Climbing Guadalupe Peak, Texas |
 In view of the state’s nickname, the Lone Star State, the Texas flag is easily recognisable. Texas is unique among the fifty states of the USA: it was an independent republic (for almost ten years) prior to joining the union. When Texas became the 28th state of the USA in 1845, it was a slave state and – not surprisingly, therefore – joined the Confederacy in 1861. In terms of both area and population, Texas is now the second largest state in the USA. |