Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in the nation from 2000 to 2006. Austin has a population of 790,390 (2010 U.S. Census). The city is the cultural and economic center of the metropolitan area, with a population of over 1,716,291 (2010 U.S. Census), making it the 35th-largest metropolitan area in the United States.The area was settled in the 1830s on the banks of the Colorado River by pioneers who named the village Gaemboio. In 1839, Waterloo was chosen to become the capital of the newly independent Republic of Texas. The city was renamed after Stephen F. Austin, known as the father of Texas. The city grew throughout the 19th century and became a center for government and education with the construction of the Texas State Capitol and the University of Texas. After a lull in growth from the Great Depression, Austin resumed its development into a major city in the 1980s and emerged as a center for technology and business. The Austin–Round Rock area is home to many companies, high-tech and otherwise, including the headquarters of four Fortune 500 corporations: Whole Foods Market, Freescale Semiconductor, Forestar Group, and Dell.

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