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Houston, Texas

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: North American Geography

   Houston, Texas
   Skyline of Houston, Texas

   Official flag of Houston, Texas

                                  Official seal of Houston, Texas
   Flag                           Seal
   Nickname: "Bayou City"
   Location in the state of Texas
   Location in the state of Texas
   Coordinates: 29°45′N 95°22′W
   Counties Harris County
   Fort Bend County
   Montgomery County
   Mayor Bill White
   Area
    - City 1,558 km²  (601.7  sq mi)
    - Land 1,501 km²  (579.4 sq mi)
    - Water 57.7 km² (22.3 sq mi)
   Elevation 13 m  (43 ft)
   Population
    - City (2005) 2,016,582
    - Density 521.1/km² (1,349.6/sq mi)
    - Urban 4,283,000
    - Metro 5,280,077
   Time zone CST ( UTC-6)
    - Summer ( DST) CDT ( UTC-5)
   Website: www.houstontx.gov

   Houston ( pronounced [hju:stən]) is the largest city in the state of
   Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States. The city covers more
   than 600 square miles (1,600 km²) and is the county seat of
   Harris County—the third-most populous in the country. As of the 2005
   U.S. Census estimate, Houston had a population of more than 2 million.
   The city is at the heart of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan
   area, the largest cultural and economic centre of the Gulf Coast region
   and the seventh-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. with a population
   of 5.3 million in 10 counties.

   Houston is internationally known for its energy (particularly oil) and
   aeronautics industries, and for its ship channel. The Port of Houston
   ranks first in the country in international commerce and is the
   sixth-largest port in the world. Second only to New York City in
   Fortune 500 headquarters, Houston is the seat of the Texas Medical
   Centre, which contains the world's largest concentration of research
   and healthcare institutions.

   Houston is ranked as one of 11 U.S. world-class cities by the
   Globalization and World Cities Study Group & Network. The city has an
   active visual and performing arts scene as Houston is one of the five
   U.S. cities that offer year-round resident companies in all major
   performing arts. In addition, the Houston Theatre District is ranked
   second in the country for the number of theatre seats in a concentrated
   downtown area per capita. The city is within proximity to beaches on
   Galveston Island.

History

Early settlers

   In August 1836, two brothers— John Kirby Allen and Augustus Chapman
   Allen—who were New York real estate promoters purchased 6,642 acres
   (27 km²) of land from T. F. L. Parrot, John Austin's widow, for $9,428.
   The Allen brothers named their town after Sam Houston. Thomas H. and
   Gail Borden surveyed and mapped the town in typical grid fashion, with
   wide streets running parallel and perpendicular to the area's system of
   bayous. The city was granted incorporation on June 5, 1837 and James S.
   Holman became the first mayor. That same year, Houston also became the
   county seat of Harrisburg County, which was renamed Harris County in
   1839. At this time, the Texas Legislature designated Houston as the
   temporary capital of the new Republic of Texas. The capital was later
   moved to Austin, then known as Waterloo, on January 14, 1839.

   Lawlessness, epidemics, and financial problems prompted the people of
   the community to establish a Chamber of Commerce, chartered by the
   Congress of the Republic on November 26, 1838. Because many of the
   first settlers were from the South, Houston endorsed the slavery-
   plantation system. Slaves lived scattered through the neighborhoods,
   though there were a few free blacks in the city.

   By 1860, Houston emerged as a commercial and railroad hub for the
   export of cotton. Railroad spurs from the Texas inland converged in
   Houston, where they met rail lines to the ports of Galveston and
   Beaumont. During the Civil War, Houston served as a headquarters for
   General John Bankhead Magruder, who used Houston as an organization
   point for the Battle of Galveston. Houston saloon keeper Dick Dowling
   became the city's first famous personality after his victory at the
   battle of Sabine Pass in 1863. After the Civil War, Houston businessmen
   initiated efforts to widen the city's extensive system of bayous so the
   city could accept more commerce between downtown and the nearby port of
   Galveston.

Early 20th century

   Oil discovery at Spindletop in Beaumont in 1901 prompted the
   development of the oil industry, which eventually would transform
   Houston into a large city. In 1902, Theodore Roosevelt approved a $1
   million improvement project for the Houston Ship Channel. By 1910, the
   population of Houston was larger than that of Galveston. President
   Woodrow Wilson opened the Port of Houston in 1914, 74 years after
   digging started. By 1914, the Houston Ship Channel was dredged to give
   Houston a deep-water port, outpacing Galveston's port which was
   devastated by the Galveston Hurricane of 1900.

   By the end of the 1930s, Houston began having growing pains—the city
   was no longer a frontier town, and its air service was inadequate for
   its needs. By 1939, Houston was Texas's most populous city.

