A map of Galveston Island, a barrier island on the Texas Gulf coast in the United States

Aerial view of Pelican Island and the northeastern end of Galveston Island. A shoal or sandbar (also called sandbank) is a somewhat Linear Landform within or extending into a body of Water, Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The city and port of Galveston are visible at lower right. View is to the northeast.

Galveston Island is a barrier island on the Texas Gulf coast in the United States, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Houston. A shoal or sandbar (also called sandbank) is a somewhat Linear Landform within or extending into a body of Water, Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The entire island, with the exception of the little Village of Jamaica Beach, is within the city limits of the City of Galveston. Jamaica Beach is a city in Galveston County, Texas, United States. "Galveston" redirects here For the town in the US state of Indiana see Galveston Indiana.

The island is about 27 miles (43 kilometers) long and no more than 3 miles (5 kilometers) wide at its widest point. The island is oriented generally northeast-southwest, with the Gulf of Mexico on the east and south, West Bay on the west, and Galveston Bay on the north. The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world Galveston Bay is a large Estuary located along Texas 's upper coast The island's main access point from the mainland is the Interstate Highway 45 causeway that crosses West Bay on the northeast side of the island. Interstate 45 (I-45 is an Interstate Highway located entirely within the U The far north end of the island is separated from the Bolivar Peninsula by Galveston Harbor, the entrance to Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel. The Houston Ship Channel in Houston Texas is part of the Port of Houston —one of the United States 's busiest Sea ports The channel Ferry service is available between Galveston Island and the Bolivar Peninsula. The southern end of the island is separated from the mainland by San Luis Pass. San Luis Pass is a Strait of water at the south-western end of Galveston Island off the shores of the U The San Luis Pass-Vacek Toll Bridge connects the San Luis Pass Road on Galveston Island with the Bluewater Highway that leads south into the town of Surfside Beach. Surfside Beach is a city in Brazoria County, Texas, United States that is situated on the Gulf of Mexico just west of Galveston Island

Education

Galveston Island is within the Galveston Independent School District. Galveston Independent School District is a School district based in Galveston, Texas ( USA)

All residents are zoned to Ball High School. Ball High School is a public Secondary school in Galveston, Texas, United States.

Colleges and universities include:

• Galveston Community College (GCC)
• University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB)
• Texas A&M University at Galveston (TAMUG)

History

Galveston was settled in 1528 by Europeans, although, at the time Akokisa and Karankawa Indians already lived and camped there. Galveston College ( GC) is a comprehensive Community college located on Galveston Island in Galveston, Texas, United States The University of Texas Medical Branch ( UTMB) is a component of the University of Texas System located in Galveston Texas, about 50 miles (80 km Texas A&M University at Galveston is as an ocean-oriented branch campus of Texas A&M University offering courses in Marine biology, Marine fisheries In addition, in November of 1527, Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca made a brief stop-over on the island during his infamous Odyssey. Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca ( Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz, ca

Jao de la Porta, along with his brother Morin, financed the first settlement by Europeans on Galveston Island in 1816. Jao de la Porta, along with his brother Morin Financed the first settlement by Europeans on Galveston Island in 1816. The field of finance refers to the concepts of Time, Money and Risk and how they are interrelated A settlement is a general term used in Archeology, Landscape history and other subjects for a permanent or temporary community in which people live which avoids being The European peoples are the various Nations and Ethnic groups of Europe. Year 1816 ( MDCCCXVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year [1] Joa de la Porta was born in Portugal of Jewish parentage and later became a Jewish Texan trader. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Jewish Texans have been a part of the history of Texas since the first European Explorers arrived in the region in the 1500s. [2] In 1818, Jean Laffite appointed Jao supercargo for the Karankawa Indian trade. Year 1818 ( MDCCCXVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Jean Lafitte (ca 1776 - ca 1826 was a Privateer in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century Supercargo is a term in maritime law (adapted from the Spanish sobrecargo, one over or in charge of a cargo that refers to a person employed on board a The Karankawa (also Karankawan, Clamcoëhs, and called in their language Auia) were a group of Native American peoples now Extinct When Laffite left Galveston Island in 1820, Jao became a full-time trader. Year 1820 ( MDCCCXX) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year [3]

On September 8, 1900, the greatest natural disaster to ever strike the United States occurred at Galveston, Texas. In the early evening hours of September 8, a hurricane came ashore at Galveston bringing with it a great storm surge that inundated most of Galveston Island and the city of Galveston. As a result, much of the city was destroyed and at least 6,000 people were killed in a few hours time.

Dr. Isaac M. Cline, the meteorologist in charge of the local Weather Bureau, lived on Galveston Island, just off the Texas coast. Cline was aware of a storm out in the Gulf based on previous reports from Florida. Although weather conditions were relatively calm on September 7, Dr. Cline observed the rough seas and the high waves that seemed to become more ominous by the hour. He sent a telegram to Washington, DC saying he thought a large part of the city was going to be underwater. He predicted a very heavy loss of life.

See also

• Henry Cohen Community House
• History of the Jews in Galveston, Texas

References

• Galveston Island from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Galveston Island State Park official web site. Congregation B'nai Israel (בני ישראל in Hebrew) is a Jewish Synagogue located in Galveston Texas, USA The History of the Galveston Jewish Community details over a century of Jewish Texan history in Galveston, Texas, USA. The Handbook of Texas (ISBN 0-87611-151-7 is a comprehensive Encyclopedia of Texas geography history and historical persons published by the Texas
• Cabeza de Vaca, Álvar Núñez (1542). Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca ( Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz, ca The Shipwrecked Men. Penguin. Penguins ( order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae) are a group of aquatic, flightless Birds living almost ISBN 978-0-141-03204-7.  

External links

• Galveston Island State Park
• Galveston Island Convention & Visitors Bureau

	Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown METROPOLITAN AREA
Counties	Austin | Brazoria | Chambers | Fort Bend | Galveston | Harris | Liberty | Montgomery | San Jacinto | Waller
"Principal" cities	Houston | Sugar Land | Baytown | Galveston
Cities and towns	Alvin | Angleton | Bellaire | Cleveland | Clute | Conroe | Dayton | Deer Park | Dickinson | Freeport | Friendswood | Galena Park | Hitchcock | Hempstead | Humble | Jacinto City | Jersey Village | Katy | Lake Jackson | La Marque | La Porte | League City | Liberty | Meadows Place | Missouri City | Pasadena | Pearland | Richmond | Rosenberg | Santa Fe | Seabrook | Sealy | South Houston | Stafford | Texas City | Tomball | Webster | West University Place
Unincorporated areas	Atascocita | Channelview | Cloverleaf | Cypress | Klein | Spring | The Woodlands

Coordinates: 29°17′08″N 94°49′38″W / 29.28556, -94.82722