Galveston

City and port in southeastern Texas, USA, at the northeastern end of Galveston Island, on the Gulf of Mexico coast; seat of Galveston County; population (1992) 59,600. It is the state's chief cotton port and also exports petroleum, wheat, and timber, and has chemical works and petroleum refineries. Fishing is also important, and the city has long been a resort for the island's sandy beaches.

The city dates from a settlement founded by the pirate Jean Lafitte in 1817 and was incorporated in 1839. In the 19th century Galveston was one of the major ports of the USA, and many historic buildings remain. Its economy declined in the 20th century in favour of Houston, especially after the construction of an inland ship channel from Houston to the head of Galveston Bay.

Because the city is situated on the outer sandbar of the Gulf coast (rather than lying on the sheltered lagoons behind the bar) it remains vulnerable to bad weather; in 1900, 6,000 people died in one of the hurricanes that periodically hit the region. Galveston is the seat of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (1881) and Texas A & M University at Galveston (1971). Galveston Island State Park is nearby.