   When World War II started, tonnage levels fell and five shipping lines
   ended service to Houston, but the war did have some economic benefits
   for the city. Ellington Field, initially built during World War I, was
   revitalized as a training centre for bombardiers, and aircraft and
   shipbuilding became large industries statewide. The M. D. Anderson
   Foundation formed the Texas Medical Centre in 1945. After the war,
   Houston's economy reverted back to a healthy, port driven economy. In
   1948, several unincorporated areas were annexed into the city limits,
   and Houston proper began to spread across the prairie.

Decades of growth

   The space shuttle, atop its Boeing 747, flying over NASA's Johnson
   Space Center
   Enlarge
   The space shuttle, atop its Boeing 747, flying over NASA's Johnson
   Space Centre

   Shipbuilding during World War II spurred Houston's growth, as well as
   the establishment in 1961 of NASA's "Manned Spacecraft Centre" (renamed
   the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Centre in 1973), which created the city's
   aerospace industry. The Astrodome (then called the Harris County Domed
   Stadium), the first indoor, domed sports stadium, opened in 1965 and
   was quickly nicknamed the "Eighth Wonder of the World."

   During the late 1970s, Houston experienced a population boom as people
   from Rust Belt states moved en masse into Texas, which benefited from
   the Arab Oil Embargo. Because of Houston's over-reliance on petroleum
   as the base of its industry, the local economy suffered and the
   population boom abruptly ended when oil prices fell in 1986 due to the
   embargo being lifted. The space industry also suffered in 1986 with the
   Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. The late 1980s saw a recession for
   the Houston economy. Since this recession, Houston has made efforts to
   diversify its economy by focusing on aerospace and biotechnology, and
   reducing its dependence on petroleum. In 1990, the G7 Summit was held
   in Houston.

The new millennium

   Hurricane Rita evacuation in September 2005
   Enlarge
   Hurricane Rita evacuation in September 2005

   In 2001, Tropical Storm Allison dumped up to 39 inches of rain on parts
   of the city, causing billions of dollars in damage and killing 43
   people. To date, the flooding caused by Allison was the worst in the
   city's history. Many neighborhoods and communities have changed since
   the storm; older houses in some affected neighborhoods have been torn
   down and replaced with larger houses with higher foundations.

   In December 2001, Houston-based energy company Enron collapsed into the
   second-largest ever U.S. bankruptcy during an investigation surrounding
   fabricated partnerships that were allegedly used to hide debt and
   inflate profits.

   In the wake of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, Houston provided
   shelter to more than 150,000 people from New Orleans in various
   facilities around the city, including about 24,000 who were sheltered
   in the infrequently-used Reliant Astrodome stadium. This unprecedented
   situation involved Houston-area public school systems, which provided
   education for child evacuees.

   Approximately 2.5 million Houston area residents evacuated when
   Hurricane Rita approached the Gulf Coast one month after Hurricane
   Katrina. Hurricane Rita left little damage to Houston and the
   surrounding areas. Critical traffic congestion and gas shortages were
   rampant during the evacuation. This event marked the largest evacuation
   in the history of the United States.

Geography

   A simulated-color image of Houston taken on NASA's Landsat 7 satellite
   with Galveston Bay and Galveston Island visible in the picture
   Enlarge
   A simulated-colour image of Houston taken on NASA's Landsat 7 satellite
   with Galveston Bay and Galveston Island visible in the picture

   According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area
   of 601.7 square miles (1,558.4 km²) — 579.4 square miles (1,500.7 km²)
   of it is land and 22.3 square miles (57.7 km²) of it is water. The
   total area is 3.7 percent water.

   Most of Houston is located in the gulf coastal biome plains, and its
   vegetation is classified as temperate grassland and forest. Much of the
   city was built on forested land, marshes, swamp, or prairie—all of
   which can still be seen in surrounding areas.

   Much of Houston is very flat, making flooding a recurring problem for
   its residents. Downtown stands about 50 feet (15 m) above sea
   level—with most of the city less than 100 feet (30 m) in elevation. The
   city once relied on groundwater for its water needs, but land
   subsidence forced the city to turn to ground-level water sources such
   as Lake Houston and Lake Conroe.

   Houston has four major bayous passing through the city: Buffalo Bayou,
   which runs into downtown and the Houston Ship Channel; and three of its
   tributaries: Brays Bayou, which runs along the Texas Medical Centre;
   White Oak Bayou, which runs through the Heights and near the northwest
   area; and Sims Bayou, which runs through the south of Houston and
   downtown Houston. The ship channel goes past Galveston and into the
   Gulf of Mexico.

Geology

   Underpinning Houston's land surface are unconsolidated clays, clay
   shales, and poorly-cemented sands up to several miles deep. The
   region's geology developed from stream deposits formed from the erosion
   of the Rocky Mountains. These sediments consist of a series of sands
   and clays deposited on decaying organic matter that, over time,
   transformed into oil and natural gas. Beneath these tiers is a
   water-deposited layer of halite, a rock salt. The porous layers were
   compressed over time and forced upward. As it pushed upward, the salt
   dragged surrounding sediments into dome shapes, often trapping oil and
   gas that seeped from the surrounding porous sands. This thick rich soil
   also provides a good environment for rice farming in suburban outskirts
   that the city continues to grow into near Katy. Evidence of past rice
   farming is even still evident in developed areas as there is an
   abundance of rich dark loamy top soil.

