Texas: The Lone Star State
Capital City: Austin
Location: 30.30588 N, 097.75052 W
Bird: 
Ask any Texan, and you will no doubt learn that the mockingbird has the prettiest song of
any bird native to North America. That's perhaps the chief reason the "mocker"
was adopted as the state bird of Texas in 1927.
The song of the mockingbird is, in fact, a medley of the calls of many other birds. Each imitation is repeated two or three times, then another song is started, all in rapid succession. In the above sample audio file, the songs of four distinct species were recorded in the span of about seven seconds. It is common for an individual bird to have as many as 25-30 songs in its repertory. Click here to hear the bird. Mockingbird
The mockingbird is also known as a fierce protector of its nest and environment. It is sometimes seen swooping down on a dog, cat or predator that may be venturing too close to the bird's protected territory.
The mimus polyglottos, as the mockingbird is known scientifically, is about ten inches in length, including its relatively long tail. It has a light gray coat and a whitish underside. Its wings and tail are darker gray with white patches.
Border States: Arkansas - Louisiana - New Mexico - Oklahoma
Coastline: 367 mi.
Constitution: 28th State
Economy:
Agriculture: Cattle, cotton, dairy products, nursery stock, poultry, sorghum, corn, wheat.
Industry: Chemical products, petroleum and natural gas, food processing, electric
equipment, machinery, mining, tourism.
Flag: 
Today's Lone Star Flag was first adopted on January 24, 1839 as the national flag of the
Republic of Texas.
The flag was later adopted as the state flag when Texas became the 28th state in 1845. As with the flag of the United States, the blue stands for loyalty, the white represents strength, and the red is for bravery.
The official description of the Texas flag, which specifies the exact proportions of each of its elements, was only recently adopted by the state legislature. Accordingly,
"The state flag consists of a rectangle with a width to length ratio of two to three containing: (1) a blue verticle stripe one-third the entire length of the flag wide, and two equal horizontal stripes, the upper stripe white, the lower red, each two-thirds the entire length of the flag long; and (2) a white, regular five-pointed star in the center of the blue stripe, oriented so that one point faces upward, and of such a size that the diameter of a circle passing through the five points of the star is equal to three-fourths the width of the blue stripe."
Flower: 
Named for its color and, it is said, the resemblance of its petal to a woman's sunbonnet,
the bluebonnet is the state flower of Texas. It blooms in the early spring and can be
readily found in fields and along the roadsides throughout central and south Texas.
Scientifically named Lupinus texensis, the bluebonnet is also called buffalo clover, wolf flower, and (by the Mexicans) el conejo. It was adopted as the official state flower by the Texas Legislature in 1901.
Geology:
Land Area; 262,015 sq.mi.; 2nd
Highest Point: Guadalupe Peak; 8,749 feet
Inland water: 4,790 sq.mi.
Largest City: Houston
Lowest Point: Gulf coast; sea level
Motto: Friendship
Nickname: Lone Star State
Origin of state's name: Based on a word used by Caddo Indians meaning "friends"
Population: 19,439,337; 2nd - 7-97
Presidental Birthplace:
Dwight David Eisenhower 1953-1961
Lyndon Baines Johnson, 1963-1969
Seal:
Today, the seal of the state of Texas has developed into a uniform design with both a
front (obverse) and a reverse side. By law, the seal is required to authenticate official
documents of the state. The origins of the seal go back to the early days of the republic.
The Obverse:
The Convention of 1836 convened on March 2 at Washington on the Brazos and declared
independence from Mexico. Ten days later, the convention adopted a resolution providing
for "a single star of five points" as the "peculiar emblem" of the
Republic. At least when used on official documents, the seal was to be either gold or
silver in color.
Later that same year, the newly formed government of the republic passed a bill which refined somewhat the original description of the seal. Thus, it declared, "for the future, the national seal of this republic shall consist of a single star, with the letters 'Republic of Texas,' circular on said seal, which seal shall also be circular." Ad interim President David Burnet first proposed this description, and Sam Houston, who replaced Burnet as president, approved the design on December 10, 1836.
