for Union troops to keep him in office. After refusing to swear an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy, Houston was deposed as governor.

While far from the major battlefields of the American Civil War, Texas contributed large numbers of men and equipment to the rest of the Confederacy. Union troops briefly occupied the state's primary port, Galveston. Texas's border with Mexico was known as the "backdoor of the Confederacy" because trade occurred at the border, bypassing the Union blockade. The Confederacy repulsed all Union attempts to shut down this route, but Texas's role as a supply state was marginalized in mid-1863 after the Union capture of the Mississippi River. The final battle of the Civil War was fought near Brownsville Texas at Palmito Ranch with a confederate victory.

Texas descended into anarchy for two months between the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia and the assumption of authority by Union General Gordon Granger. Violence marked the early months of Reconstruction. Juneteenth commemorates the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Galveston by General Gordon Granger, over two and a half years after the original announcement. President Johnson, in 1866, declared the civilian government restored in Texas. Despite not meeting reconstruction requirements, Congress readmitted Texas into the Union in 1870. Social volatility continued as the state struggled with agricultural depression and labor issues.

20th century to present

On January 10, 1901, the first major oil well in Texas, Spindletop, was found south of Beaumont. Other fields were later discovered nearby in East Texas, West Texas, and under the Gulf of Mexico. The resulting "Oil Boom" transformed Texas. Oil production eventually averaged three million barrels per day at its peak in 1972.

The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl dealt a double blow to the state's economy, which had significantly improved since the Civil War. Migrants abandoned the worst hit sections of Texas during the Dust Bowl years. Especially from this period on, blacks left Texas in the Great Migration to get work in the Northern United States or California and to escape the oppression of segregation.

World War II had a dramatic impact on Texas, as federal money poured in to build military bases, munitions factories, POW detention camps and Army hospitals; 750,000 young men left for service; the cities exploded with new industry; the colleges took on new roles; and hundreds of thousands of poor farmers left for much better paying war jobs, never to return to agriculture.

Texas modernized and expanded its system of higher education through the 1960s. The state created a comprehensive plan for higher education, funded in large part by oil revenues, and a central state apparatus designed to manage state institutions more efficiently. These changes helped Texas universities receive federal research funds.

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.

Government and politics

The current Texas Constitution was adopted in 1876. Like many states, it explicitly provides for a separation of powers. The state's Bill of Rights is much larger than its federal counterpart, and has provisions unique to Texas.

State government

Texas has a plural executive branch system limiting the power of the Governor. Except for the Secretary of State, voters elect executive officers independently making candidates being directly answerable to the public, not the Governor. This election system has led to some executive branches split between parties. When Republican President George W. Bush served as Texas's governor, the state had a Democratic Lieutenant Governor, Bob Bullock. The executive branch positions consist of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Comptroller of Public Accounts, Land Commissioner, Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner, the three-member Texas Railroad Commission, the State Board of Education, and the Secretary of State.

The bicameral Texas Legislature consists of the House of Representatives, with 150 members, and a Senate, with 31 members. The Speaker of the House leads the House, and the Lieutenant Governor, the Senate. The Legislature meets in regular session biennially, but the Governor can call for special sessions as often as desired. The state's fiscal year spans from the previous calendar year's September 1 to the current year's August 31. Thus, the FY dates from September 1, through August 31, .

The judicial system of Texas is one of the most complex in the United States, with many layers and overlapping jurisdictions. Texas has two courts of last resort: the Texas Supreme Court, for civil cases, and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Except for some municipal benches, partisan elections select judges at all levels of the judiciary; the Governor fills vacancies by appointment. Texas leads the nation in executions– 442 as of October 2009 (see Capital punishment in Texas).

The Texas Ranger Division of the Texas Department of Public Safety is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction. Over the years, the Texas Rangers have investigated crimes ranging from murder to political corruption. They have acted as riot police and as detectives, protected the Texas governor, tracked down fugitives, and functioned as a paramilitary force both for the republic and the state. The Texas Rangers were unofficially created by Stephen F. Austin in 1823 and formally constituted in 1835. The Rangers were part of several important events of Texas history and some of the best-known criminal cases in the history of the Old West.

Politics

+ Texas Presidential elections results
! Year	Republican Party (United States)>Republican	Democratic Party (United States)>Democratic
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As in other "Solid South" states, whites resented the Republican Party after the American Civil War, and the Democratic Party dominated Texas politics from the end of Reconstruction until the late 20th century. The state has since become a Republican stronghold.

The Texas political atmosphere leans towards fiscal and social conservatism. Since 1980, most Texas voters have supported Republican presidential candidates. In 2000 and 2004, Republican George W. Bush won Texas with 60.1% of the vote, partly due to his "favorite son" status as a former Governor of the state. John McCain won the state in 2008, but with a smaller margin of victory compared to Bush at 55% of the vote. Austin consistently leans Democratic in both local and statewide elections. Counties along the Rio Grande generally vote for Democrats, while most rural and suburban areas of Texas vote Republican.

The 2003 Texas redistricting of Congressional districts led by the Republican Tom Delay, was called by the ''New York Times'' "an extreme case of partisan gerrymandering". A group of Democratic legislators, the "Texas Eleven", fled the state in a quorum-busting effort. Despite these efforts, the legislature passed a map heavily in favor of Republicans. Protests of the redistricting reached the national Supreme Court in the case ''League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry'', but the ruling went in the Republicans' favor.

As of the general elections of 2010, a large majority of the members of Texas's U.S. House delegation are Republican, along with both U.S. Senators. In the 111th United States Congress, of the 32 Congressional districts in Texas, 23 are held by Republicans and 9 by Democrats. Texas's Senators are Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn. Since 1994, Texans have not elected a Democrat to a statewide office. The state's Democratic presence comes primarily from some minority groups in East Texas and South Texas as well as urban voters, particularly in Beaumont, El Paso, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston.

Administrative divisions

Texas has 254 counties— the most nationwide. Each county runs on Commissioners' Court system consisting of four elected commissioners (one from each of four precincts in the county, roughly divided according to population) and a county judge elected at large from the entire county. County government runs similar to a "weak" mayor-council system; the county judge has no veto authority, but votes along with the other commissioners.

Although Texas permits cities and counties to enter "interlocal agreements" to share services, the state does not allow consolidated city-county governments, nor does it have metropolitan governments. Counties are not granted home rule status; their powers are strictly defined by state law. The state does not have townships— areas within a county are either incorporated or unincorporated. Incorporated areas are part of a municipality. The county provides limited services to unincorporated areas. Municipalities are classified either "general law" cities or "home rule". A municipality may elect home rule status once it exceeds 5,000 population with voter approval. Municipal elections are nonpartisan as are elections for school boards and community college districts.

Economy

As of 2008, Texas had a gross state product (GSP) of $1.224 trillion, the second highest in the U.S. Its GSP is comparable to the GDP of India or Canada which are ranked 12th and 11th worldwide. Texas's economy is the fourth largest in the world of country subdivisions behind England (as part of the UK), California and Tokyo Prefecture. Its Per Capita personal income in 2009 was $36,484, ranking 29th in the nation. Texas's large population, abundance of natural resources, and diverse population and geography have led to a large and diverse economy. Since oil was discovered, the state's economy has reflected the state of the petroleum industry. In recent times, urban centers of the state have increased in size, containing two-thirds of the population in 2005. The state's economic growth has led to urban sprawl and its associated symptoms.

As of January 2010, the states unemployment rate is 8.2%.

Texas has a "low taxes, low services" reputation. According to the Tax Foundation, Texans' state and local tax burdens rank among the lowest in the nation, 7th lowest nationally; state and local taxes cost $3,580 per capita, or 8.4% of resident incomes. Texas is one of seven states that lack a state income tax. Instead, the state collects revenue from a state property tax and sales tax, which is charged at the rate of 6.25%, but local taxing jurisdictions (cities, counties, special purpose districts, and transit authorities) may also impose sales and use tax up to 2% for a total maximum combined rate of 8.25%. Texas is a "tax donor state"; in 2005, for every dollar Texans paid to the federal government in federal income taxes, the state received approximately $0.94 in benefits.

In 2004, ''Site Selection Magazine'' ranked Texas as the most business-friendly state in the nation in part because of the state's three-billion-dollar Texas Enterprise Fund. The state shares the most Fortune 500 company headquarters along with, California, in the United States.

