SHOOTING STAR TATTOO DESIGNS AND THE ORIGINS OF TEXAS
Spanish explorers were the first non-natives to occupy the region now known as Texas in the 16th and 17th centuries. They settled at Ysleta near El Paso in 1682. White Americans began to settle along the Brazos River in 1821 when Texas was controlled by Mexico. Beginning in 1836, the region existed as the Independent Republic of Texas. Texas, whose name means "those who are friends," officially became the 28th state admitted to the union on December 29, 1845. The resulting border disputes led to the Mexican War of 1846–1848. So much for friendship. The present state constitution of Texas was adopted in 1876. Texas is bordered by Oklahoma on the north, Louisiana and Arkansas on the east, Mexico on the south, and New Mexico to the west. Three rivers, the Rio Grande, the Red River and the Sabine River, provide natural state borders. Texas has four major physical regions: the Gulf Coastal Plains, the Interior Lowlands, the Great Plains, and The Basin/Range Province. The ten largest cities in Texas (in population size) are Dallas, Houston, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, McAllen, Corpus Christie, Brownsville and Killeen. For maps of Texas, shooting stars and other cool stuff, click on any of the links at the bottom of this page.
MAP OF TEXAS (1)
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