carry bombs in cars, in packages, or on
their bodies. They might also send
bombs in packages. People called suicide
bombers intend to die when they set off
their explosives.
Terrorists can also release chemicals or
other harmful substances. In 1995 a
Japanese group released poison gas into
the subway system in the city of Tokyo.
Twelve people were killed. In 2001 five
people died in the United States after
someone mailed letters containing the
disease anthrax.
Terrorists also kidnap or assassinate
(murder) leaders. Or they might hijack,
or seize, boats or airplanes. Sometimes
they hold the passengers as hostages
until their demands are met.
History
The word terrorism was first used in the
French Revolution, which began in
1789. It described the way some of the
revolutionary leaders punished those
who opposed their actions.
In the late 1800s people called anarchists
started to use terrorism. Anarchists
want to do away with all
government. An anarchist killed U.S.
PresidentWilliam McKinley in 1901.
Anarchists also killed several European
leaders.
In the 1900s more groups used terrorism
than ever before. One reason is that
deadly weapons became easier to get.
Another reason is that airplane travel
gave terrorists new ways to commit violence.
Many of the groups that used
terrorism had political goals. Others had
very strong religious beliefs.
In September 2001 members of a group
called al-Qaeda hijacked four airplanes
in the United States. They crashed three
of them into buildings. Their targets
included theWorld Trade Center in
New York City and the Pentagon, near
Washington, D.C. It was the deadliest
terrorist act up to that time. About
3,000 people were killed. Soon afterward
U.S. President GeorgeW. Bush
declared a “war on terror.”
#More to explore
Crime • Ku Klux Klan
Terrorists crashed an airplane into the Pentagon,
near Washington, D.C., on September
11, 2001. The Pentagon is the
headquarters of the U.S. Department of
Defense.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Terrorism 49
Texas
Texas was an independent
nation before becoming part of
the United States. It had won freedom
from Mexico in 1836. Nine years later
on December 29, 1845, Texas was
admitted to the Union. Its national flag
then became its state flag. This red,
white, and blue flag with a single star
was the origin of the Texas nickname,
the Lone Star State. Austin is the
capital.
Geography
Texas is located in the south-central part
of the United States. The river called the
Rio Grande separates Texas from the
country of Mexico on the southwest.
The Gulf of Mexico lies to the southeast.
East of Texas are Louisiana and
Arkansas. New Mexico is to the west,
and Oklahoma is to the north.
The landscape of Texas consists mainly
of plains and hills. The largest natural
region is the coastal plain that covers
southern and eastern Texas. It consists of
flat, low prairies that stretch far inland
from the Gulf of Mexico. In the central
and west-central parts of the state are
raised plateaus and hill country.
The Texas panhandle is a block of land
that extends northward above the rest of
the state. It is a flat, dry area with frequent
sandstorms. The eastern edge of
the panhandle and the north-central
part of the state are lowland regions of
The Guadalupe Mountains
National Park in western Texas
features rugged mountains surrounded
by a desert.
50 Texas BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
prairie and rolling plains. The most rugged,
mountainous land in Texas lies in
the far west.
People
During the late 20th century Texas was
one of the fastest-growing states in the
country. Texas is now second in population
only to California. Three of its
urban centers—Houston, Dallas, and
San Antonio—are ranked among the
country’s 10 most populated cities.
Whites of European heritage represent
more than half of the state’s residents.
Hispanic Americans, mostly of Mexican
origin, make up almost a third of the
population. About 12 percent of the
people are African American.
Economy
The Texas economy is among the largest
in the country. Major parts of the
economy include commercial trade, real
estate, and finance. Tourism is also valuable
to the state. About 40 million
people visit the state each year.
The state’s top manufacturing industries
are in the field of high technology. These
industries include the production of
computers and electronic products.
Texas is the home of Dell, a major computer
company. Another company in the
state, Texas Instruments, is a major producer
of electronic goods and military
equipment. Oil production and the
manufacture of chemical and petroleum
(oil) products also contribute to the
state’s economy.
In agriculture, Texas ranks first in the
country in the production of cattle.
Other valuable farm products include
cotton and chickens.
History
Native Americans lived in the Texas
region before Europeans arrived. Early
tribes included the Caddo, the Jumano,
and others. Later the Comanche moved
into the area.
The Spanish began to explore the Texas
region in the early 1500s. In 1685 the
French explorer Sieur de La Salle started
a settlement along the Texas coast. It did
