The most populated state in the South Central region of the United States is Texas, which is pronounced [ˈtexas]. It shares boundaries with the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Nuevo León to the south and southwest, as well as with Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, and New Mexico to the west. Texas has a southeast-facing coastline along the Gulf of Mexico. With nearly 30 million people living there as of 2023 and a total area and population of 268,596 square miles (695,660 km2), it is the second-largest state in the union.