| 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.  
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