The Third Congress of the Republic of Texas modified the seal in 1839, adding a live oak branch (to represent strength) and an olive branch (to represent peace). The resulting design, basically, is the one used today. When Texas joined the United States in 1845, the design of the seal was retained, with the change only of the word "Republic" to "State".
Over the next century and a half, the various departments of the state government evolved more than a dozen different renderings of the basic seal design. To ensure more uniform usage, an official implementation of the seal (as shown above left) was adopted by the Secretary of State in 1992.
The Reverse: 
The reverse of the Texas state seal (above right) developed much later than the obverse.
It was adopted in 1961, based on a design proposed by the Daughters of the Republic of
Texas. It consists of a shield surrounded by the six national flags that have flown over
Texas. Atop the shield is the familiar lone star from which Texas derived its nickname. A
narrow banner across the upper part of the seal displays the words "Remember the
Alamo". A similar banner at the bottom reads "Texas One and Indivisible".
The reverse of the seal is used only as a decorative symbol. Unlike the obverse seal, the reverse does not carry with it any legal use or significance.
Song:
"Texas, Our Texas," the official state song of Texas, was adopted by the
Legislature in 1929 after being selected in a state-wide competition.
It was composed by William J. Marsh of Fort Worth.
The lyrics were written by Marsh and Gladys Yoakum Wright.
The song is comprised of three verses and a chorus, as follows:
"Texas, Our Texas"
Texas, Our Texas! all hail the mighty State!
Texas, Our Texas! so wonderful so great!
Boldest and grandest, withstanding ev'ry test
O Empire wide and glorious, you stand supremely blest.
(chorus)
Texas, O Texas! your freeborn single star,
Sends out its radiance to nations near and far,
Emblem of Freedom! it set our hearts aglow,
With thoughts of San Jacinto and glorious Alamo.
(chorus)
Texas, dear Texas! from tyrant grip now free,
Shines forth in splendor, your star of destiny!
Mother of heroes, we come your children true,
Proclaiming our allegiance, our faith, our love for you.
Chorus
God bless you Texas! And keep you brave and strong,
That you may grow in power and worth, throughout the ages long.
God bless you Texas! And keep you brave and strong,
That you may grow in power and worth, throughout the ages long.
Statehood: December 29, 1845
Tree: 
The pecan is a large tree native to North America. It bears sweet edible nuts, deep brown
in color, that range from 1 to 2 inches in length.
The mature pecan tree is usually 70 to 100 feet tall, as shown above, but can grow as tall as 150 feet and higher. The native pecan trees shown are estimated to be over 150 years old. Their trunks are more than three feet in diameter.
Texas is the largest producer of native pecans, and is second only to Georgia in the production of hybrid (orchard grown) varieties. The pecan became the Texas state tree by act of the Texas Legislature in 1919. Governor James Hogg favored the tree so much that he requested that one be planted at his gravesite.
The Monarch Butterfly became the Texas state insect by a 1995 resolution of the state legislature. The resolution was introduced by Representative Arlene Wohlgemuth on behalf of students in her district.
The Monarch is unique among butterflies in that it is the only species of butterfly that does not hibernate, but migrates in changing seasons. It undergoes four changes in form (metamorphoses) during its lifetime:
This entire process takes about a month. There are usually three to four generations of monarchs produced each year.
Topaz is the Texas state gemstone as well as the birthstone for the month of November. It occurs naturally in many colors including blue, orange, brown, green, pink, beige and red. Colorless topaz, a common variation, can be treated by irradiation to produce a wide range of shades of blue. Thus treated, blue topaz is one of the most popular and widely used of all gemstones.
Blue topaz was adopted as the state gemstone as the result of legislation approved March 26, 1969. The same legislation also named petrified palmwood as the state stone.
The above blue topaz sample, which illustrates the popular "Lone Star" cut, was provided by C. Kirk Root Designs of Austin. It is displayed about ten times actual size.
TEXAS |
Capital City: Austin
Location: 30.30588 N,
097.75052 W
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