The Government

Capital: Austin

Government: Bicameral legislature

28th State to enter the Union: Dec. 29, 1845

Present Constitution adopted: 1876

State motto: Friendship

Origin of name: Texas, or Tejas, was the Spanish pronunciation of a Caddo Indian word meaning "friends" or "allies."

Nickname: Texas is called the Lone Star State because of the design of the state flag: a broad vertical blue stripe at left centered by a single white star, and at right, horizontal bars of white (top) and red.

The People

Population 2010 (U.S Census) 25,145,561
Population 2000 (U.S. Census) 20,851,820
Population 1990 (U.S. Census) 16,986,510
Population increase 2000–2010 20.6%
Population density (2010): 96.3 per square mile
Voting-age population (2010): 18,789,238

Cities and Counties

Number of counties: 254
Number of incorporated cities: 1,215
Number of cities of 100,000 population or more: 29
Number of cities of 50,000 population or more: 63
Number of cities of 10,000 population or more: 246