In 2010, there were 346,000 millionaires in the state, second highest in the nation.

Agriculture and mining

Texas has the most farms and the highest acreage in the United States. Texas leads the nation in livestock production. Cattle is the state's most valuable agricultural product, and the state leads nationally in production of sheep and goat products. Texas leads the nation in production of cotton. The state grows significant amounts of cereal crops and produce. Texas has a large commercial fishing industry. With mineral resources, Texas leads in creating cement, crushed stone, lime, salt, sand and gravel.

Energy

Ever since the discovery of oil at Spindletop, energy has been a dominant force politically and economically within the state. According to the Energy Information Administration, Texans consume the most energy in the nation per capita and as a whole. Unlike the rest of the nation, most of Texas is on its own alternating current power grid, the Texas Interconnection. Texas has a deregulated electric service.

The Railroad Commission of Texas, contrary to its name, regulates the state's oil and gas industry, gas utilities, pipeline safety, safety in the liquefied petroleum gas industry, and surface coal and uranium mining. Until the 1970s, the commission controlled the price of petroleum because of its ability to regulate Texas's oil reserves. The founders of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) used the Texas agency as one of their models for petroleum price control.

Texas has known petroleum deposits of about , which makes up approximately one-fourth of the known U.S. reserves. The state's refineries can process of oil a day. The Baytown Refinery in the Houston area is the largest refinery in America. Texas also leads in natural gas production, producing one-fourth of the nation's supply. Several petroleum companies are based in Texas such as: Conoco-Phillips, Exxon-Mobil, Halliburton, Valero, and Marathon Oil.

The state is a leader in renewable energy sources; it produces the most wind power in the nation. The Roscoe Wind Farm in Roscoe, Texas, is the world's largest wind farm as of October 2009 with a 781.5 megawatt (MW) capacity. The Energy Information Administration states that the state's large agriculture and forestry industries could give Texas an enormous amount biomass for use in biofuels. The state also has the highest solar power potential for development in the nation.

Technology

With large universities systems coupled with initiatives like the Texas Enterprise Fund and the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, a wide array of different high tech industries have developed in Texas. The Austin area is nicknamed the "Silicon Hills" and the north Dallas area the "Silicon Prairie". Texas has the headquarters of many high technology companies, such as Dell, Inc., Texas Instruments, Perot Systems, AT&T; and Electronic Data Systems (EDS, acquired by Hewlett-Packard, August 2008), as well as the former headquarters of Compaq Computer Corp, which exists today as the largest campus of Hewlett-Packard (headquartered in CA).

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (NASA JSC) located in Southeast Houston, sits as the crown jewel of Texas's aeronautics industry. Fort Worth hosts both Lockheed Martin's Aeronautics division and Bell Helicopter Textron. Lockheed builds the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the largest Western fighter program, and its successor, the F-35 Lightning II in Fort Worth.

Commerce

Texas's affluence stimulates a strong commercial sector consisting of retail, wholesale, banking and insurance, and construction industries. Examples of Fortune 500 companies not based on Texas traditional industries are AT&T;, Men's Warehouse, Landry's Restaurants, Kimberly-Clark, Blockbuster, Whole Foods Market, and Tenet Healthcare. Nationally, the Dallas–Fort Worth area, home to the second shopping mall in the United States, has the most shopping malls per capita of any American metropolitan area.

Mexico, the state's largest trading partner, imports a third of the state's exports because of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). NAFTA has encouraged the formation of controversial maquiladoras on the Texas/Mexico border.

Demographics

As of 2009, the state has an estimated population of 24,782,406, an increase of 1.97% from the prior year and 16.1% since the year 2000. The state's rate of natural increase (births and deaths) since the last census was 1,389,275 people, immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 801,576 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 451,910 people. As of 2004, the state had 3.5 million foreign-born residents (15.6 percent of the state population), of which an estimated 1.2 million are illegal aliens. Texas from 2000–2006 had the fastest growing illegal immigration rate in the nation. In 2010, illegal aliens constituted an estimated 6.0% of the population. This was the fifth highest percentage of any state in the country.

Texas's population density is 34.8 persons/km² which is slightly higher than the average population density of the US as a whole, at 31 persons/km². In contrast, while Texas and France are similarly sized geographically, the European country has a population density of 116 persons/km².

Two-thirds of all Texans live in a major metropolitan area such as Houston. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area is the largest in Texas. While Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth largest city in the United States, the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area is considerably larger than that of Houston.

Racial groups and ethnic origins

According to the 2010 United States census, the racial and ethnic composition of Texas was the following:

White: 70.4% (Non-Hispanic Whites: 45.3%)

Black or African American: 11.8%

Native American: 0.7%

Asian: 3.8% (1.0% Indian, 0.8% Vietnamese, 0.6% Chinese, 0.4% Filipino, 0.3% Korean, 0.2% Pakistani, 0.07% Japanese, 0.05% Laotian, 0.05% Cambodian)

Pacific Islander: 0.1% (0.02% Guamanian, 0.01% Samoan, 0.01% Tongan, 0.01% Native Hawaiian)

Some other race: 10.5%

Two or more races: 2.7%

Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 37.6% (31.6% Mexican, 0.5% Puerto Rican, 0.2% Cuban)

White Americans are the racial majority in Texas. However, non-Hispanic whites represent roughly 48% of the population; therefore, Texas is a minority-majority state. Just over 17,020,000 Texans are white (both non-Hispanic and Hispanic), and roughly 11.4 million are non-Hispanic whites. German, Irish, and English Americans are the three largest European ancestry groups in Texas. German Americans make up 11.3% of the population, and number over 2.7 million members. Irish Americans make up 8.2% of the population, and number over 1.9 million members. English Americans make up 7.7% of the population, and number over 1.8 million members. There are roughly 600,000 French Americans and 472,000 Italian Americans residing in Texas; these two ethnic groups make up 2.5% and 2.0% of the population respectively.

Black Americans are the largest racial minority in Texas. Blacks of both Hispanic and non-Hispanic origin make up 11.5% of the population; blacks of non-Hispanic origin form 11.3% of the populace. Black Americans of both Hispanic and non-Hispanic origin number at roughly 2.7 million individuals.

Native Americans are a smaller minority in the state. Native Americans make up 0.5% of Texas' population, and number over 118,000 individuals. Native Americans of non-Hispanic origin make up 0.3% of the population, and number over 75,000 individuals. Cherokee Indians made up 0.1% of the population, and numbered over 19,400 members. In contrast, only 583 were identified as Chippewa.

Asian Americans are a sizable minority group in Texas. Americans of Asian descent form 3.4% of the population, with those of non-Hispanic descent making up 3.3% of the populace. Altogether, they number over 808,000 individuals. Non-Hispanic Asians number over 795,000. Just over 200,000 Indians make Texas their home. Texas is also home to over 187,000 Vietnamese and 136,000 Chinese. In addition to 92,000 Filipinos and 62,000 Koreans, there are 18,000 Japanese Americans living in the state. Lastly, over 111,000 people are of other Asian ancestry groups, such as Cambodian, Thai, and Hmong.

Americans with origins from the Pacific are the smallest minority in Texas. According to the survey, only 18,000 Texans are Pacific Islanders; 16,400 are of non-Hispanic descent. There are roughly 5,400 Native Hawaiians, 5,300 Guamanians, and 6,400 people from other groups. Samoan Americans were very scant; only 941 people were from this group.

Multiracial individuals are also a visible minority in Texas. People of multiracial heritage form 1.9% of the population, and number over 448,000 people. Almost 80,000 Texans claim European and African heritage, and make up 0.3% of the population. People of European and Native American heritage number over 108,800 (close to the number of Native Americans), and make up 0.5% of the population. People of European and Asian heritage number over 57,600, and form just 0.2% of the population. People of African and Native American heritage were even smaller in number (15,300), and make up just 0.1% of the total population.

Hispanics and Latinos are the second largest group in Texas after non-Hispanic European Americans. Over 8.5 million people claim Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. This group forms 36% of Texas' population. People of Mexican descent alone number over 7.3 million, and make up 30.7% of the population. Over 104,000 Puerto Ricans live in the state. Roughly 38,000 Cubans reside in the state. Over 1.1 million people (4.7% of the population) are of varying Hispanic and Latino ancestries, such as Costa Rican, Venezuelan, and Argentine.

