Tianjin and Houston are friendly associated on January, 8th , in 1993. Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States and the largest city within the state of Texas. It has a population of 2,242,193(2007) within an area of 1,558km2. Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of the Houston¨CSugar Land¨CBaytown metropolitan area. Rated as a beta world city, Houston's economy has a broad industrial base in the energy, manufacturing, aeronautics, transportation, and health care sectors and is a leading center for building oilfield equipment; only New York City is home to more Fortune 500 headquarters in the city limits. 0 The Port of Houston ranks first in the United States in international waterborne tonnage handled and second in total cargo tonnage handled. Houston is the seat of the internationally renowned Texas Medical Center, which contains the world's largest concentration of research and healthcare institutions. It became the home of the Texas Medical Center¡ªthe world's largest concentration of healthcare and research institutions¡ªand NASA's Johnson Space Center, where the Mission Control Center is located. Houston's freeway system is made up of 739.3 miles (1,189.8 km) of freeways and expressways in a ten-county metropolitan area. Houston is served by three airports, two of which are commercial that served 52 million passengers in 2007 and managed by the Houston Airport System. There are 17 school districts serving the city. The Houston Independent School District (HISD)has 112 campuses that serve as magnet or vanguard schools¡ªspecializing in such disciplines as health professions, visual and performing arts, and the sciences. |