   The Houston region is generally earthquake-free. While the city of
   Houston contains over 150 active surface faults (some have estimated as
   many as 300 active faults) with an aggregate length of up to 310 miles
   (500 km), the clay below the surface precludes the buildup of friction
   that produces ground shaking in earthquakes. These faults generally
   move at a smooth rate in what is termed "fault creep."

Cityscape

   When Houston was established in 1837, the city's founders— John Kirby
   Allen and Augustus Chapman Allen—divided it into political geographic
   districts called " wards." The ward designation is the progenitor of
   the current-day Houston City Council districts—there are nine in all.

   Locations in Houston are generally classified as either being inside or
   outside Interstate 610, known as the "610 Loop" or "the Loop." Inside
   the loop encompasses the central business district and many residential
   neighborhoods that pre-date World War II. More recently, new
   higher-density residential development has resulted in an urban
   lifestyle and state of mind. The appellation “inner loop Houston”
   carries with it the expectations of cosmopolitan-style city life.

   The outlying areas of Houston, the airports and the city's suburbs and
   enclaves are outside the loop. Another ring road, State Highway Beltway
   8 (also known simply as the "Beltway"), encircles the city another 5
   miles (8 km) farther out. The third ring road, State Highway 99 (also
   known as the Grand Parkway), is under construction.

   Houston, being the largest city in the United States without zoning
   laws, has grown in an unusual manner. Rather than a single " downtown"
   as the centre of the city's employment, five additional business
   districts have grown throughout the city—they are Uptown,
   Texas Medical Centre, Greenway Plaza, Westchase, and Greenspoint. If
   these business districts were combined, they would form the
   third-largest downtown in the United States.

Climate

   Houston's climate is classified as humid subtropical (Cfa in Köppen
   climate classification system). The city has excessive ozone levels and
   is ranked among the most ozone-polluted cities in the United States.
   The average yearly precipitation level is approximately 48 inches
   (1,220 mm). Spring supercell thunderstorms sometimes bring tornadoes to
   the area. Prevailing winds are from the south and southeast during most
   of the year, bringing heat from the deserts of Mexico and moisture from
   the Gulf of Mexico.

   During the summer months, the daily high temperature peaks at 94 °F (34
   °C) at the end of July with an average of 99 days per year above 90 °F
   (32 °C). The air tends to feel still and the humidity (averaging over
   90 percent relative humidity in the morning in the summer and around 60
   percent in the afternoon) results in a heat index higher than the
   actual temperature. To cope with the heat, people use air conditioning
   in nearly every car and building in the city. Afternoon rains are
   common and for most summer days, Houston meteorologists predict at
   least some chance of rain. The hottest temperature ever recorded in
   Houston was 109 °F (43 °C) on September 4, 2000.

   Winters in Houston are cool and temperate. While the average high in
   January, the coldest month, is 61 °F (16 °C), Houston sees an average
   of 18 days per year of 32 °F (0 °C) or less. Snowfall is rare, and
   typically does not accumulate when it is seen. The last snowstorm to
   hit Houston was on December 24, 2004—the city's first recorded snowfall
   on Christmas Eve. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Houston was
   5 °F (−15 °C) on January 23, 1940.

   Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
   Average high °F (°C) 61 (16) 66 (18) 73 (22) 79 (26) 85 (29) 91 (32) 94
   (34) 93 (33) 89 (31) 82 (27) 72 (22) 65 (18) 79 (26)
   Average low °F (°C) 41 (5) 44 (6) 51 (10) 58 (14) 65 (18) 71 (21) 73
   (22) 73 (22) 68 (20) 59 (15) 50 (10) 44 (6) 58 (14)
   Average precipitation:
   inches (mm) 3.9 (99) 2.9 (74) 3.5 (89) 3.6 (91) 5.6 (142) 5.1 (129) 3.4
   (86) 3.7 (94) 4.3 (109) 4.7 (119) 3.7 (94) 3.6 (91) 47.9 (1217)
   Source: Weatherbase

Government and politics

   Founded in 1836 and incorporated in 1837, Houston is one of the fastest
   growing major cities in the United States and the largest without
   strict zoning laws. The city is the county seat of Harris County. A
   portion of southwest Houston extends into Fort Bend County and a small
   portion in the northeast extends into Montgomery County.

   The city of Houston has a strong mayor-council government. The City's
   elected officials, serving concurrent two year terms, are: the mayor,
   the city controller and 14 members of the city council. Under the
   strong mayor-council government, the mayor serves as the executive
   officer of the city. As the city's chief administrator and official
   representative, the mayor is responsible for the general management of
   the city and for seeing that all laws and ordinances are enforced.

