Some Interesting Facts About Texas

Texas holds a unique place within the history and culture of America. It's big, it's bold, and it's full of interesting facts and stories. In this article, we have compiled some facts about Texas that might interest you.

Interesting Facts

1. Texas is also known as the Lone Star State, which is a reference to the single star on the Texas state flag.
2. Texas became part of the United States on December 29, 1845. It was the 28th state to enter the union.
3. The state of Texas has the second-largest population in the U.S., with more than 23 million people (2006 census). The state is also the second-largest in terms of geography, with nearly 270,000 square miles of space.
4. In terms of population, the largest cities in Texas include Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Forth Worth and El Paso.
5. Austin is the capital of Texas. Austin is home to the University of Texas (UT) and is also known as the "Live Music Capital of the United State."
6. Texas used to be part of Mexico. American settlers began moving into the area in the 1800s, and the U.S. eventually fought a war for rights to the land (the Mexican-American War, 1846 - 1848).
7. While there are still plenty of working ranches in Texas, the King Ranch near Corpus Christi is by far the largest and most famous. In terms of square mileage, the King Ranch is larger Rhode Island and spreads over six counties.
8. Central Texas is often called the "Silicon Valley of the south" because of all the tech companies located there (particular in the Austin area). Tech companies with headquarters in Austin include Dell Computers, National Instruments, Motive and many more.
9. Many Texans are proud of the fact that capitol building in Austin, Texas is taller than the U.S. capitol building in Washington, D.C.
10. Sam Houston played a major role in the history of Texas, and many Texans consider him one of their most beloved "native sons." The interesting fact is that Sam Houston was born in a small Virginia town (Timber Ridge) and later lived in Tennessee. He didn't move to Texas until he was an adult.
11. It's a fact that Texas had the first sports stadium with a dome (in Houston). It was first opened in 1965 and is still used today, though it has undergone renovations. It now has a retractable roof.
12. The deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history occurred in Texas. A massive hurricane hit the coastal city of Galveston in 1900, flooding the city and killing more than 8,000 people.
13. An interesting nature fact — more bat species live in Texas than in any other U.S. state. Austin, the state's capital, has one of the largest urban colonies of bats (about 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats live under the Congress Avenue bridge downtown).
14. Texas produces more oil than any other state, more than a million barrels per day. The downside is that the state produces more carbon emissions than most countries. It's true what they say: Everything's bigger in Texas!
15. It's a fact that Texas produces more wool than any other state in America. Lots of sheep!
16. The last battle of the American Civil War took place in Texas (Palmito Ranch near Brownsville) — more than a month after General Lee surrendered to General Grant in Virginia!
17. Celebrities from the state include Dennis Quaid, Patrick Swayze, Renee Zellweger, Norah Jones and Lance Armstrong.
18. A "whirlwind" of tornado facts about Texas — the state has more tornadoes than any other state in the U.S. (more than 100 per year on average). The deadliest was an F5 tornado in Waco in 1953; it killed 114 people.
19. Several flags have flown over Texas throughout history, depending on who claimed it at the time. In chronological order, those flags belonged to Spain, France, Spain again, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the United States, the Confederate States of America (during the American Civil War), and — ultimately — the U.S. flag once again.
20. Many people think of Texas as a dry and dusty state. Some of it is. But there are also nearly 5,000 square miles of inland waterways in the state (lakes, rivers, etc.). That's more than Florida and Minnesota (the "Land of Lakes").
21. The oak tree is one of the most common trees in Texas. There are more than 50 varieties (species and subspecies) of oak trees in the state.

I hope you have enjoyed these interesting facts about Texas and that you get a chance to visit the same some day. If you already live in Texas, then these interesting facts are sure to give you a greater appreciation of your state.

The Dragonfly - Interesting Facts About Dragonflies

You see them in your yard, in the woods, and in fields. They come in a variety of beautiful colors. But what do you really know about the dragonflies that share our world? After reading this compilation of interesting dragonfly facts ... you'll know a lot.

