Texas (IPA: /IPA chart for English/) is a state located in the southern and southwestern regions of the United States of America. With an area of and a population of 23,507,783 (based on a 2006 U.S. census bureau estimate) in 254 counties, the state is second-largest in both area (behind Alaska) and population (behind California). About half the state's population resides in either the Dallas–Fort Worth or Houston metropolitan areas.
The state's name derives from Texas, a word in the Caddoan language of the Hasinai, which means "friends" or "allies". Texas declared its independence from Mexico in 1836 and existed as the independent Republic of Texas for nearly a decade. In 1845, it joined the United States as the 28th state.
