Portal:Houston/Selected article/October 2009
Galveston /ˈɡælvᵻstən/ is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2005 U.S. Census estimate, the city had a total population of 57,466 within an area of 208 square miles (539 km²). Located within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, the city is the seat and second-largest city of Galveston County in population.
Named after Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid, Count of Gálvez, Galveston's first European settlements on the island were constructed around 1816. Galveston was occupied by the pirate Jean Lafitte, who took up residence in the settlement and later burned it to the ground in 1821. The Port of Galveston was established in 1825 by the Congress of Mexico following its successful revolution from Spain. The city served as the main port for the Texas Navy during the Texas Revolution. Galveston was founded in 1836 by Michel Menard and served as the capital of the Republic of Texas during the same year.
During the 19th century Galveston became a major U.S. commercial center and one of the largest ports in the U.S. Galveston is known for the hurricane that devastated the city in 1900. The natural disaster that followed still counts as the most deadly in American history. Though the city rebuilt and has become a significant tourist draw, it never regained the prosperity of its earlier years. A 10 mile (16 km) long, 17 foot (5.18 m) high seawall now protects the city from floods and hurricane storm surge.
Much of Galveston's modern economy is centered in the tourism, health care, shipping and financial industries. Galveston originated the city commission form of city government known as the "Galveston Plan". The 84-acre (340,000 m2) University of Texas Medical Branch campus with an enrollment of more than 2,500 students is a major economic force of the city. Galveston is home to six historic districts containing one of the largest and historically significant collection of nineteenth-century buildings with over 60 structures listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