German descendants inhabit much of central and southeast-central Texas. Over one-third of Texas residents are of Hispanic origin; while many have recently arrived, some Tejanos have ancestors with multi-generational ties to 18th century Texas. In addition to the descendants of the state's former slave population, many African American college graduates have come to the state for work recently in the New Great Migration. Recently, the Asian population in Texas has grown—primarily in Houston and Dallas. Other communities with a significantly growing Asian American population is in Austin, Corpus Christi, and the Sharyland area next McAllen, Texas. Currently, three federally recognized Native American tribes reside in Texas: the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe, the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe, and the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo.

Based on Census Bureau data released at Medio February 2011, for the first time in recent history, Texas' white population is below 50 percent (45 percent) and Hispanics grew to 38 percent. Between 2000 and 2010, the total population growth by 20.6 percent, but Hispanics growth by 65 percent, whereas non-Hispanic whites only grew by 4.2 percent.

Religion

!Religion	!
Roman Catholic	28%
Baptist	21%
	11%
Methodist	8%
Christian – Others	7%
Lutheran	3%
Pentecostal	3%
Presbyterian	2%
Non-denominational	2%
	2%
	1%
Islam	1%
Jehovah's Witnesses	1%
	1%
Church of God	1%
Other	2%

The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Roman Catholic Church with 4,368,969; the Southern Baptist Convention with 3,519,459; and the United Methodist Church with 1,022,342.

Known as the buckle of the Bible Belt, East Texas is socially conservative. Dallas-Fort Worth is home to three major evangelical seminaries and a host of monasteries. Lakewood Church in Houston, boasts the largest attendance in the nation averaging more than 43,000 weekly. Lubbock, according to local lore, has the most churches per capita in the nation.

Adherents of many non-Christian religions reside predominantly in the urban centers of Texas. The Jewish population stands at around 128,000. Approximately 146,000 adherents of non-Abrahamic religions such as Hinduism and Sikhism live in Texas.

Cities and towns

The state has three cities with populations exceeding one million: Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas. These three rank among the 10 most populous cities of the United States. As of 2000, six Texas cities had populations greater than 500,000 people. Austin, Fort Worth, and El Paso are among the 25 largest U.S. cities. Texas has four metropolitan areas with populations greater than a million: , , , and . The Dallas–Fort Worth and Houston metropolitan areas number about 6.3 million and 5.7 million residents, respectively. Three interstate highways I-35 to the west (Dallas–Fort Worth to San Antonio, with Austin in between), I-45 to the east (Dallas to Houston), and I-10 to the south (San Antonio to Houston) define the Texas Urban Triangle region. The region of contains most of the state's largest cities and metropolitan areas as well as 17 million people, nearly 75 percent of Texas's total population. Dallas and Houston have been recognized as beta world cities. These cities are spread out amongst the state. Texas has 254 counties, which is more than any state by 95. (Georgia)

In contrast to the cities, unincorporated rural settlements known as colonias often lack basic infrastructure and are marked by poverty. As of 2007, Texas had at least 2,294 colonias, located primarily along the state's border with Mexico. Texas has the largest concentration of people, approximately 400,000, living in colonias.

Culture

Historically, Texas culture comes from a blend of Southern (Dixie), Western (frontier), and Southwestern (Mexican/Anglo fusion), influences. A popular food item, the breakfast burrito, draws from all three, having a soft flour tortilla wrapped around bacon and scrambled eggs or other hot, cooked fillings. Adding to Texas's traditional culture, established in the 18th and 19th centuries, immigration has made Texas a melting pot of cultures from around the world.

Arts

Houston is one of only five American cities with permanent professional resident companies in all of the major performing arts disciplines: the Houston Grand Opera, the Houston Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Ballet, and The Alley Theatre. Known for the vibrancy of its visual and performing arts, the Houston Theatre District— a 17-block area in the heart of Downtown Houston— ranks second in the country in the number of theater seats in a concentrated downtown area, with 12,948 seats for live performances and 1,480 movie seats.

Founded in 1892, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, also called "The Modern", is Texas's oldest art museum. Fort Worth also has the Kimbell Art Museum, the Amon Carter Museum, the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, the Will Rogers Memorial Center, and the Bass Performance Hall downtown. The Arts District of Downtown Dallas has arts venues such as the Dallas Museum of Art, the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, the Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art, and the Nasher Sculpture Center.

The Deep Ellum district within Dallas became popular during the 1920s and 1930s as the prime jazz and blues hotspot in the Southern United States. The name Deep Ellum comes from local people pronouncing "Deep Elm" as "Deep Ellum". Artists such as Blind Lemon Jefferson, Robert Johnson, Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter, and Bessie Smith played in early Deep Ellum clubs.

Austin, ''The Live Music Capital of the World'', boasts "more live music venues per capita than such music hotbeds as Nashville, Memphis, Los Angeles, Las Vegas or New York City." The city's music revolves around the nightclubs on 6th Street; events like the film, music, and multimedia festival South by Southwest; the longest-running concert music program on American television, ''Austin City Limits''; and the Austin City Limits Music Festival held in Zilker Park.

Since 1980, San Antonio has evolved into the "The Tejano Music Capital Of The World." The Tejano Music Awards have provided a forum to create greater awareness and appreciation for Tejano music and culture.

Education

The second president of the Republic of Texas, Mirabeau B. Lamar, is the ''Father of Texas Education''. During his term, the state set aside three leagues of land in each county for equipping public schools. An additional 50 leagues of land set aside for the support of two universities would later become the basis of the state's Permanent University Fund. Lamar's actions set the foundation for a Texas-wide public school system. Texas ranked 29th in the American Legislative Exchange Council's Report Card on American Education. Texas students ranked higher than average in mathematics, but lower in reading. Between 2006–2007, Texas spent $7,275 per pupil ranking it below the national average of $9,389. The pupil/teacher ratio was 14.9, below the national average of 15.3. Texas paid instructors $41,744, below the national average of $46,593. The state provided 88.0% of the funding for education, the federal government 12.0%.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) administers the state's public school systems. Texas has over 1,000 school districts- all districts except the Stafford Municipal School District are independent from municipal government and many cross city boundaries. School districts have the power to tax their residents and to assert eminent domain over privately owned property. Due to court-mandated equitable school financing for school districts, the state has a controversial tax redistribution system called the"Robin Hood plan". This plan transfers property tax revenue from wealthy school districts to poor ones. The TEA has no authority over private or home school activities.

Students in Texas take the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) in primary and secondary school. TAKS assess students' attainment of reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies skills required under Texas education standards and the No Child Left Behind Act. In spring 2007, Texas legislators replaced the TAKS for freshmen in the 2011–2012 school year and onward with End of Course exams for core high school classes.

Colleges and universities

Texas's controversial alternative affirmative action plan, Texas House Bill 588, guarantees Texas students who graduated in the percent of their high school class automatic admission to state-funded universities. The bill encourages diversity while avoiding problems stemming from the ''Hopwood v. Texas'' (1996) case. Six state university systems and four independent public universities exist in Texas. Discovery of minerals on Permanent University Fund land, particularly oil, has helped fund the rapid growth the state's largest university systems: University of Texas and Texas A&M;. The PUF principal in fall 2005 was approximately $15 billion, second in size only to Harvard University's endowment. The other four university systems are the , the University of North Texas, , and . Texas has three nationally recognized top-tier public research universities: The University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M; University, and the University of Houston. The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M; University are flagship universities of the state of Texas. Both were established by the Texas Constitution and hold stakes in the Permanent University Fund. The state has been putting effort to expand the number of flagship universities by elevating some of its seven institutions designated as "emerging research universities." The two that are expected to emerge first are the University of Houston and Texas Tech University, likely in that order according to discussions during the 82^nd Texas Legislature. The state is home to many private institutions ranging from liberal arts colleges to a nationally recognized top-tier research university. in Houston is one of the leading teaching and research universities of the United States and is ranked the nation's 17th-best overall university by ''U.S. News & World Report''. The former republic chartered the private universities , , and .

Universities in Texas currently host two presidential libraries: George Bush Presidential Library at Texas A&M; University and the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum at The University of Texas at Austin. An agreement has been reached to create a third; the George W. Bush Presidential Library at Southern Methodist University.

