STATE OF TEXAS

AREA OF TEXAS

Texas occupies about 7 percent of the total water and land area of the United States. Second in size among the states, Texas, according to the 1994 Statistical Abstract of the United States, has a land and water area of 267,277 square miles as compared with Alaska's 615,230 square miles.

The state's area consists of 261,914 square miles of land and 5,363 square miles of water.

TEXAS' HIGHS AND LOWS

The highest point in the state is Guadalupe Peak at 8,749 feet above sea level. Its twin, El Capitain, stands at 8,085 feet and is also located in Culberson County near the New Mexico state line.

Fort Davis in Jeff Davis County is the highest town of any size in Texas at 5,050 feet.

Sea level is the lowest elevation determined in Texas, and it can be found in all the coastal counties.

Texas was admitted to the Union as the 28th state on December 29, 1845.

State Capitol:-----AUSTIN Capitol building is constructed of Texas red granite and was completed in 1888. It is the largest state building in the United States.

THE PEOPLE

POPUPATION: ---18,378,185 (July, 1994 U.S.Bureau of Census estimate) TEN LARGEST CITIES: Houston (Harris Co.)...............1,700,672
Dallas (Dallas Co.)................1,036,309
San Antonio (Bexar Co.)..............991,861
El Paso (El Paso Co.)................554,496
Austin (Travis Co.)..................501,637
Fort Worth (Tarrant Co.).............459,085
Arlington (Tarrant Co.)..............277,939
Corpus Christi (Nueces Co.)..........266,958
Lubbock (Lubbock Co.)................193,194
Garland (Dallas Co.).................187,439

NUMBER OF COUNTIES:......................254
NUMBER OF INCORPORATED CITIES:..........1,178

THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

FORESTED AREA:.................22,032 million acres
STATE FORESTS:.....................5 (7,609 acres)
NATIONAL FORESTS:.................4 (637,134 acres)

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TEXAS