Houston is located in Texas, USA, bordered by the Gulf of Mexico at the east and the Rio Grande at the west and south. Total land area is 268,601 sq. miles, making Texas the second largest state in the union.

Climate

In Houston, you can enjoy an outdoor barbecue in January. Houston’s sunny climate and mild winters allow residents to enjoy recreational activities all year round. Houston usually averages 19.7 days with low temperatures of 32°F or less and 96.0 days with high temperatures of 90°F or more.

Normal maximum daily temperatures are:
Winter 66°F (19°C)
Summer 91°F (33°C)
Spring and Autumn 79°F (26°C) 

Normal minimum daily temperatures are:
Winter 44°F (7°C)
Summer 71°F (21°C)
Spring and Autumn 57°F (14°C) 

Since January 1, 1940, Houston has had only 13 measurable snowfalls. What Houston unfortunately does have, is humidity. The annual average relative humidity is: Midnight 86% 6 a.m. 90% Noon 59% 6 p.m. 65%

Morning TV reports the quality of air expected (including pollen and spore counts in the air for allergy and hay fever sufferers) during the day and gives warnings if there is poor air quality during the summer months.

Language

American English is the most common language spoken in Texas and is noticeable different than British-English, characterized both by spelling and pronunciation variations as well as use of different words. Due to the large number of Hispanic-Americans living in Houston there is a strong bi-lingual feeling about the place, and Spanish is widely spoken.

History

More than 150 years ago, Houston was little more than a muddy crossroads on the banks of Buffalo Bayou, with a population hovering near 3,000. The community had just weathered a devastating yellow fever epidemic that claimed the lives of hundreds of residents. The fledgling Republic of Texas was deeply concerned about the fate of the town. Some legislators were urging abandonment of the city named after the republic’s hero, Sam Houston.

Houston was founded by two brothers, Augustus and John Allen, who dreamed of establishing a city. In the process of achieving that dream, they succeeded in making Houston the capital of the Republic of Texas. The capital eventually was moved to Austin, leaving Houston to make it on its own merits.

In 1840, to save the town, a group of Houston’s businessmen petitioned the Congress of the republic to grant a charter for a chamber of commerce to further Houston’s commercial interests.

During the next 157 years, the Houston Chamber of Commerce became a catalyst in the successful growth of Houston. Today, the Chamber is one arm of the Greater Houston Partnership. Early Houston business leaders pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and created a spirit and a will that still embodies today’s Houston business community.

Within two years after it was chartered, Chamber leaders began lobbying for the seemingly preposterous idea of dredging Buffalo Bayou to create a port to the Gulf of Mexico. By the turn of the century, Houston had obtained funding from the U.S. government to deepen and widen the bayou. In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt signed a bill that appropriated $1 million to a group of die-hard Houston businessmen who wanted to finish digging the channel they envisioned. The project was named the Port of Houston.

In 1914, some 74 years after digging began, President Woodrow Wilson officially opened the Port of Houston. Buffalo Bayou had been transformed successfully into the Houston Ship Channel. As railroads linked Houston to the rest of Teas, the Port linked it to the rest of the world. Today, it is one of the world’s largest ports.

By the early 1900s, another industry had adopted Houston as its hometown. Many of the world’s largest oil fields had been discovered, and Houston became the oil capital. The oil boom fuelled Houston’s growth, which spilled into the real estate, banking and service sectors. By the 1960s, Houston was a boom town.

Since then, the city has developed into a diversified business center, including such industries as banking and finance, aerospace and engineering, electronics and high technology, wholesale and retail trade, heath care and related services, professional services, transportation and shipping, international commerce, real estate and development, manufacturing and distribution, and conventions and tourism.

Culture

Houston is the fourth largest city in the USA, with a population is 1.9 million people for the City, and 3.8 million for the greater metropolitan area. Houston dominates its region thanks to a historic commitment to growth unfettered by zoning and other planning restrictions. The result is that there are several “downtown” areas in addition to the traditional center.

Houston is very diverse. Approximately 50% of the city’s population is white, 12.3% of the population was born in a foreign country, 22% are of Hispanic heritage, around 20% are African American, and around 4% are of Asian descent. The percentage of minority residents continues to grow annually.