Healthcare

The Commonwealth Fund ranks the Texas healthcare system the third worst in the nation. Texas ranks close to last in access to healthcare, quality of care, avoidable hospital spending, and equity among various groups. Causes of the state's poor rankings include politics, a high poverty rate, and the highest rate of illegal immigration in the nation. In May 2006, Texas initiated the program "code red" in response to the report that the state had 25.1% of the population without health insurance, the largest proportion in the nation. Texas also has controversial non-economic damages caps for medical malpractice lawsuits, set at $250,000, in an attempt to "curb rising malpractice premiums, and control escalating healthcare costs".

The Trust for America's Health ranked Texas 15th highest in adult obesity, with 27.2% of the state's population measured as obese. The 2008 Men's Health obesity survey ranked four Texas cities among the top 25 fattest cities in America; Houston ranked 6th, Dallas 7th, El Paso 8th, and Arlington 14th. Texas had only one city, Austin, ranked 21st, in the top 25 among the "fittest cities" in America. The same survey has evaluated the state's obesity initiatives favorably with a "B+". The state is ranked forty-second in the percentage of residents who engage in regular exercise.

Medical research

Many elite research medical centers are located in Texas. The state has nine medical schools, three dental schools, and one optometry school. Texas has two Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) laboratories: one at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, and the other at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research in San Antonio—the first privately owned BSL-4 lab in the United States.

The Texas Medical Center in Houston, holds the world's largest concentration of research and healthcare institutions, with 47 member institutions. Texas Medical Center performs the most heart transplants in the world. The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston is a highly regarded academic institution that centers around cancer patient care, research, education and prevention.

San Antonio's South Texas Medical Center facilities rank sixth in clinical medicine research impact in the United States. The University of Texas Health Science Center is another highly ranked research and educational institution in San Antonio.

Both the American Heart Association and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center call Dallas home. The Southwestern Medical Center ranks "among the top academic medical centers in the world". The institution's medical school employs the most medical school Nobel laureates in the world.

Transportation

Texans have historically had difficulties traversing Texas due to the state's large size and rough terrain. Texas has compensated by building both America's largest highway and railway systems in terms of length, as well as the largest number of airports. The regulatory authority, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintains the state's immense highway system, regulates aviation, and public transportation systems. Located centrally in North America, the state is an important transportation hub. From the Dallas/Fort Worth area, trucks can reach 93% of the nation's population within 48 hours, and 37% within 24 hours. Texas has 33 foreign trade zones (FTZ), the most in the nation. In 2004, a combined total of $298 billion of goods passed though Texas FTZs.

Highways

Texans have heavily traveled their freeways since the 1948 opening of the Gulf Freeway in Houston. As of 2005, of public highway crisscrossed Texas (up from in 1984). To fund recent growth in the state highways, Texas has 17 toll roads (see list) with several additional tollways proposed. In west Texas, both I-10 and I-20 have speed limits of , the highest in the nation. All federal and state highways in Texas are paved.

In March 2011, Texas ranked as a bottom-ten "Worst" state (tied with Montana and North Dakota) in the American State Litter Scorecard, presented at the American Society for Public Administration national conference. Public roadways in the Lone Star State suffer from an overall poor quality of landscape cleanliness, attributed to ineffective roadside and adjacent property litter/debris abatement standards, seemingly politicized procedural efforts, and other relevant public performance indicators.

Airports

Texas has the most airports of any state in the nation. Largest in Texas by size and passengers served, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is the second largest by area in the United States, and fourth in the world with . In traffic, DFW is the busiest in the state and the fourth in the United States, and sixth worldwide. AMR Corporation's American / American Eagle, the world's second largest airline in total passengers-miles transported (after Delta Air Lines, and soon third, after the combined United and Continental airlines) and passenger fleet size, uses DFW as its largest and main hub. Southwest Airlines, also headquartered in Dallas, has its operations currently at Dallas Love Field. It ranks as the largest airline in the United States by number of passengers carried domestically per year and the largest airline in the world by number of passengers carried.

Texas's second-largest air facility is Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) with. It serves as Houston based Continental Airlines's largest hub. IAH offers service to the most Mexican destinations of any U.S. airport. The next four largest airports in the state all serve over 4 million passengers annually; they include:Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, William P. Hobby Airport, San Antonio International Airport, and Dallas Love Field. The smallest airport in the state to be designated an international airport is Del Rio International Airport.

Ports

Around 1,150 seaports dot Texas's coast with over of channels. Ports employ nearly one-million people and handle an average of 317 million metric tons. Texas ports connect with the rest of the U.S. Atlantic seaboard with the Gulf section of the Intracoastal Waterway. The Port of Houston today is the busiest port in the United States in foreign tonnage, second in overall tonnage, and tenth worldwide in tonnage. The Houston Ship Channel currently spans wide by deep by long.

Railroads

Part of the state's tradition originates from cattle drives in which wranglers herded livestock to railroads in Kansas. The first railroad to operate in Texas was the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railway, opening in August 1853. The first railroad to enter Texas from the north, completed in 1872, was the . Since 1911, Texas has led the nation in railroad length. Texas railway length peaked in 1932 at , but declined to by 2000. While the Railroad Commission of Texas originally regulated state railroads, in 2005 the state reassigned these duties to TxDOT.

Both Dallas and Houston feature light rail systems. Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) built the first light rail system in the Southwest United States. The Trinity Railway Express (TRE) commuter rail service that links Fort Worth and Dallas is provided by the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (the T) and DART. In the Austin area Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority operates a commuter rail service known as Capital MetroRail to the northwestern suburbs. The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) operates light rail lines in the Houston area.

Amtrak provides Texas limited intercity passenger rail service both in size and frequency. Just three scheduled routes serve the state: the daily ''Texas Eagle'' ; the tri-weekly ''Sunset Limited'' , with stops in Texas; and the daily ''Heartland Flyer'' .

Sports

While American football has long been considered "king" in the state, Texans today enjoy a wide variety of sports.

Texans can cheer for a plethora of professional sports teams. Within the "Big Four" professional leagues, Texas has two NFL teams (the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans), two Major League Baseball teams (the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros), three NBA teams (the Houston Rockets, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Dallas Mavericks), and one National Hockey League team (the Dallas Stars). The Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex is one of only thirteen American metropolitan areas that hosts sports teams from all the "Big Four" professional leagues. Outside of the "Big Four" leagues, Texas also has one WNBA team (the San Antonio Silver Stars) and two Major League Soccer teams (the Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas).

Collegiate athletics have deep significance in Texas culture, especially football. The state has ten Division I-FBS schools, the most in the nation. Four of the state's universities, the Baylor Bears, Texas Longhorns, Texas A&M; Aggies, and Texas Tech Red Raiders, compete in the Big 12 Conference. Also, four of the state's schools, the Texas Longhorns, the Texas A&M; Aggies, the TCU Horned Frogs, and the SMU Mustangs claim at least one national championship in the sport.

According to a survey of Division I-A coaches the rivalry between the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas, the Red River Shootout, ranks the third best in the nation. A fierce rivalry, the Lone Star Showdown, also exists between the state's two largest universities, Texas A&M; University and the University of Texas.left|thumb|2006 Lone Star Showdown football game at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium The TCU Horned Frogs and SMU Mustangs also share a rivalry and compete annually in the Battle for the Iron Skillet.

The University Interscholastic League (UIL) organizes most primary and secondary school competitions. Events organized by UIL include contests in athletics (the most popular being high school football) as well as artistic and academic subjects.

Texans also enjoy the rodeo. The world's first rodeo was hosted in Pecos, Texas. The annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the largest rodeo in the world. It begins with trail rides that originate from several points throughout the state that convene at Reliant Park. The Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show in Fort Worth is the oldest continuously running rodeo incorporating many of the state's most historic traditions into its annual events. Dallas hosts the State Fair of Texas each year at Fair Park.

From 2012 Austin will play host to a round of the Formula 1 World Championship – the first at a permanent road circuit in the United States since the 1980 Grand Prix at Watkins Glen International

See also

Gulf of Mexico

List of National Register of Historic Places in Texas

List of people from Texas

U.S. state

Footnotes

References

originally published 2004 by New York: Free Press

External links

;State Government

The State of Texas

Texas State Databases – Annotated list of searchable databases produced by Texas state agencies and compiled by the ''Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association''.