   As of 2006, the mayor of Houston is Bill White, who is serving his
   second term. City council members are elected from nine districts in
   the city, along with five at-large positions. At-large council members
   represent the entire city. The current city council lineup was based on
   a U.S. Justice Department mandate which took effect in 1979. Houston is
   a home rule city and all municipal elections in the state of Texas are
   nonpartisan.

   Many local lawmakers have been impacted by the city's term limits.
   Several former city officials—Anthony Hall, Rodney Ellis, Sheila
   Jackson Lee, Sylvia Garcia, Martha Wong, Chris Bell, and Annise
   Parker—had to run for another elected position once their term expired.

   Former mayor Lee P. Brown denounced the term limits, saying they
   prevented incumbents from gaining enough experience in city government.
   A proposal to double the current two-year term of office has been
   debated—as of 2005, several candidates for the city council have
   brought up the issue of whether term limits should be amended or
   eliminated.

   Some elected officials from the Greater Houston area within the Texas
   Legislature—primarily Garnet Coleman and Sylvester Turner—have also
   spoken against term limits.

   Houston is best considered to be a politically divided city whose
   balance of power often sways between Republicans and Democrats. The
   affluent western-central portions of Houston—such as River Oaks and the
   Memorial/Spring Branch area—consistently vote Republican, while many of
   the inner city neighbohoods are heavily Democrats. According to the
   2005 Houston Area Survey, 67 percent of non-Hispanic whites in the city
   are declared or favour Republicans while 88 percent of non-Hispanic
   blacks in the city are declared or favour Democrats. About 58 percent
   Hispanics (of any race) in the city are declared or favour Democrats.
   The master-planned communities of Kingwood and Clear Lake City in the
   northeast and southeast portions of the city, respectively, are heavily
   Republican.

Economy

   The Port of Houston
   Enlarge
   The Port of Houston

   Houston ranks second in employment growth rate and fourth in nominal
   employment growth among the 10 most populous metro areas. In 2006, the
   Houston metropolitan area ranked first in Texas and third in the U.S.
   within the category of "Best Places for Business and Careers" by
   Forbes.

   Houston's energy industry is recognized worldwide (particularly oil),
   but biomedical research, aeronautics, and the ship channel are also
   large parts of the city's industrial base. The area is also the world's
   leading centre for building oilfield equipment. Much of Houston's
   success as a petrochemical complex is due to its busy man-made ship
   channel, the Port of Houston. The port ranks first in the country in
   international commerce and is the sixth-largest port in the world.
   Unlike most places, where high gas prices are seen as harmful to the
   economy, they are generally seen as beneficial for Houston as many are
   employed in the energy industry.

   The Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown MSA's Gross Area Product (GAP) in 2005
   was $308.7 billion, up 5.4 percent from 2004 in constant
   dollars—slightly larger than Austria's Gross Domestic Product ( GDP).
   Only 28 nations other than the United States have a GDP exceeding
   Houston's GAP. Mining, which in Houston is almost entirely oil and gas
   exploration and production, accounts for 11 percent of Houston's
   GAP—down from 21 percent as recently as 1985. The reduced role of oil
   and gas in Houston's GAP reflects the rapid growth of other
   sectors—such as engineering services, health services, and
   manufacturing.

   Forty foreign governments maintain trade and commercial offices here
   and the city has 23 active foreign chambers of commerce and trade
   associations. Twenty foreign banks representing 10 nations operate in
   Houston and provide financial assistance to the international
   community.

Demographics

     City of Houston
   Past censuses
   Year Population Rank
   1850 2,396
   1860 4,845
   1870 9,332
   1880 16,513
   1890 27,557
   1900 44,633     85
   1910 78,800     68
   1920 138,276    45
   1930 292,352    26
   1940 384,514    21
   1950 596,163    14
   1960 938,219    7
   1970 1,232,802  6
   1980 1,595,138  5
   1990 1,630,553  4
   2000 1,953,631  4

   As of the census^ GR2 of 2000, there were 1,953,631 people, 717,945
   households, and 457,330 families residing in the city. The population
   density was 3,371.7 people per square mile (1,301.8/km²). There were
   782,009 housing units at an average density of 1,349.6 per square mile
   (521.1/km²). If the city of Houston were a U.S. state, it would rank
   36th in population—its 2.01 million residents in 2004 would place it
   behind Nevada and ahead of New Mexico.

   There were 717,945 households out of which 33.1 percent had children
   under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2 percent were married couples
   living together, 15.3 percent had a female householder with no husband
   present, and 36.3 percent were non-families. Twenty-nine percent of all
   households were made up of individuals and 6.2 percent had someone
   living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household
   size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.39.

   In the city, the population was spread out with 27.5 percent under the
   age of 18, 11.2 percent from 18 to 24, 33.8 percent from 25 to 44, 19.1
   percent from 45 to 64, and 8.4 percent who were 65 years of age or
   older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were
   99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8
   males.

