Texas is bordered by the U.S. states of New Mexico, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. Texas is located in the southern region of the U.S. and is bordered on the east by the Gulf of Mexico. Texas shares an international border with Mexico.
With an area of 268,820 square miles, Texas is the second largest state in the U.S., with Alaska being the largest. Texas is the largest in the contiguous 48 states. It is also the second-most-populated state, with an estimated population of over 26 million as of 2013. Formerly owned by Mexico, Texas became the 28th U.S. state on Dec. 29, 1845.