Texas Politics. An online textbook from the College of Liberal Arts, The University of Texas.

;U.S. Government

Energy Profile for Texas- Economic, environmental, and energy data

USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Texas

Texas State Facts

South and West Texas, a National Park Service ''Discover Our Shared Heritage'' Travel Itinerary

;Other

The Texas State History Museum

The Handbook of Texas Online Published by the ''Texas State Historical Association''

''Texas Register'', hosted by the ''University of North Texas Libraries''

South and West Texas: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary

Texas Heritage Society

View historical photographs at the University of Houston Digital Library.

Category:States of the United States Category:Former Spanish colonies Category:States of the Confederate States of America Category:States and territories established in 1845 Category:States of the Southern United States

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name	4 for Texas
director	Robert Aldrich
producer	Robert Aldrich
writer	Teddi Sherman Robert Aldrich
starring	Frank Sinatra Dean Martin Anita Ekberg Ursula AndressCharles BronsonThe Three Stooges
music	Nelson Riddle
cinematography	Ernest Laszlo
editing	Michael Luciano
distributor	Warner Bros. Pictures
released	1963
runtime	114' 42"
country
language	English
budget	}}

''4 for Texas'' is a 1963 American western comedy starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Anita Ekberg, Ursula Andress, and featuring screen thugs Charles Bronson and Mike Mazurki, with a cameo appearance by the Three Stooges (Larry Fine, Moe Howard and Curly-Joe DeRita). The film was written by Teddi Sherman and Robert Aldrich, who also directed.

Plot

In 1870 Galveston, Texas, a shipment of $100,000 being transported by stagecoach is the object of a tug-of-war between Zack Thomas (Frank Sinatra) and Joe Jarrett (Dean Martin), who first must stave off an outlaw band led by Matson (Charles Bronson).

Thomas and Jarrett become rivals in a bid to open a waterfront casino. Each has a new romantic attachment as well, with the beauties Elya (Anita Ekberg) and Maxine (Ursula Andress), respectively. They eventually must join forces to hold off the villainous Matson and a corrupt banker, Burden (Victor Buono), to keep their new gambling boat afloat.

Cast

Frank Sinatra as Zack Thomas

Dean Martin as Joe Jarrett

Anita Ekberg as Elya Carlson

Ursula Andress as Maxine Richter

Charles Bronson as Matson

Victor Buono as Harvey Burden (President, Galveston Savings & Trust)

Edric Connor as Prince George (carriage driver)

Nick Dennis as Angel

Richard Jaeckel as Pete Mancini

Mike Mazurki as Chad (Zack's bodyguard)

Wesley Addy as Winthrop Trowbridge

Marjorie Bennett as Miss Emmaline

Virginia Christine as Elya Carlson's maid

Ellen Corby as Widow

Jack Elam as Dobie

Joe DeRita as Painting deliveryman (billed as The Three Stooges)

Larry Fine as Painting deliveryman (billed as The Three Stooges)

Moe Howard as Painting deliveryman (billed as The Three Stooges)

Production

''4 for Texas'' was filmed in 1.85:1 aspect ratio on 35-millimeter Technicolor film.

Release

The film had its U.S. premiere on December 18, 1963. Forty-three years after its original premiere, ''4 for Texas'' was presented at the Turin Film Festival on November 12, 2006.

Home media

Its first DVD release arrived on November 20, 2001 and the second release (as part of The Rat Pack collection of ''Ocean's 11'' and ''Robin and the 7 Hoods'') was on June 13, 2006.

Awards and nominations

It was nominated for the Golden Laurel as "Top Action Drama", ultimately coming in fourth.

References

External links

Category:English-language films Category:Films directed by Robert Aldrich Category:1963 films Category:American films Category:Warner Bros. films

ca:Quatre tipus de Texas de:Vier für Texas es:Cuatro tíos de Texas fr:Quatre du Texas it:I quattro del Texas pt:4 for Texas ru:Четверо из Техаса

name	Waylon Jennings |
background	solo_singer |
birth name	Waylon Arnold Jennings |
alias	Waymore, Hoss
born	June 15, 1937Littlefield, Texas, US ||
died	February 13, 2002 Chandler, Arizona, US ||
instrument	Vocals, guitar, bass, piano|
genre	Country, outlaw country, country rock|
occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician |
years active	1958 – 2002 |
label	RCA Victor, MCA, Epic |
associated acts	Jessi Colter Willie Nelson Highwaymen |
website	www.waylon.com |
notable instruments	Fender Telecaster }}

Waylon Arnold Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. He started out as a bassist for Buddy Holly following the break-up of The Crickets. Jennings escaped death in the February 3, 1959, plane crash that took the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, when he gave up his seat to Richardson who had been sick with the flu. Urban legend and Hollywood folklore have it that Jennings and The Big Bopper flipped a coin for the last seat on the plane, with Jennings losing. It was, in fact, Tommy Allsup who flipped the coin for the fated plane trip, losing his seat to Valens.

By the 1970s, Jennings had become associated with so-called "outlaws," an informal group of country musicians who worked outside of the Nashville corporate scene. Jennings was largely responsible for revolutionizing country music in the 1970s with his progressive sound. A series of duet albums with Willie Nelson in the late '70s culminated in the 1978 crossover hit, "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys." In 1979, he recorded the theme song for the hit television show ''The Dukes of Hazzard'', and also served as the narrator ("The Balladeer") for all seven seasons of the series.

He continued to be active in the recording industry, forming the group The Highwaymen with Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson. Jennings released his last solo studio album in 1998. In 2001, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Biography

Early life and career

Jennings was born in Littlefield, Texas, the seat of Lamb County, the son of Lorene Beatrice (née Shipley) and William Alvin Jennings. When Waylon was eight, his mother bought him his first guitar, a Harmony Patrician. She very patiently taught him how to play guitar, and Waylon formed his first band two years later. Waylon was kicked out of music class at school for lack of musical ability; he never learned to read music. During his time working as a DJ, he befriended Buddy Holly. The two were inspired by the music of the Mayfield Brothers of West Texas: Smokey Mayfield, Herbert Mayfield, and Edd Mayfield. When he was twenty-one, Jennings was tapped by Holly to play bass in Holly's new band on a tour through the Midwest in early 1959. Holly also hired guitarist Tommy Allsup and drummer Carl "Goose" Bunch for the "Winter Dance Party" tour.

During the early morning hours of February 3, 1959, the charter aircraft that carried Holly, Valens, and Richardson crashed outside Clear Lake, Iowa, killing all aboard. In his 1996 autobiography, Jennings admitted that, in the years afterward, he felt severe guilt and responsibility for the crash. After Jennings had given up his seat, Holly jokingly told Jennings, "I hope your ol' bus freezes up!" Jennings shot back facetiously, "Well, I hope your ol' plane crashes!" It was a statement that would haunt Jennings for the rest of his life.

Phoenix

After several years of inactivity, during which time he moved from Texas to Arizona and continued working in radio, Jennings began performing and recording again, this time in Phoenix, Arizona. He performed at a newly opened nightspot called JD's. He signed a contract with Herb Alpert's newly-formed A&M; Records, and he had a few hit singles on local radio in Phoenix, including "Four Strong Winds" (written by Ian Tyson) and "Just To Satisfy You" (co-written with Don Bowman). He also recorded an album on the BAT label, called simply JD's. 500 copies were pressed and sold at the nightclub and, after they sold out, another 500 copies were pressed by the Sounds label. He also played lead guitar for Patsy Montana on a record album that she recorded in Arizona in 1964. Duane Eddy and Bobby Bare recommended Jennings to producer Chet Atkins, who signed Waylon to RCA Victor. Bobby Bare did his own cover of "Four Strong Winds" after he heard Jenning's version. Still under contract to A&M;, Alpert released him which allowed him to sign with RCA Records. Jennings packed up and moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1965.

The Nashville sound

Jennings was accustomed to performing and recording with his own band, The Waymores; this was a practice that was not encouraged by Nashville producers who controlled nearly every aspect of recording. Over time, however, Jennings felt limited by the Nashville sound and the lack of artistic freedom that came with it, in the 1960s country music industry.