   The median income for a household in the city was $36,616, and the
   median income for a family was $40,443. Males had a median income of
   $32,084 versus $27,371 for females. The per capita income for the city
   was $20,101. Nineteen percent of the population and 16 percent of
   families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 26.1
   percent of those under the age of 18 and 14.3 percent of those 65 and
   older were living below the poverty line.

Race and ethnic origins

   Houston is a diverse and international city, in part because of its
   many academic institutions and strong biomedical, energy, manufacturing
   and aerospace industries. According to the U.S. Census 2000, the racial
   makeup of the city was 49.27 percent White, 25.31 percent Black or
   African American, 0.44 percent Native American, 5.31 percent Asian,
   0.06 percent Pacific Islander, 16.46 percent from other races, and 3.15
   percent from two or more races. Thirty-seven percent of the population
   was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

   The Hispanic population in Houston is increasing as more immigrants
   (illegal or otherwise) from Latin American countries look for work in
   Houston. The city has the third-largest Hispanic population in the
   United States. It is estimated that about 400,000 immigrants reside in
   the Houston area illegally. This influx of immigrants is partially
   responsible for Houston having a population younger than the national
   average.

   Houston also has large populations of immigrants from Asia. In
   addition, the city has the largest Vietnamese American population in
   Texas and third-largest in the United States.

Crime

   Houston recorded 336 murders in 2005, in comparison to 272 in 2004.
   This means that it had a murder rate of 17 murders per year for every
   100,000 people, which was roughly the same as that of France. Despite
   the rise in homicides of 23.5 percent, overall crime in the city
   dropped by 2 percent in 2005 compared to 2004. Most of the homicides
   that occurred in the last quarter of 2005 occurred in the city's
   apartment complexes—primarily in the southwest and north-central areas
   of Houston. So far, Houston is on pace for over 400 murders by the end
   of 2006.

   At one time Houston was the murder capital of the United States in 1982
   when it recorded 702 homicides. In years since, the city had at least
   an average of 600-plus murders throughout the 1980s, until it finally
   had less than 300 murders on average every year since 1995.

   Houston is, as of 2006, going through a spike in crime due in part to
   an influx of people from New Orleans into the city following Hurricane
   Katrina. These hurricane victims seeking refuge are believed to have
   been involved in nearly 17 percent of all homicides. Houston's murder
   rate increased 70 percent in November and December of 2005 compared to
   2004's levels. At least 35 percent of the city's December 2005 increase
   in homicides—five of 14 over last year’s level—have been directly
   attributed to the presence of hurricane victims from New Orleans.

Culture

   Houston Art Car Parade
   Enlarge
   Houston Art Car Parade

   Officially, Houston is nicknamed the "Space City" as it is home to
   NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Centre, where Mission Control Centre is
   located. Because of this, "Houston" was the first word spoken on the
   moon. Many locals, however, prefer to call it the "Bayou City." Other
   nicknames include "H-Town," "Clutch City," and "Magnolia City".

   About 90 languages are frequently spoken in the Houston area. Some
   neighborhoods with high populations of Vietnamese and Chinese residents
   have Chinese and Vietnamese street signs in addition to English ones.
   Houston has two Chinatowns—the original located in Downtown and the
   more recent one developed is along Bellaire Boulevard in the southwest
   area of the city. The city also has a Little Saigon in Midtown and
   Vietnamese businesses located in the southwest Houston Chinatown.

   There are many popular events held in the city celebrating cultures of
   Houstonians. The largest and longest running is the annual Houston
   Livestock Show and Rodeo that is held over 20 days from late February
   through early March. The event begins with trail rides that originate
   from several points throughout the state, all of which convene at
   Reliant Park for a barbeque cook-off. The rodeo includes typical rodeo
   events, as well as concert performances from major artists and carnival
   rides. Another large celebration is the annual night-time Houston Pride
   Parade held at the end of June held along Westheimer Road in
   Neartown—home to many 1950s-style restaurants, vintage shops, tattoo
   parlors, bars, nightclubs, coffeehouses, and gay entertainment. Other
   events held annually include the Houston Greek festival, Art Car
   Parade, and Houston International Festival.

Arts and theatre

   Wortham Center in the Theater District of Downtown Houston
   Enlarge
   Wortham Center in the Theatre District of Downtown Houston

   Having an active visual and performing arts scene, Houston's Theatre
   District has the second largest number of theatre seats in a
   concentrated downtown area in the United States, with 12,948 seats for
   live performances and 1,480 movie seats. The Theater District is
   located in the centre of downtown and is home to nine of Houston's
   performing arts organizations and six performance halls. Houston is one
   of only five cities in the United States with permanent professional
   resident companies in all of the major performing arts disciplines:
   opera ( Houston Grand Opera), ballet ( Houston Ballet), music ( Houston
   Symphony Orchestra), and theatre ( The Alley Theatre). In addition to
   its visual and performing arts organizations, the city is host to local
   folk art such as its art cars. Houston is recognized as an important
   city for contemporary visual arts. The city is a prime stop for touring
   companies from Broadway, concerts, shows, and exhibitions for a variety
   of interests, ranging from the nation's largest quilting show to auto,
   boat, home, and gun shows.