Houston is situated in Harris County, which is governed by four commissioners with four-year terms, and the city is governed by the Mayor and city counselors, who serve two-year terms.

Houston is a large city spread over a considerable area. A car is therefore essential for getting around, dripping the kids off and doing the shopping. Families most of the time find it more convenient to have two cars.

Houston is the place to be for people who love shopping. This is a favorite past time of its residents. There are factory outlets, discount stores, single shops, and malls. Large department stores are the main stay in Houston such as local favorites: Dillard’s, JC Penny, Neiman-Marcus, Macy’s, Target, and Sears. During the past few years many national retail chains have discovered Houston, including Barnes and Noble booksellers, Starbucks coffee, Old Navy clothing stores, and Toys-R-Us.

Houston is one of only four cities in the country with resident companies in all four performing arts: Ballet, Opera, Theater, and Symphony. Houston has a full complement of art museums and critically acclaimed galleries as well. City and County Parks are in abundance with 400 parks and nature centers. There are numerous attractions to suit everyone from theme parks and Johnson Space Center to the many festivals that occur every month in and around Houston. The biggest attractions each year in Houston are the Renaissance Festival in October and the world famous Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo which takes place every year around February/March.

Houston is also a city that loves sports from professional college, to interscholastic, to personal. Houston’s professional teams include the world champion basketball players, the Rockets, the Comets (women’s basketball) and ice hockey champions, the Aeros. Not to mention the baseball team, the Astros and the NFL team, the Texans, and the major league soccer team, the Dynamo. Houston is known for its college and University football teams – the Cougars, Owls, Huskies and the Tigers.

Religion

Religion and faith play an important role in the life of Houston and its residents. Texas has been called the Bible Belt, due to the number of churches, synagogues, temples and mosques in the area. Houston is home to one of the largest Baptist churches in the nation, and has huge congregations of Presbyterians, United Methodists and Catholics. Virtually every faith known to man is represented in Houston. As the region has become multi-ethnic, it has seen the addition of many religious groups.

The Yellow Pages book list nearly 20 pages of churches. Harris County has more than 2,000 churches alone! You can get further information on the web.

Politeness: Americans are very open and direct in their conversations. They expect that you will ask questions if you do not understand something. However, when it comes to their private lives, they stand on privacy. In public they usually come across as very polite. In shops, the cashier will invariably respond at the end of the transaction with “have a nice day.”

Friends: They give a different meaning to the word “friend”: anyone you have spoken to a few times. So they call you a friend very easily. In other cultures you call someone like that an acquaintance.

Status: The United States is not a classless society and status is as important as anywhere in the world, although Americans take pride in publicly downgrading the importance of status. A wife automatically carries the same status as her husband.

Way of life: They want almost everything “fast” and “easy”: drive through to get your coffee, hamburger or cash.

Don’ts

Greetings: Body language and gestures often have a different meaning to those in Europe and elsewhere and it is easy for misunderstandings to occur. Depending on your own cultural background, you may be used to kissing when being introduced to someone – be it one, two or even three times on the cheek. Here in Houston, usually you will greet “verbally” with “hi” or “please to meet you”, occasionally shaking hands, but that is as far as they will go. If they are used to foreigners they may kiss or hug you once they get to know you more.

Socializing: Most entertaining takes place away from home. You may be asked to come to a game or restaurant, but will rarely be invited to someone’s house except for important occasions.

Law: Please be aware that different laws apply compared to those in your home country. For example it is unlawful for a child under the age of seventeen years to be left unattended in an automobile for longer than five minutes unless the child is accompanied by an individual age fourteen years or older. Another example: the minimum age to purchase or drink alcohol is 21 years.

Alcohol, public drinking (i.e. in parks): While alcoholic beverages may be offered at business (rarely nowadays) and social gatherings, many Americans do not drink. Smoking has become a minority habit and is prohibited in virtually all commercial and public buildings, on public transport, in restaurants inside city limits and in all sports stadiums. In social situations, visitors should always ask permission before smoking.

Tags: Downtown Houston, Expatriates Houston, Houston Climate, Houston Culture, Houston Expatriates, Houston History, Houston Texas, Houston TX, Living in Houston, Mckenzie Drake, Suzanne Carpenter

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