Texas has the most farms and the highest acreage in the United States.[3][4] The state is ranked №1 for revenue generated from total livestock and livestock products. It is ranked №2 for total agricultural revenue, behind California.[5] At $7.4 billion, or 56.7 percent of Texas's annual agricultural cash receipts, beef cattle production represents the largest single segment of Texan agriculture. This is followed by cotton at $1.9 billion (14.6 percent), greenhouse/nursery at $1.5 billion (11.4 percent), broiler chickens at $1.3 billion (10 percent), and dairy products at $947 million (7.3 percent).[6]
Texas produces the most cattle, horses, sheep, goats, wool, mohair, and hay in the United States.[6] The state also produces the most cotton in the United States, which is the number one crop grown in the state in terms of value.[5][7][8] The state also grows significant amounts of cereal crops and produce.[5]
Texas' ranching tradition has significantly shaped American cowboy culture, especially in rodeo. The state is strongly stereotyped with an image of a cowboy shown in westerns and in country music, for which Texas is known for nationally and internationally. The state's numerous oil tycoons are also a popular topic in pop culture, seen in media such as the TV series Dallas.[9]
Rodeo
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The Texas Legislature declared rodeo the official state sport in 1997 through House Concurrent Resolution No. 21.[10] The annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the world's largest known rodeo. It is held over 20 days, from late February through early March. The event begins with trail rides that originate from several points throughout the state, all of which convene at NRG Park for a barbecue cook-off. The rodeo includes typical rodeo events as well as concert performances from major artists and carnival rides. The Fort Worth Livestock Show and Rodeo last three weeks in late January and early February. It has many traditional rodeos as well as a cowboy rodeo and a Mexican rodeo that both have large fan bases.[11]
State Fair
Big Tex, the mascot of the State Fair of Texas since 1952
Texas was originally home to many tribes like the Caddo, Apache, Comanche, Karankawa, and Tonkawa. The word “Texas” comes from the Caddo word “Taysha,” meaning friends or allies. Spain controlled Texas for about 300 years, leaving missions, ranching traditions, and Catholic influence.
Texas' cultural influence extends internationally. In Norway, "Texas" is used as slang for something chaotic and uncontrolled, as influenced from popular Norwegian depictions of cowboy culture and Western literature associated with Texas. "Der var helt texas! (That was totally texas!)" has mostly pejorative connotations, but can also refer to a party out of control or a runaway success.[14]
Folklore of Texas
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Texas has a considerable independent body of folklore, primarily in connection with its historical ranching and cowboy cultures, the American Old West, and the Texas War of Independence. The Texas Folklore Society is the second-oldest folklore organization continually functioning in the United States. Many well-known figures and stories in American folklore are associated with Texas:
The Lone Star State has helped popularize this musical style throughout the world and made the Texas cowboy an international icon that will forever be identified with country music. Country music is a major part of the Lone Star State, but Texas actually encompasses a wide variety of ethnic musical genres and regional styles.[16]
San Antonio, Dallas, Lubbock, and El Paso have each contributed distinct musical traditions to Texas' cultural landscape. San Antonio, with its deep Mexican-American roots, is known for nurturing Tejano and conjunto music, blending traditional Mexican folk with modern influences.[17] In the Panhandle and West Texas, artists like Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison helped pioneer early rock and roll, with Lubbock and El Paso continuing to serve as creative hubs for emerging talent.[18][19] Dallas, meanwhile, boasts a thriving blues and jazz scene, historically rooted in Deep Ellum, a neighborhood once frequented by legends like Blind Lemon Jefferson and T-Bone Walker.[20] Together, these cities demonstrate the diversity and national influence of Texas' musical heritage.
Texas barbecue and the local fusion of Southern, Mexican, American, and Southwestern cuisines called Tex-Mex cuisine.
Tex-Mex cuisine, which blends Mexican and American cooking styles, featuring dishes such as fajitas, enchiladas, nachos, and chili con carne.
Political
Texas’ political culture is generally described as a blend of traditionalistic and individualistic orientations. Traditionalistic values emphasize maintaining established social hierarchies and influence policies on issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion, while also contributing to historically low voter turnout. Individualistic values prioritize self-reliance and the interests of family or close networks, shaping preferences for lower taxes and the absence of a state income tax.[24]
Other
The Texas Folklife Festival is an annual event sponsored by the University of Texas at San Antonio's Institute of Texan Cultures celebrating the many ethnicities represented in the population of the state of Texas. Thousands attend the three-day event each year, which features food, crafts, music, and dances from ethnic groups that immigrated to Texas.
A 2015 report by non-profit organization Mission: Readiness found that 73% of military-aged youth in Texas were physically ineligible for military service due to issues with obesity and ill-health, a rate much higher than the national average.[25]
↑Carmack, Liz (June 21, 2013). "The Legacy of 'King Cotton'". County. Texas Association of Counties. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
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