Galveston Bay metropolitan area in the United States, and home to one of the nation's most significant shipping centers. Houston, the nation's fourth largest city, is the economic and cultural center of the region. Other significant communities bordering the bay include Texas City, Pasadena, Baytown, Seabrook, Kemah, Clear Lake, and Anahuac. The bay is bordered by four counties: Brazoria, Chambers, Harris, and Galveston. Important ports that serve the bay include the Port of Houston, the Port of Texas City, and the Port of Galveston. The Houston Ship Channel, which connects the Port of Houston to the Gulf, passes through the bay. It
Port of Galveston island's grade. As a result, the port was now considered a deep-water port and was able to handle larger ships. By the time World War I began, Galveston "was the leading cotton port in the world, the third largest exporter of wheat, and an important sugar import center." The port also became a major immigration center, with almost 50,000 people entering the country between 1906 and 1914. In March 1920 local longshoreman called for a strike, seeking a wage increase and recognition of their union, the International Longshoreman's Association. Some of the port traffic was diverted to the Port of