Texas

Texas is a state in the South Central region of the United States. It is the second-largest US state both by area and population. It shares borders with Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the west, and the states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas to the south. It also has a coastline with the Gulf of Mexico.  

Texas is known as the Lone Star State. Its name comes from the Caddo word “taysha”, which means friend. Texas is called the Lone Star State because it was once an independent republic that struggled for independence against Mexico.  

Six nations ruled over Texas over the years. It was first colonized by the Spanish and the French. Mexico governed over Texas until 1836 when it became the Republic of Texas. Nine years later, Texas joined the union as the 28th state. The annexation of Texas led to the Mexican-American War in 1846. Texas remained a slave state until the American Civil War when it joined the Confederate States of America.  

Texas uses the US dollar as its currency. However, when it was an independent republic, its government issued its own currency through the Treasury Department.