This Texas resource contains the latest information on such topics as: the natural environment (geology; rivers, lakes, and aquifers; plant and animal life; endangered species; soil types; and weather); demographic data and a detailed road map for each of Texas' 254 counties; lists of state and national parks and historic sites; an astronomical calendar; details of the 2002 elections; names of elected and appointed federal, state and local government officials; business and transportation statistics; minerals; population; agriculture; health statistics; education; and culture and the arts. forts of Texas, two lines of forts running north to south that the US Army established shortly after Texas joined the Union in 1845 to protect settlers pushing west; the story of Fort Anahuac, which was built on the Gulf Coast in 1830 when Texas was still part of Mexico and which played a part in the Texas Revolution; a history of Polish immigrants in Texas: how and why they came to the Lone Star State and what they have added to the diverse cultural mix that is Texas; a condensed history of Texas that takes the reader from prehistoric times to the present; and the latest population estimates since the 2000 Census.