   Adjacent to the Texas Medical Centre is the Museum District, which is
   home to most of the city's major museums: The Museum of Fine Arts,
   Houston, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, the Cullen Sculpture
   Garden, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Holocaust Museum
   Houston, the Children's Museum of Houston, Lawndale Art Centre, the
   Houston Zoo, and the John P. McGovern Museum of Health & Medical
   Science. Located in the nearby Montrose area are The Menil Collection
   and Rothko Chapel. Approximately 4 million people visit institutions in
   the Museum District every year.

Tourism and recreation

   Space Centre Houston is the official visitors’ centre of NASA's Lyndon
   B. Johnson Space Centre. Space Centre Houston includes many interactive
   exhibits—including moon rocks and a shuttle simulator—in addition to
   special presentations that tell the story of NASA's manned space flight
   program. It also features Texas’s largest IMAX theatre.

   The Theatre District—a 17-block area in the centre of downtown
   Houston—is home to Bayou Place Entertainment Complex, restaurants,
   movies, plazas, and parks. Bayou Place is a large multilevel building
   that is home to full service restaurants, bars, live music, billiards
   and art house films. The Houston Verizon Wireless Theatre stages a
   variety of live concerts, stage plays, and stand up comedy; and the
   Angelika Theatre presents the latest in art, foreign and independent
   films.

   Houston is home to many parks including Hermann Park—houses the Houston
   Zoo and the Houston Museum of Natural Science—Lake Houston Park,
   Memorial Park, and Sam Houston Park. Additionally, Houston has 337 city
   parks and over 200 greenspaces—totaling over 19,600 acres that are
   managed by the city—including the Houston Arboretum and Nature Centre.
   What was once the Houston Civic Centre was replaced by the George R.
   Brown Convention Centermdash;one of the nation's largest—and the Jesse
   H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, home of the Houston Symphony
   Orchestra and Society for the Performing Arts. The Sam Houston Coliseum
   and Music Hall have been replaced by the Hobby Centre for the
   Performing Arts.

   Other tourist attractions include the Galleria, Texas's largest
   shopping mall located in the Uptown District, Old Market Square,
   Tranquility Park, the Downtown Aquarium, and Sam Houston Historical
   Park, which contains restored homes (built between 1824 and 1868) and
   reconstructed buildings. The San Jacinto Battlefield is in the nearby
   city of Deer Park.

Sports

   Minute Maid Park
   Enlarge
   Minute Maid Park

   Houston has hosted recent, major sporting events, including the 2004
   Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Super Bowl XXXVIII, the 2005 World
   Series, the 2005 Big 12 Conference football championship game, the 2006
   NBA All-Star Game, the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships from
   2001-2006, and the Tennis Masters Cup in 2003 and 2004, as well as the
   annual Shell Houston Open. The city hosts the annual the NCAA College
   Baseball Minute Maid Classic every February and NCAA football's Texas
   Bowl in December.

   Houston has teams in nearly every major professional sport including:
   Houston Astros ( MLB), Houston Texans ( NFL), Houston Rockets ( NBA),
   Houston Comets ( WNBA), Houston Aeros ( AHL), Houston Undertakers (
   ABA) and Houston Dynamo ( MLS). The Houston Astros advanced to the
   World Series for the first time in the team's history on October 19,
   2005; however, they subsequently lost to the Chicago White Sox. In
   addition, the Houston Dynamo won the MLS Cup in their first year after
   moving from San Jose.

   Minute Maid Park (home of the Astros) and Toyota Centre (home of the
   Rockets, Comets, and Aeros) are located in downtown—contributing to an
   urban renaissance that has transformed Houston's centre into a
   day-and-night destination. Also, the city has the first domed stadium
   in the United States and also holds the NFL's first retractable roof
   stadium— Reliant Stadium. Other sports facilities in Houston are
   Hofheinz Pavilion, Reliant Astrodome, Robertson Stadium, and Rice
   Stadium. The infrequently-used Reliant Astrodome hosted World Wrestling
   Entertainment's WrestleMania X-Seven on April 1, 2001, where an
   attendance record of 67,925 was set.

   In early 2006, the Champ Car auto racing series returned to Houston for
   a yearly race, held on the streets of the Reliant Park complex. The
   city had previously been home to a Champ Car round from 1998 to 2001.

Architecture

   Houston's skyline has been ranked fourth-most impressive in the United
   States when ranked primarily by height, being the country's
   third-tallest skyline (after Chicago and New York City) and one of the
   top ten in the world; however, because it is spread over a few miles,
   most pictures of the city show only the main downtown area.

