An Introduction to Houston... The ‘Bayou City’ is located on the Gulf Coastal Plain in the southeastern corner of Texas, 80km (50 miles) from the Gulf of Mexico. Its proximity to the Gulf means that greenery abounds in the city – a surprise for visitors whose vision of Texas is of cactus and scrubland. The city covers an area of 1598 sq km (617 sq miles) – more than half the area of Rhode Island. Named after General Sam Houston of the Texas Army, the city was founded in 1836 and served as the capital of the Republic of Texas from 1837 to 1840. The fourth-largest city in the USA and the largest in Texas, Houston has been the centre of the US oil industry ever since ‘black gold’ was discovered at nearby Beaumont in 1901. It is also the space headquarters of the USA and a thriving international port, being connected to the Gulf of Mexico by the 80km-long (50 mile) Houston Ship Canal. Houston’s towering skyscrapers reflect its booming economy.

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