Texas

Capital: Austin

Population: 20,851,820

Entered the Union: Dec. 29, 1845

As the: 28th state

Motto: Friendship

Nickname: Lone Star State

Origin of Name: From a Native American word meaning friends

Top 3 Industries: Trade, Real Estate, and Oil and Gas

Historical Sites: The Alamo in San Antonio

Points of Interest: Gulf Coast resort area, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, State capital in Austin, and the Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks.