Directory:Houston, Texas

City of Houston, Texas
Nickname: "Space City"
The Extended Houston Area
Country	United States Template:Country data US
State	Texas
County
Mayor	Bill White
Area
- City	1,558 1 E8
- Land	579.4 sq. miles km²
- Water	22.3 sq. miles km²
Population
- City (2005)	2,016,582
- Density	1344/km²
Time zone	Central (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	Central (UTC-5)
Website: http://www.houstontx.gov/

Houston, Texas is the largest city in the state of Texas and 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. 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 Greater Houston metropolitan area, a major cultural center, the largest economic center of the Gulf Coast of the United States region and the seventh-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. with a population of 5.3 million in 10 counties. Only 29 nations have a GDP exceeding Houston's GAP. Mining, which in Houston is almost entirely exploration and production of oil and gas, accounts for 11 percent of Houston's GAP; this is down from 21 percent in 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.

Economy

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 cargo and second in total cargo tonnage. Second only to New York City in Fortune 500 headquarters, Houston is the seat of the Texas Medical Center, and at the center of Houston Area Healthcare which contains the world's largest concentration of research and healthcare institutions. 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. 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, providing financial assistance to the international community.

Houston is recognized as a global or "world city" 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. The Houston Theater District is ranked second in the country for the number of theater seats in a concentrated downtown area per capita. The city is home to NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center—where Mission Control Center is located—giving Houston its official nickname of "Space City."

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