Downtown

   Downtown Houston at night from Eleanor Tinsley Park
   Enlarge
   Downtown Houston at night from Eleanor Tinsley Park

   In the 1960s, Downtown Houston comprised of a modest collection of
   mid-rise office structures, but has since grown into one of the largest
   skylines in the United States. In 1960, the central business district
   had 10 million square feet (1,000,000  m²) of office space, increasing
   to about 16 million square feet (1,600,000 m²) in 1970. Downtown
   Houston was on the threshold of a boom in 1970 with 8.7 million square
   feet (870,000 m²) of office space planned or under construction and
   huge projects being launched by real estate developers. Houston
   experienced another downtown construction spurt in the 1970s with the
   energy industry boom. A succession of skyscrapers were built throughout
   the 1970s—many by real estate developer Gerald D. Hines—culminating
   with Houston's tallest skyscraper, the 75-floor, 1,002-foot-tall
   (305 m) JPMorgan Chase Tower (formerly the Texas Commerce Tower), which
   was completed in 1982. It is the tallest structure in Texas,
   ninth-tallest building in the United States and the 29th-tallest
   skyscraper in the world. In 1983, the 71-floor, 970-foot-tall (296 m)
   Wells Fargo Bank Plaza was completed, which became the second-tallest
   building in Houston and Texas, and 11th-tallest in the country. As of
   December 2001, downtown Houston had about 40 million square feet
   (4,000,000 m²) of office space, including 28 million square feet
   (2,800,000 m²) of class A office space.

   In addition, many buildings in downtown are linked by a system of
   tunnels and skywalks. The tunnel system also includes shops,
   restaurants, and convenience stores.

Uptown

   Partial view of the Uptown skyline
   Enlarge
   Partial view of the Uptown skyline

   The Uptown District is mainly centered around Post Oak Boulevard and
   the Galleria. The district boomed during the 1970s and early 1980s when
   a collection of mid-rise office buildings, hotels, and retail
   developments appeared along Interstate 610 west. Uptown became one of
   the most impressive instances of an edge city. The highest achievement
   of Uptown was the construction of the 899-foot-tall (274 m), Philip
   Johnson and John Burgee designed landmark Williams Tower (known as the
   Transco Tower until 1999). At the time, it was believed to the be the
   world's tallest skyscraper outside of a central business district.

   The Uptown District is also home to other buildings designed by noted
   architects such as I. M. Pei and César Pelli among others also designed
   by Philip Johnson. The district had 23.8 million square feet
   (2,210,000 m²) of office space in 2001—Downtown had about 40 million
   square feet (4,000,000 m²). In the late 1990s, there was a mini-boom of
   mid-rise residential tower construction, typically about 30 stories
   tall. Uptown has accumulated a large concentration of high-rise
   residential structures for such a low-density city.

Transportation

Highways

   Houston’s freeway system includes 575.5 miles of freeways and
   expressways in the 10-county metro area. Its highway system has a
   hub-and-spoke freeway structure with multiple loops. The innermost is
   Interstate 610, forming approximately a 10 mile diameter loop around
   downtown. The roads of Beltway 8 and their freeway core, the Sam
   Houston Tollway, are the next loop, at a diameter of roughly 25 miles.
   A proposed highway project, State Highway 99 (The Grand Parkway), would
   form a third loop outside of Houston. Currently, the completed portion
   of State Highway 99 runs from just north of Interstate 10, west of
   Houston, to U.S. Highway 59 in Sugar Land, southwest of Houston, and
   was completed in 1994.

   Houston also lies along the route of the proposed Interstate 69 NAFTA
   superhighway that will link Canada, the U.S. industrial Midwest, Texas,
   and Mexico.

Mass transit

   METRORail along the Main Street Corridor in Downtown
   Enlarge
   METRORail along the Main Street Corridor in Downtown

   The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas, or METRO,
   provides public transportation in the form of buses, light rail,
   trolleys, and lift vans. METRO's various forms of public transportation
   still do not connect many of the suburbs to the greater city, causing
   Houstonians to rely on the automobile as a primary source of
   transportation.

   METRO began running light rail service ( METRORail) on January 1, 2004.
   Currently the track is rather short—it runs about 8 miles (13 km) from
   northern Downtown at UH–Downtown to the Texas Medical Centre and
   Reliant Park. Prior to the opening of METRORail, Houston was the
   largest city in the United States devoid of a rail transit system by a
   very large margin. That title has since been passed to Phoenix. METRO
   is currently in the beginning design phases of a 10-year expansion plan
   to add five more sections to connect to the current light rail system.

Airports

   Houston is served by two commercial airports—the largest of which is
   the George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). The airport is the
   ninth-busiest in the United States for total passengers, and 19th
   busiest worldwide. Houston is the headquarters of Continental Airlines,
   Bush Intercontinental is Continental Airlines' largest hub. The airline
   alone offers more than 750 daily departures

   Bush Intercontinental currently ranks third in the United States for
   non-stop domestic and international service with 182 destinations. This
   trails O'Hare International Airport with 192 destinations and Atlanta
   Hartsfield with 239 destinations. The United States Department of
   Transportation has also recently named George Bush Intercontinental
   Airport one of the top 10 fastest growing airports in the United
   States.

