The Lone Star State

About the State
Texas, The Lone Star State, is a unique state. Texas is the second largest state in the United States. Texas became its own nation in 1836 when it won its independence from Mexico. Texas was annexed by the United States in 1845. Texas was a part of the Confederate States of America. Texas has been a part of six countries

Landscape
The Lone Star State has a very unique landscape. Texas has mountains, caves (Natural Bridge Caverns), an ocean (the Gulf of Mexico), pine forests, desert regions, prairie regions, plains, and some forests. There are many farmers in the rural areas of Texas. You can drive from one end of the state to the other and see a completely different landscape.

Climate
The Lone Star State has many different climates. The southern regions of Texas have very mild winters where snow is rarely seen. The southern regions of Texas have a very hot summer. Temperatures will be in the 100s almost daily. The northern regions of Texas have much colder winters where they may see snow on a much regular basis. The northern regions also have milder summers. Rainfall also varies in Texas. Some regions such as the Houston area receives much more rain than some regions such as the El Paso area.

State Flower, Bird, and Tree
The Texas state flower is the Bluebonnet. The Bluebonnet is a wild flower that grows in the spring time. It can be found on the roadside and in large fields in Texas. The bluebonnet became the Texas State Flower in 1901. The state bird is the mocking bird. The mockingbird imitates the bird calls of up to thirty other bird species. The mockingbird became the state bird in 1927. The state tree is the Pecan tree. The Pecan tree is an orchard tree, which attracts many squirrels. The pecan tree became the state tree in 1919.