His second marriage was to Lynn Jones. He got married for a third time to Barbara Rood. He married for the fourth and final time to Jessi Colter in 1969. Colter (then known as Miriam Eddy) had been married to guitar legend Duane Eddy. With help of Jennings, Colter became a country singer in her own right for a brief period of time during the 1970s and was best known for her 1975 country-pop smash, "I'm Not Lisa".

Jennings had grown more frustrated with the Nashville recording scene and in 1972 a battle with hepatitis almost killed him. With his recording contract nearing an end, RCA had already lost another creative force that year: Jennings had met Willie Nelson, who had likewise felt frustrated by the lack of freedom in the studio and by the entire Nashville ethos, which led him to relocate his base to Texas, two years earlier. Jennings seriously considered leaving Nashville and returning to a broadcasting career in Phoenix that year.

Outlaw

Two things came along to turn Jennings's hard times around. The first was a business manager from New York City, named Neil Reshen, and the second was his old friend Willie Nelson. Reshen approached Jennings, who was still recovering from hepatitis, and offered to re-negotiate his recording and touring contracts. Jennings agreed and the contract re-negotiation began in earnest. At a 1972 meeting in a Nashville airport, Jennings introduced Reshen to Nelson. By the end of the meeting, Reshen was manager to both singers. By that time, Jennings was aware of the fact that rock bands had almost unprecedented creative freedom to record what they wanted to record, with or without a producer and even to design their album covers. He wanted similar freedom for himself—an unprecedented move in 1972 Nashville. Also in 1972, RCA issued ''Ladies Love Outlaws'', an album that Jennings never wanted released.

Reshen drove a hard bargain but RCA finally agreed to his terms: a $75,000 advance and near-complete artistic control. Re-negotiations of his touring contracts yielded similar positive results and he began turning a profit from his touring (almost unheard-of in Nashville at that time). Waylon finally had a rock star recording contract and he looked the part; Reshen had advised him to keep the beard that he had grown in the hospital, in order to cultivate a more rock and roll image.

By 1973, Nelson had returned to the music industry under the auspices of Atlantic Records, and was on his way to music superstardom.

Now based in Austin, Texas, Nelson had made inroads into the rock and roll press by attracting a diverse fan base that included the young rock music audience. Atlantic Records had signed Nelson when the time was right and they looked to sign Jennings as well. Nelson's rise to popularity made RCA nervous about losing another hot artist, which gave the leverage that Jennings needed in his contract re-negotiations.

He followed with ''Lonesome, On'ry and Mean'' and ''Honky Tonk Heroes'' in 1973, the first albums recorded and released under his own creative control. The albums were huge commercial and critical successes. More hit albums followed, with ''The Ramblin' Man'' and ''This Time'', in 1974, and ''Dreaming My Dreams'', in 1975. But it was the 1976 release of "Are You Ready for the Country?" that propelled him to superstar status. The pace of recording and performing was lucrative but grueling.

In 1976, Jennings began his career-defining collaborations with Nelson on the compilation album ''Wanted: The Outlaws!'', country's first platinum record. The following year, RCA issued ''Ol' Waylon'', an album that produced a huge hit country/pop duet single with Nelson, "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)." The album ''Waylon and Willie'' followed in 1978, producing their biggest hit single yet, another country/pop crossover smash, "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys." Jennings released ''I've Always Been Crazy'', also in 1978, followed by a "greatest hits" album the following year. A son was born to Waylon and Jessi in May 1979. Waylon Albright Jennings, better known as "Shooter," played the role of his father in ''Walk the Line'' in 2005.

Addiction and recovery

By the early 1980s, Jennings was completely addicted to cocaine. His personal finances had again unraveled and left him bankrupt, though he insisted on repaying every penny and did additional tours to satisfy the debt. His work became less focused and his tours had progressed into full rock and roll-type excesses. In a widely publicized case, he was arrested in 1977 for cocaine possession by federal agents, though due to almost comedic errors by the DEA, the charges were later dropped. The episode was recounted in Jennings' song "Don't You Think This Outlaw Bit's Done Got Outta Hand?"

Jennings decided that it was finally time to clean up, at least for a little while. He leased a home in the Phoenix Arizona area and spent a month detoxing himself, with the intent to start using cocaine again in a more controlled fashion afterward. By Jennings' own admission in interviews, his son, Shooter Jennings, was the main inspiration to stay off of cocaine permanently. In 1984, he went "cold turkey" to end his cocaine addiction for good, which he later memorialized in the song "Working Without A Net", from the album "Will The Wolf Survive" (1985).

His later life was plagued with health problems, including a heart attack, bypass surgery, and diabetes that developed after he beat his cocaine habit. Despite these problems, Jennings remained free from cocaine and continued recording and touring, throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and into the new millennium. Jennings performed his final concert in late fall of 2001. According to the sleeve notes on the album, "The Crickets and their Buddies," Jennings' final recording session was his contribution to that album, where he provided the lead vocal for the Buddy Holly classic "Well All Right."

Later years

Outside the music industry, Jennings was also known as the primary voice of the narrator/balladeer on the television series ''The Dukes of Hazzard'' and its predecessor, the 1975 film, ''Moonrunners.'' The theme song, "Good Ol' Boys", an original Jennings composition, is one of the most well-known television theme songs in American television history. He also made an appearance on ''Married... with Children'' and had a role in the 1985 film, ''Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird,'' as a truck driver. Jennings sang "Ain't No Road Too Long" in the movie with Big Bird and the other ''Sesame Street'' characters. Jennings was also a member of USA for Africa for the recording of "We Are the World" but, temperamental as ever, reportedly left the studio due to a dispute over the song's lyrics. In 1976, after Johnny's Cash's guitar player fell ill while on tour in Canada, Waylon flew up from Nashville, where he had a free week, and filled in. Afterwards, after several solos and duets, Jennings refused to take payment for it.

In the mid-1980s, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Nelson and Jennings formed a successful group called The Highwaymen. Aside from his work with The Highwaymen, highlights from his own career include ''WWII'' with Willie Nelson, in 1982, ''Will the Wolf Survive'' in 1985, ''The Eagle'' in 1990 and ''Too Dumb for New York City, Too Ugly for L.A.'' in 1992.

In 1993, in collaboration with Rincom Children's Entertainment, Jennings recorded an album of children's songs, "Cowboys, Sisters, Rascals and Dirt", which included "Shooter's Theme", a tribute to his own son (14 years old at the time), with the theme of "a friend of mine". During the early 1990s, Jennings became good friends with the members of the group Metallica. He had also become very close to Metallica frontman James Hetfield, and influenced some material for their 1996 album ''Load''. In 2003, James Hetfield was featured on the tribute album ''I've Always Been Crazy: A Tribute to Waylon Jennings'', and covered Jennings' "Don't You Think This Outlaw Bit's Done Got Out of Hand" In 1998, Jennings teamed up with Bobby Bare, Jerry Reed and Mel Tillis to form The Old Dogs. The group recorded a double album of songs penned entirely by Shel Silverstein. In July, 1998, the Old Dogs, Volumes 1 and 2 were released on the Atlantic Records label. A companion video, as well as a Greatest Hits album (composed of previously released material by each individual artist), were also available.

In mid 1999, Jennings assembled what he referred to as his "hand-picked dream team" - and formed Waylon & The Waymore Blues Band. Consisting primarily of former Waylors, the thirteen-member group performed a limited number of concerts at select venues, from 1999 to 2001. The highlight of this period was the January 2000 recording, at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium, of what would become Jennings' final album, Never Say Die: Live. An abbreviated album, composed of 14 tracks, was released in October 2000. A special edition box set, including all twenty-two tracks on two audio CDs, as well as a DVD with the complete concert and bonus features, was released on July 24, 2007 from Legacy Recordings. That concert showed Waylon Jennings still as a fighter and an outlaw. he performed with the same fire that had back in the 1970s even though he wasn't in good health.

In 2000, he provided the voice of Judge Thatcher in the animated adaptation of Tom Sawyer. In an episode of ''The Angry Beavers'' entitled ''The Legend of Kid Friendly'' that aired in April 1999, Jennings provided the voice for the narrator/singer.