   The second-largest commercial airport in Houston is William P. Hobby
   Airport (named Houston International Airport until 1967). The airport
   operates primarily small to medium-haul flights and is the only airport
   in Houston served by Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways. Business
   travelers on shorter routes to Houston from within the United States
   tend to prefer Hobby over Bush Intercontinental.

   The third-largest airport and former U.S. Air Force base, Ellington
   Field, is primarily used for government and private aircraft. At one
   point, Continental Express operated flights across the city to Bush
   Intercontinental primarily for residents of southeast Houston and
   Galveston County. Passenger flights, however, ended on September 7,
   2004.

   The Federal Aviation Administration and the state of Texas selected the
   "Houston Airport System as Airport of the Year" for 2005, largely
   because of its multi-year, $3.1 billion airport improvement program for
   both major airports in Houston.

Education and research

Healthcare and scientific research

   Texas Medical Center
   Enlarge
   Texas Medical Centre

   Houston is the seat of the internationally-renowned Texas Medical
   Centre, which contains the world's largest concentration of research
   and healthcare institutions.

   There are 42 member institutions in the Texas Medical Centre—all are
   not-for-profit— providing patient and preventive care, research,
   education, and local, national, and international community well-being.
   These institutions include 13 renowned hospitals and two specialty
   institutions, two medical schools, four nursing schools, and schools of
   dentistry, public health, pharmacy, and virtually all health-related
   careers. It is where one of the first—and still the largest—air
   emergency service was created, a very successful inter-institutional
   transplant program was developed. In addition, more heart surgeries are
   performed at the Texas Medical Centre than anywhere else in the world.

   Some of the academic and research health institutions are Baylor
   College of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Centre at
   Houston, The Methodist Hospital, and The University of Texas M. D.
   Anderson Cancer Centre. The M. D. Anderson Cancer Centre is widely
   considered one of the world's most productive and highly-regarded
   academic institutions devoted to cancer patient care, research,
   education and prevention.

Higher education

   Houston has the University of Houston System, which is the largest
   urban state system of higher education in the Gulf Coast with over
   56,000 students. The system has three independent and self-governing
   universities located in within the city: University of Houston,
   UH–Clear Lake, and UH–Downtown. UH System's flagship institution is the
   University of Houston (UH) and it is the only doctoral degree granting
   comprehensive research institution in East Texas. Its flagship UH
   campus is the third-largest university in Texas with an enrollment of
   more than 35,000 and is home to more than 40 research centers and
   institutes. In addition to UH System institutions, the city has
   Texas Southern University, a historically black university located in
   the historic Third Ward community.
   Rice University
   Enlarge
   Rice University

   Houston is the location of several private institutions—both secular
   and non-secular. The city is home to Rice University, a private
   institution boasting one of the largest financial endowments of any
   university in the world—it was ranked the 17th-best university overall
   in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Rice maintains a variety of
   research facilities and laboratories. Founded in 1923, South Texas
   College of Law boasts one of the nation's finest programs for trial
   advocacy and is Houston's oldest law school. The University of St.
   Thomas, a Catholic liberal arts college following the Basilian
   tradition, was founded by the Basilian fathers of Canada, and located
   in the Montrose area. Houston Baptist University, a Baptist institution
   founded in 1960, is located in southwest Houston and boasts more than
   50 undergraduate majors and pre-professional programs ranging from
   Biblical languages to nursing.

   Much of Houston is served by the Houston Community College System,
   which is the fourth largest community college systems in the United
   States. Parts of northern Houston are served by North Harris Montgomery
   Community College District. Parts of eastern and southeastern Houston
   are served by San Jacinto College.

Primary and secondary education

   Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center is the headquarters of the
   Houston Independent School District
   Enlarge
   Hattie Mae White Educational Support Centre is the headquarters of the
   Houston Independent School District

   All public school systems in Texas are administered by the Texas
   Education Agency (TEA). There are many public school districts serving
   the city of Houston—the largest of which is the Houston Independent
   School District, which serves a large majority of the area within the
   city. There are 15 other school districts that also take students from
   the city limits.

   There are also many charter schools that are run separately from school
   districts, but are administered by the Texas Education Agency. In
   addition, public school districts—such as Houston ISD and Spring Branch
   ISD—also have their own charter schools.

   Houston has numerous private schools of all types. The Texas Education
   Agency has no authority over private school operations; private schools
   may or may not be accredited, and achievement tests are not required
   for private school graduating seniors. The Houston area is home to more
   than 300 private schools and several are well-known. Many of the
   schools are accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by Texas
   Private School Accreditation Commission (TEPSAC). In addition, Houston
   area Catholic schools are operated by the Archdiocese of
   Galveston-Houston.

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