Environment
Galveston Island
Galveston is a Texas
Gulf Coast city with a semitropical climate and natural harbor,
making it long favored as a tourist resort and port. With a
population approaching 65,000, it is well known for its
community events, seasonal festivals and as the site of the
extensive health science resources of The University of Texas
Medical Branch.
The city is situated
on Galveston Island, a Gulf of Mexico barrier island
approximately 32 miles long and two miles at its greatest width.
Located some 50 miles south-southeast of
Houston, it lies two miles off the Texas mainland and is
connected to it by causeways and
public ferries.
Due to a coastal
location and relatively low latitude, cold fronts are infrequent
and seldom severe. Normal
monthly maximum
temperatures range from about 60 degrees in January to near 88
degrees in August, while minimums range from 48 degrees in
January to the upper 70s throughout the summer. Average rainfall
is about 46 inches a year.
History
With its natural
harbor, Galveston developed into a thriving port and business
community. The city piled up a number of “firsts” in its
history. Included are claims for Texas’ first customs house,
post office, daily newspaper, telephone, chamber of commerce and
orphanage.
In the 1850s,
Galveston was the major city in the state with its shipping
facilities, banks, building, real estate and trading
institutions. Much of the commercial activity was centered in
Galveston’s Strand area, known as the Wall Street of the
Southwest. During the last 15 years, the Strand has undergone a
major restoration, and today offers a variety of shops, museums
and restaurants.
Economy
The Galveston economy
is centered on UTMB,
Port of Galveston, financial institutions and tourism. The
Medical Branch is the island’s largest single employer and also
draws employees from the nearby mainland. UTMB has an annual
payroll of more than $530 million and about 12,635 employees.
The Port of Galveston
is the only city-owned port in the state. Financial institutions
have an enormous impact on Galveston’s economy, with insurance,
banking and real estate activities forming the nucleus. Tourism
is also a major contributing factor to the economy, with about
6.5 million visitors per year. Tourism in Galveston focuses
largely on the 32 miles of public beaches and the wealth of
historical architecture in the city.
Culture
Galveston bridges the
old and new in its cultural life. The Rosenberg Library was
established in 1900. The Grand 1894 Opera House, once a theater
for the finest musicians and actors, has been revitalized. Other
cultural activities in Galveston include summer musical dramas
by the Lone Star Historical Drama Association, Galveston
College’s Upper Deck Theatre, Strand Street Theatre, and a
series of films, lectures and musical programs presented by
various organizations.
Galveston’s four-masted tall ship,
Elissa, built in 1887,
and now completely renovated and seaworthy is open to the public
and is adjacent to the
Seaport Museum.
Education
Galveston youths
receive free public education through the
Galveston
Independent School District. In addition, there are four
private elementary schools, one parochial middle school, and one
parochial senior
high school.
Advanced education
facilities include
UTMB,
Galveston College
and
Texas A&M University at
Galveston. Galveston College is a community college offering
two-year transfer programs and associate degrees, diploma and
certificate programs, and noncredit continuing education
classes. The college offers a number of health-related programs
in conjunction with UTMB. Texas A&M at Galveston offers degrees
in a number of marine-related disciplines, as well as providing
other education services through Texas A&M University.
Housing
Housing on Galveston
Island ranges from the ultra modern to nostalgic historical
homes. One can find a beach house perched on stilts as well as a
loft tucked away in a renovated commercial building.
Tourism
Galveston Island is
the perfect year-round resort destination blending temperate
weather and rich history. Escape and explore a tropical island
paradise, full of exciting entertainment, captivating
museums, even
bird watching, and other incredible attractions.
In North America,
there are over 850 species of
birds. Texas can boast having more bird species, nearly
600, than any other state or provence in North America. Some
birds sighted in Texas occur nowhere else in the nation, and
birdwatchers from around the world flock to see them. Galveston
Island, and its checklist of over 320 species, is part of the
Great Texas Birding Trail. Here you will find Roseate
Spoonbills, with their bizarre spatulate beaks, Reddish Egrets
that prance about in the surf in search of small fish and
crustaceans, and Magnificent Frigatebirds that sail over bays
and beaches on seven-foot wings. Not only do many warm-weather
species nest on Galveston Island, but northern ones also pass
through on their long migration flights. Many remain for the
winter. When autumn approaches and some birds leave for Central
and South America, others arrive to take their places. Even the
hardiest birds from the far North turn up occasionally when ice
and snow make food impossible to find at higher latitudes.
Texas birds change
with the seasons, but they are plentiful at any time of the
year.
