Eva Longoria Proud to be a Texan  10/14/06

Eva Longoria insists her home state of Texas is far superior to glitzy Los Angeles.

The 31-year-old is bursting with pride over her Texan roots, insisting the state is more chivalrous and neighborly than LA, where her hit TV show Desperate Housewives is filmed.

She even claims Texas "is a different country" from the rest of the United States because it's the only state "ballsy" enough to fly its flag at the same height as the American flag.

She adds, "You can always tell a Texan, and it's not just the twang...It's a different way of growing up. There's chivalry. A man's a man, and a woman's a woman. You still borrow sugar from your neighbor. Your car breaks down and 10 people will pull over to help.

"People say it's slower, but people are enjoying life."