21 Interesting Facts

1. Despite their name, dragonflies are not related to common flies. In fact, they are part of an entirely different order of insects. Dragonflies are part of the Odonata order, which also includes damselflies.
2. Worldwide, the Odonata order of insects (dragonflies and damselflies) includes more than 5,000 individual species. They exist in many countries around the world. Within the United States, there are about 400 species of Odonata.
3. You often see dragonflies near bodies of water (ponds, lakes and slow-moving streams) because they lay their eggs on or near the water.
4. Dragonfly young (nymphs) have a special appendage on their head that they use as a spear to catch small fish. They are predatory insects from birth.
5. Dragonflies are not born with wings. They are born in a larvae state and eventually go through a partial metamorphosis process, during which they grow their wings.
6. Dragonflies spend most of their lives in the larva stage (up to three years, depending on the species). The adult, winged stage only lasts a few weeks. Mating is the primary reason for their winged stage. So when you see a winged dragonfly, you know it's toward the end of its lifespan. Sad but true.
7. Male dragonflies can be very territorial, staking claim to a particular area alongside a pond or stream. When you see two adults chasing each other through the air, it is often one male chasing another from its territory.
8. When you see two dragonflies flying through the air attached to one another, it is almost always a male and female mating.
9. Dragonflies will sometimes travel in swarms, which may be related to weather changes such as the passage of cold fronts.
10. Dragonflies prey on other creatures through their entire life cycle. As larva in bodies of water, they prey on other small creatures (mosquito larva, tiny fish, etc.). As adults, they eat other flying insects.
11. Dragonflies can be useful in controlling mosquito populations. Mosquitoes are one of their primary food sources!
12. Dragonflies are ancient insects. They have existed on Planet Earth for approximately 300 million years. Today, they look very much like they did in "dinosaur times," though they have gradually gotten smaller since then.
13. The largest dragonfly fossil (one of the earliest) had a wingspan of nearly three feet. That makes it the largest flying insect in known history.
14. Dragonflies have two pairs of wings. The wings are mostly transparent and move very fast, so it often appears that they have more than two pairs.
15. The front wings of the dragonfly are slightly longer than the rear wings. This helps with both speed and maneuverability.
16. Though many people fear them, dragonflies cause no harm to humans whatsoever. They are often curious toward humans and will fly around you for that reason, but they do not sting or bite.
17. Though dragonflies are essentially harmless to humans, there were many spooky legends about them in the past (some of which still remain). For example, people used to believe that sleeping outside put you at risk of having your eyes sewn shut by the dragonfly or "darning needle."
18. One of the most distinguishing features of dragonflies are their eyes. They have large, compound eyes with many facets or sides.
19. Because of their large, multifaceted eyes, the adult dragonfly can see nearly 360 degrees around it at all times.
20. Though you can't see them all with the naked eye, the compound eyes of the dragonfly can contain thousands of tiny lenses.
21. As far as insects go, dragonflies are among the fastest. Some of the faster species can fly upward of 30 miles per hour. Their four wings also allow them to move sideways, backward, to hover in place, etc. And they can do all of these movements quickly and accurately, which makes them well suited to eat other insects right out of the air.

The goal of this fact sheet is to help you enjoy the beauty of dragonflies when you encounter them in the wild (and in not-so-wild places like your own backyard). I hope these interesting facts have given you a newfound appreciation of the dragonfly.

The Dragonfly Life Cycle

A dragonfly has a life span of more than a year, but very little of that life is actually as an adult dragonfly. There are three stages of the dragonfly life cycle, the egg, the nymph, and the adult dragonfly. Most of the life cycle of a dragonfly is lived out in the nymph stage and you don’t see them at all, unless you are swimming underwater in a lake or pond with your eyes opened, of course.

The Egg Stage

A male and a female dragonfly will mate while they are flying in the air. After two dragonflies mate, the female dragonfly will lay her eggs on a plant in the water, or if she can’t find a suitable plant she will just drop them into the water.

The Nymph Stage

Once the dragonfly eggs hatch, the life cycle of a dragonfly larva begins as a nymph. A nymph looks like a little alien creature. It hasn’t grown its wings yet and has what looks like a crusty hump hanging onto its back. Dragonfly nymphs live in the water while they grow and develop into dragonflies. This portion of the dragonfly life cycle can take up to four years to complete, and if the nymph cycle is completed in the beginning of the wintertime, it will remain in the water until spring when it is warm enough to come out.

Dragonfly nymphs live in ponds or marshy areas because the waters are calmer than in a stream or river. Sometimes they can be found in the calmer backwaters of rivers, too. Dragonfly nymphs may eat smaller dragonfly nymphs as they develop.

The Adult Dragonfly Stage

Once the nymph is fully grown, and the weather is right, it will complete the metamorphosis into a dragonfly by crawling out of the water up the stem of a plant. The nymph will shed its skin onto the stem of the plant and will then be a young dragonfly. The skin that the nymph left behind is called the exuvia and you can find the exuvia still stuck to the stem for a long time after the dragonfly has left it.

Once the dragonfly leaves the exuvia it is a full grown dragonfly. The dragonfly will hunt for food and begin to look for a mate. Once the dragonfly finds a mate, the female will find a body of calm water that will be a good place to lay her eggs, and the life cycle of the dragonfly begins all over again. Adult dragonflies only live about two months.