Some time during 2001, Jennings provided his voice in an episode of ''Family Guy'' during a ''Dukes of Hazzard'' parody (which would end up being his last televised appearance). The episode was entitled "To Love and Die in Dixie". The episode originally aired in November of that year. He also narrated a watch fight in an earlier episode, "Chitty Chitty Death Bang".

In October 2001, Jennings was finally inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In one final act of defiance, he did not show up to accept the award and opted instead to send his son Buddy Dean Jennings in his place.

Death

Jennings suffered from worsening diabetes that had ended most of his touring. February 13, 2002, Jennings died in his sleep of diabetic complications in Chandler, Arizona. Jennings is buried in the Mesa City Cemetery, in Mesa, Arizona.

Posthumous honors

In the 2005 Johnny Cash biopic ''Walk the Line'', Jennings was portrayed by his son, Shooter, as a tribute to him, though the younger man's shoulder-length hair and beard made him look little like his father appeared at the time (circa 1966) when Cash and Jennings shared an apartment outside Nashville. Shooter also plays his father in a scene set several years previously; for this scene he did cut his hair and shave, heightening the resemblance to Waylon.

On March 22, 2006, Jennings' mother, Lorene Beatrice (née Shipley) Jennings, died in Littlefield, Texas at the age of 84.

On July 6, 2006, Jennings was inducted to Hollywood's Rock Wall in Hollywood, California, along with former bandmate Kris Kristofferson.

In 2006, Jennings received a tribute from John Schneider, Tom Wopat, and Catherine Bach (Bo, Luke, and Daisy Duke). Waylon composed Theme from "The Dukes of Hazzard" (Good Ol' Boys) and was also ''The Balladeer'', or narrator, on the show. Schneider, Wopat, and Bach reworked the theme song, added to it and re-recorded it. They also made a video for the song, which is on the seventh-season Dukes of Hazzard DVD set. The song ends with Daisy (Catherine Bach) saying, "We love you, Waylon," in the music outro. This project was done with the blessing of Waylon's widow, Jessi Colter.

On June 20, 2007, Jennings was posthumously awarded the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award by the Academy of Country Music. Son Shooter Jennings accepted the award on his father's behalf.

The Music Inside: A Collaboration Dedicated to Waylon Jennings, a three disc collection is being released showing just how much Waylon has influenced today's artists. It brought together artists like Hank Williams, Jr who was good friends with Waylon and Jamey Johnson who grew up listening to Waylon and Willie and the boys.

Personal life

Jennings was married four times, and had six children. He was first married to Maxine Caroll Lawrence in 1956 at age 18, with whom he had three children, they were later divorced. Jennings married for a second time on December 10, 1962 to Lynne Jones, they adopted a child Tomi Lynne. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1967. He was also married for a third time to Barbara Rood, which ended in divorce. He composed the song "This Time" about the trials and tribulations of his marriages and divorces. He married for the fourth and final time on October 26, 1969 to Jessi Colter, to whom he was married until his death in 2002. With Colter he had one son, Waylon Albright "Shooter" Jennings. Jennings' first three children were Terry, Julie,and Buddy Dean. He also had one step-daughter, Jennifer, from his marriage to Jessi Colter.

Discography

Awards

Country Music Association AwardsAcademy of Country Music

Year !! Award !! Organization
1970	Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal	[[Grammy Awards
1975	Country Music Association Awards>Male Vocalist of the Year
1976	Album of the Year w/ Jessi Colter, Willie Nelson & Tompall Glaser for "Wanted	The Outlaws"	Country Music Association
1976	Country Music Association Awards>Vocal Duo of the Year w/ Willie Nelson
1976	Country Music Association Awards>Single of the Year w/ Willie Nelson for "Good-Hearted Woman"
1979	Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal>Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal w/ Willie Nelson for "Mammas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys"
1985	Single of the Year w/ the other members of The Highwaymen for "Highwayman" || Academy of Country Music
2001	Country Music Hall of Fame induction
2003	CMT Greatest Men of Country Music, Rank #5 >
2006	Hollywood's RockWall induction
2007	Academy of Country Music>Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award
2007	Lifetime Achievement Award

See also

Outlaw country

Academy of Country Music

List of country musicians

Country Music Association

List of best-selling music artists

Inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame

References

Waylon Jennings was a regular at Window Rock Civic center capital of Navajo Nation.

External links

Official Website

Waylon Jennings : February 15, 2002 - Fresh Air from WHYY (RealAudio)

at the Country Music Hall of Fame

at Hollywood's RockWall

USA Today Obituary

Waylon Jennings' Gravesite

Discography at Luma Electronic

YouTube Video with Waylon Jennings' Music: "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys"

Further reading

Denisoff, R. Serge. ''Waylon: A Biography'' (1983). Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press. ISBN 0-87049-387-6.

Smith, John L. (compiled by) ''The Waylon Jennings Discography'' (1995). Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-29745-2.

Jennings, Waylon, and Kaye, Lenny. ''Waylon: An Autobiography'' (1996). Warner Books. ISBN 0-446-60512-3.

Flippo, Chet. (1998). "Waylon Jennings." In ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music''. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 263–4.

Category:1937 births Category:2002 deaths Category:American country guitarists Category:American country singers Category:American country singer-songwriters Category:American male singers Category:Country Music Hall of Fame inductees Category:Deaths from diabetes Category:Grammy Award winners Category:People from the Texas South Plains Category:People self-identifying as substance abusers Category:Musicians from Texas Category:RCA Victor artists Category:American amputees Category:The Highwaymen (country supergroup) members

cs:Waylon Jennings da:Waylon Jennings de:Waylon Jennings et:Waylon Jennings es:Waylon Jennings fr:Waylon Jennings hr:Waylon Jennings it:Waylon Jennings nl:Waylon Jennings no:Waylon Jennings pl:Waylon Jennings pt:Waylon Jennings ru:Дженнингс, Вэйлон simple:Waylon Jennings fi:Waylon Jennings sv:Waylon Jennings uk:Вейлон Дженнінгс

name	Guy Clark
background	solo_singer
birth name	Guy Clark
born	November 06, 1941Monahans, Texas, USA
instrument	Guitar, vocals
genre	Country
occupation	Musician, singer-songwriter, producer
years active	1970s–present
label	RCA, Warner, Sugar Hill, Elektra, Dualtone
website	www.guyclark.com}}

Guy Clark (born 6 November 1941) is an American Texas Country artist. In his career, he has released more than twenty albums, primarily on major labels. He has also written singles for other artists, including Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner and Rodney Crowell.

Biography

Clark was born in Monahans, Texas. His early musical influences were the Spanish music and songs he heard in West Texas.

Career

He is an accomplished luthier and often plays his own guitars. He achieved success as a songwriter with Jerry Jeff Walker’s recordings of "L.A. Freeway" and "Desperados Waiting For A Train". Artists such as Johnny Cash, David Allan Coe, Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner, Brad Paisley, Alan Jackson, Rodney Crowell and The Highwaymen have recorded Clark’s songs. Emmylou Harris has accompanied him on several recordings, particularly his own version of "Desperados Waiting For A Train" on his first album, ''Old No. 1'', released in 1975.

Clark has been a mentor to such other singers as Steve Earle and Rodney Crowell. He organized Earle's first job as a writer in Nashville. In the 1970s, the Clarks' home in Nashville was an open house for songwriters and musicians and it features in the video ''Heartworn Highways'', an evocation of the songwriter scene in Nashville at that time.

Numerous artists have charted with Clark-penned tunes. In 1982, Bobby Bare made it to the Country Top Twenty with Clark’s "New Cut Road". That same year, bluegrass leader Ricky Skaggs hit No. 1 with Clark’s "Heartbroke", a song that permanently established his reputation as an ingenious songwriter. Among the many others who have covered Clark's songs are Vince Gill, who took "Oklahoma Borderline" to the Top Ten in 1985; The Highwaymen, who introduced "Desperados Waiting For A Train" to a new generation that same year; and John Conlee, whose interpretation of “The Carpenter” rode into the Top Ten in 1987.

