Bushehr

Bushehr (bōshĕrˈ) [key] or Bushire –shĭrˈ, city (1991 pop. 132,824), SW Iran, on the Persian Gulf. It is one of the chief ports of Iran, handling about 75% of Iran's foreign trade, and is the terminus of a trade route from Shiraz, Esfahan, and Tehran. An oil center for the region, Bushehr has thermoelectric and nuclear power plants and a fishing industry. Carpets, agricultural products, cotton, and wool are exported.

Bushehr was founded in 1736 by Nadir Shah. It was used by the British as a base for their Persian Gulf fleet in the 18th cent. and became a major commercial port in the 19th cent. It suffered heavy damage during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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