Houston is the largest city in Texas, the fourth largest city in the United States and the largest economic center along the Gulf Coast. The city covers an area of 65,438+0,440 square kilometers and is named after Sam Houston, then president of Texas and China. Houston is the county seat of harris county (the third largest county in China). Houston is in the east of Missouri, with a part in the southwest extending to Fubian County and a part in the northeast extending to montgomery county. Founded in 1836 and merged in 1837, Houston is one of the fastest growing big cities in the United States, and it is also the largest big city without planning law in the United States. From 65438 to 0900, the population of Houston was 45000, ranking 85th in the United States. According to the US Census in 2000, the total urban population reached 6,543.8+900,000 (more than 2 million in 2004). The greater Houston metropolitan area is the seventh largest metropolitan area in the United States (10 counties, 5 180443 people). Houston is famous for its energy (especially oil), aviation industry and canals. Houston Port is the sixth largest port in the world and the busiest port in the United States, with the largest tonnage of foreign ships and the second largest regardless of nationality. The headquarters of Fortune 500 is second only to new york. Houston is home to the Texas Medical Center, the largest and most important research and treatment institution in the world. Houston also has the lowest living expenses and housing prices among the 27 major metropolitan areas in the United States, with a population of over 6,543,800+7,000. Houston is called a "global city" by the Research Group and Network on Globalization and World Cities (GaWC). The official nickname of Houston is "Space City" because it is the home of Johnson Aviation Center and the mission monitoring center (hence "Houston" is the first word spoken on the moon). Many locals like to call it "Niunuma City". Other nicknames are "H Town", "Paw City" or "Mongolia City". Houston is a multicultural city, where many immigrant communities develop. Its art gallery area is a paradise for many cultural institutions and exhibitions, attracting 7 million tourists every year, and active visual performing arts can often be seen in Houston. Houston is famous for its oil industry, NASA and the port of Houston. Houston is an important energy industry town (especially oil) in the world. In addition, biochemical industry, aerospace industry and canals are also the industrial bases of most of the city. The Houston metropolitan area contains the largest petrochemical industrial zone in the world, including refining plastic raw materials, pesticides and soil fertilizers. The region is also the world's leading oilfield equipment manufacturing center. As a petrochemical complex, the most successful is the Duto artificial canal in Houston, which is one of the busiest ports in the United States and ranks second in the world in tons. Because of these economic and trade, many residents from other parts of the United States have also moved to Houston, some from hundreds of countries around the world. Unlike most regions, high oil prices seem to be harmful to the economy, but for Houston, where energy industry is the main industry, high oil prices seem to be beneficial. Historically, there have been several sudden growth peaks (some serious economic recessions) related to the oil industry in Houston. 190 1 the discovery of oil near Houston led to the first economic take-off here; During 1920s, the urban population increased to140,000. The rapid development of the space industry in this city led to the second growth peak, which was more fixed because of the oil crisis of 1973. Due to the increasing demand for oil in Texas, many people moved to Houston from the northeast to profit from trade. When the blockade was lifted, growth in most other areas almost stagnated. But Pasadena (California) still has its own refinery, and Houston Port is the busiest port in the world. Houston headquarters is second only to new york in the Fortune 500. The city tried to create its own banking system, but Houston's local company numbers began to be merged by other companies in the country. Here, the bank is still an important system, but most banks operating here are not based on it. Real estate in the Houston area is also a huge performance. Houston is also the county seat of harris county. The southwest of Houston is surrounded by Bendburg County on three sides, and a small part of the northeast corner of Houston extends to montgomery county. The current mayor of Houston is Bill White, who is currently in his second term. The mayor of Houston can be re-elected for a maximum of two terms, with a total term of three or six years. Among the 65,438+04 city councillors, nine are district councillors elected by their constituencies and five are ordinary councillors elected by the whole city. City councillors are also subject to the same term limit as mayors. The municipal government plans to add two constituencies and two district councillors when the population of Houston exceeds 265,438+million in 2065,438+00. Houston's too strict term limit forced many city councilors to run for other government positions at the end of their terms to prolong their political life. Former government officials who fit this profile include Anthony Hall, Rodney Ellis, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Sylvia Garcia, Martha Wang, chris bell and Anne. Former mayor Lee P Brown strongly opposes the existing term limit on the grounds that it prevents current officials from gaining enough municipal experience. The city Council has been discussing whether to modify or cancel the term limit. Some state legislators elected in the Greater Houston area also publicly expressed their opposition to Houston's current term limit.