Houston is the largest city in the state of Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States. Houston is one of 11 U.S. global cities as it is ranked "Gamma World City" by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group & Network.
Much of Houston is very flat, making flooding a recurring problem for its residents. The city stands about 50 feet above sea level.
The largest City in Texas
and the fourth largest in the United States, Houston has a population of over
1,500,000. This Texas city has much to offer both visitor and resident
including more than twenty universities and colleges such as the distinguished
University of Houston, the University of Texas-Houston Health and Science
Center, Texas Southern University and Rice University.
Houston’s international cuisine, moderate weather,
and superb arts offerings are just a few of the reasons for the city’s
popularity. Outdoor recreation in Houston all year and find quality
entertainment day or night in local theme parks, major-league sports arenas,
and in Houston’s highly acclaimed museums. Restaurants and entertainment are a
short walk or trolley ride away in the downtown area. The METRO light rail
whisks riders through the world-renowned Texas Medical Center, to the
state-of-the-art Reliant Park sports and event facilities.
Houston was named for Samuel
Houston (1793-1863), the politician and general who was at the forefront of
Texas' fight for independence from Mexico. He later became President of the
Republic of Texas; when Texas became part of the Union, serving as a Senator and
later as Governor of Texas.
In 1914 the Houston Ship
Channel was created, beginning a whole new life for Houston. The 50-mile long
channel linked Houston to Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. This deep-water
port became a major shipping link and an important junction for the U.S. grain
market.
The following year oil was
discovered and the boom began. Oil companies flooded the area and by the end of
the decade there were forty companies located in the city. World War II found
Houston a major supplier of many commodities. In 1958 the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration made its home in Houston assuring the city its place in
space age technologies.
Houstonians are proud of their city’s diversity. The Houston
Livestock Show and Rodeo, the Art Car Parade, the International Festival, Fiesta
Patrias, the Westheimer Street Festival, the Children's Festival, and a variety
of holiday celebrations bring the City together throughout the seasons of the
year and are a source of great enjoyment for visitors..
Houston is renowned as a
world center of oil, natural gas, iron and steel, paper products, electrical and
electronic machinery. Above all, however, Houston is a city of great
neighborhoods that welcome the visitor to a rich cultural environment and an
enjoyable and memorable vacation.
Metrohoteles™
