Twin city Houston (USA)

History and profile of the twin city

Houston was founded in 1836. Between 1837 and 1839 it was the capital of Texas.

With the industrialisation of the coastal plain at the Gulf of Mexico after the second World War, Houston became an industrial, trade, financial and cultural centre, resulting in a large population increase. Today Houston is one of the world’s largest petrochemical centres, based on the production of oil, natural gas, salt and sulphur. Steel industry, engineering and electronics are strong sectors in Houston, which in turn affected its rise as a major research centre of the US.

Since 1987 the city has been hosting trade fairs. Houston is a major traffic junction, it has the 4th largest port of the US, two airports and a media centre.

The city has universities, institutes and colleges of higher education with 240,000 students, and it houses the Texas Medical Center with medical colleges. Space institutions like the Johnson Space Center are also noteworthy.

Cultural institutions include the Opera House, theatres, a symphony orchestra and museums. The numerous sights of the city include attractions like the Space Center (mentioned above), the historical city centre and the Museum of Fine Arts.

Houston

Fourth-largest city in the US at the Gulf of Mexico in the State of Texas

Population: approx. 1.6 million inhabitants

Twin city of Leipzig since 1993

Activities and projects