~ There have been six separate national flags to fly over the state of Texas over the last 500 years. Texas was governed by Spain, France, Mexico, The Confederate States, The Republic of Texas, and of course, the United States of America. This fact is where the Six Flags theme parks got their name, being that the first of the chain was located in Texas.

~ Texas has more inland water than any other state in the continental US. Of these more than 6700 reservoirs, there is only one natural lake in the entire state of Texas. Caddo Lake, which is located on the Louisiana border, is the only water source that is considered a natural lake. All other ?lakes? within Texas? borders are either manmade or simply a part of a river.

~ Texas became part of the United States as a part of the treaty that ended the Mexican-American war in 1848. Texas gained its independence from Mexico in 1836, however the US Congress denied its annexation in 1844 because of the threat of war with Mexico. It was only after the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that the annexation of Texas was resolved between the two countries.

~ There have been 7 cities that served as the capital of Texas, though some only briefly. From 1836 through 1839, Columbia, Galveston, Velasco, Washington-on-the-Brazos, Harrisburg, and Houston all served as capital for a short amount of time. In 1839, Austin was named the new capital of the state and it remains there today.

~ Texas has more professional sports teams than any other US state, including: 2 National Football League teams, 2 Major League Baseball teams, 3 National Basketball Association teams, a Major League soccer team. an American Football League team, a Women's National Basketball Association team and a National Hockey League team.

~ The largest city in Texas is Houston, with just under 2 million residents as of the 2000 census. There are several towns that make the claim of being the smallest in Texas, with a total of 26 incorporated towns and census-designated places claiming a population of less than 100 residents.

~ The state capital building in Austin was constructed in 1888 from Sunset Red granite, on a foundation of limestone. It stands 15 feet taller than the Capitol building in Washington, DC and has more square footage than any other state capital building in the United States.

Texas is an amazing state, filled with many amazing facts and trivia. By taking the time to learn about the history of the great state of Texas, you can become a font of fascinating information. Texas truly is one of the biggest wonders of the United States