Steve Wariner took his cover of Clark's "Baby I’m Yours" to #1 in 1988; Asleep at the Wheel charted with Clark's "Blowin’ Like a Bandit" the same year. Crowell was Clark’s co-writer on "She’s Crazy for Leavin’", which in 1989 became the third of five straight #l hits for Crowell. Brad Paisley and Alan Jackson cover Clark’s "Out in the Parkin' Lot" on Paisley's ''Time Well Wasted'' CD. Jimmy Buffett has covered Clark’s "Boats to Build" and "Cinco de Mayo in Memphis". Clark credits Townes Van Zandt as being a major influence on his songwriting. They were best friends for many years until Van Zandt's death in 1997, and since then Clark has included one of Van Zandt's compositions on most of his albums. In 1995, he recorded a live album with Van Zandt and Steve Earle, ''Together at the Bluebird Cafe'', which was released in October 2001. Other live material can be found on his album ''Keepers''.

In 2006 Clark released ''Workbench Songs''. The album was nominated for "Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album" at the Grammy Awards. He also toured with Lyle Lovett, Joe Ely, and John Hiatt in 2007.

In May 2008, Clark canceled four concerts after breaking his leg. After two months on crutches, he began to perform again on July 4 at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, DC where he appeared with Verlon Thompson. On June 20, 2009, Clark announced a new album entitled "Somedays the Song Writes You" which was released on September 22, 2009. It features originals along with a Townes Van Zandt song entitled "If I Needed You".

Family

Clark is married to songwriter and artist Susanna Clark.

Discography

Albums

Year	Album	Peak chart positions					Label
		! width="45"	! width="45"	! width="45"	! width="45"	! width="45"
1975	''Old No. 1''
1976	''Texas Cookin'''
1978
1981	''The South Coast of Texas''
1982	''Best of Guy Clark''
''Guy Clark – Greatest Hits''						RCA
1988							Sugar Hill
1992	''Boats to Build''
	''Dublin Blues''
						Rounder/Philo
							Sugar Hill
''The Essential Guy Clark''						RCA
1999	''Cold Dog Soup''						Sugar Hill
2001	''Together at the Bluebird Cafe''(with Townes Van Zandt and Steve Earle)						American Originals
2002							Sugar Hill
2006	''Workbench Songs''						Dualtone
							Sugar Hill
						New West
''Hindsight 21-20: Anthology 1975-1995''						Raven
2008							Warner
2009	''Somedays the Song Writes You''
2011	''Songs and Stories''

Singles

! Year	! Single	Hot Country Songs>US Country	! Album
1979	"Fools for Each Other"		''Guy Clark''
1981	"The Partner Nobody Chose"		''The South Coast of Texas''
1983	"Homegrown Tomatoes"		''Better Days''

Filmography

''Heartworn Highways'' Documentary, Snapper/Catfish, 1981/2003, with Townes Van Zandt, David Allan Coe, and Steve Earle

References

External links

Guy Clark

http://countrymusicpride.com/guy-clark-%E2%80%9Csomeday-the-song-writes-you%E2%80%9D-review/ Guy Clark's “Someday The Song Writes You” review at CountryMusicPride.com

Slipcue.Com profile

Feature story and reviews of Guy Clark at Country Standard Time

Category:1941 births Category:American country singers Category:American male singers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:Musicians from Texas Category:Living people Category:People from Monahans, Texas Category:Texas country musicians

de:Guy Clark es:Guy Clark fr:Guy Clark no:Guy Clark pt:Guy Clark fi:Guy Clark sv:Guy Clark

name	Baby Bash
background	solo_singer
birth name	Ronnie Ray Bryant
born	Vallejo, California
origin	Houston, Texas, United States
instrument	Vocals
genre	Latino, Hip Hop, Pop Rap, R&B;
occupation	Singer, Songwriter, Actor, Performer
Years active	1996-present (singing) 2002-present (acting)
label	Dope House, Universal, RCA, J, Arista, Bashtown Music Group
associated acts	Frankie J, South Park Mexican, Akon, Lucky Luciano, T-Pain
website	}}

Ronnie Rey Bryant (born 1975), better known by his stage name Baby Bash (formerly Baby Beesh), is a Mexican-American rapper. From 1995 to 1998, he performed under the stage name ''Baby Beesh'', as part of the Vallejo, California group Potna Duece, after which he changed the last part of the name to ''Bash''. His first album was "On Tha Cool", with one of his greatest hits, "Vamanos"... His next album "The Smokin' Nephew" which included the singles "Suga Suga" and "Shorty Doowop". In 2005, ''Super Saucy'' was released, its lead single being "Baby I'm Back", a collaboration with singer Akon. ''Cyclone'' followed in 2007, with its title single featuring T-Pain and its follow-up, "What Is It" featuring Sean Kingston, landing on the ''Billboard'' charts as well.

He has frequently contributed to other performers' works, including a spot in the song "Obsession (No Es Amor)" by 3rd Wish released in Europe and later a U.S release with a copy / re- recording of the European version, performed by Frankie J in 2005 and "Doing Too Much" by Paula DeAnda in 2006.

Early life

Ronnie Rey Bryant was born to a Mexican American mother and English American father; Bryant's father became a heroin and crack cocaine addict. Bryant was raised by his grandmother, and Bryant's uncles exposed him to many different types of musical genres. Initially, Bryant wanted to be a professional basketball player. He planned to play basketball for the junior college he attended in California during the mid-'90s. After tearing his ankle several times and not having it repaired with surgery, he permanently ended the possibility of ever playing basketball at even a semi-professional level.

Career

Baby Bash's career began as part of the group Potna Duece in Vallejo, California. He went to Houston in 2000, where he met fellow rapper South Park Mexican. Prior to his success as a solo artist he, under the name "Baby Beesh", was part of rap groups Potna Deuce and Latino Velvet. Bash's debut album entitled ''Savage Dreams'' was released on the independent label Dope House Records in 2001. The acclaim he received soon caught the attention of Universal Records, who signed him later that year. In 2003, Baby Bash released his first album on a major label, ''Tha Smokin' Nephew'', and ''Super Saucy'' in 2005. He recently was featured in Paula DeAnda's first single "Doin' Too Much" from her debut album ''Paula DeAnda''. He has collaborated with numerous other artists during his career, such as West Coast rappers B-Legit, C-Bo, Coolio- Da'unda'dogg, E-40 and Mac Dre, R&B; singers like Akon, Avant, Natalie, Mario, and Nate Dogg, and other Latino rappers such as Fat Joe, Nino Brown, Doll-E Girl, Frost, and Pitbull. He continues to write lyrics for singers such as Paula DeAnda, Whitney Houston, Jennifer Hudson and Frankie J.

His third studio album, ''Cyclone'' (initially titled ''Ronnie Rey All Day''), was released in late October 2007. So far, Baby Bash has released three singles off the album: "Mamacita" featuring Marcos Hernandez, "Na Na (The Yummy Song)", and "Cyclone" featuring Mickaël & T-Pain. The month of the album release, Baby Bash became Myspace's #1 Latin artist, and the single Cyclone had over 750,000 digital and ringtone sales prior to the album's release.

Baby Bash completed a film entitled ''Primos'' starring Chingo Bling and Danny Trejo. The comedy involves three cousins working in a bakery with dreams of making money, and is slated for a 2010 release. His major-label debut ''Tha Smokin' Nephew'' was well-received by Allmusic, but his 2007 album ''Cyclone'' was given mixed reviews, for example being panned by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine.

In December 2010, Baby Bash was offered a job as on-air personality for Wild 94.9, a Rhythmic Contemporary commercial radio station in San Francisco, California. In the same month, it was announced that Bash was endorsing a new energy drink for women named after his 2011 album's single, "Go Girl." Part of the sales proceeds from the energy drink will be donated to various charities for breast cancer and ovarian cancer research for women. His latest album ''Bashtown'' was released on March 22, 2011, and features guest appearances by Lloyd and E-40.

Discography

2001: ''Savage Dreams''

2002: ''On tha Cool''

2003: ''Tha Smokin' Nephew''

2004: ''Menage a Trois''

2005: ''Super Saucy''

2007: ''Cyclone''

2011: ''Bashtown

2012: ''Weedsmoke

References

External links

Category:1975 births Category:Date of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:American musicians of English descent Category:American rappers of Mexican descent Category:Electro-hop musicians Category:Hip hop singers Category:People from Vallejo, California Category:Rappers from Houston, Texas Category:Rappers from the San Francisco Bay Area Category:RCA Records artists Category:Universal Records artists Category:Hispanic and Latino American rappers Category:Hispanic and Latino American people

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