| Bushehr or Bushire, pop. 165,377 (in 2005), is a city on the southwestern coast of Iran, on the Persian Gulf. It is the chief seaport of the country and the administrative centre of Bushehr province. Its location is 28° 59' N, 50° 49' E, about 400 km south of Tehran. The local climate is hot and humid.
Bushehr was founded in 1736 by Nadir Shah. Prior to that, it was called Reeshehr, and was the seat of the Nestorian Christian expansion of the 5th century.
In 1763 the Persian ruler Karim Khan granted the British East India Company the right to build a base and trading post there. It was used as a base by the British Royal Navy in the late 18th century. In the 19th century, Bushehr became an important commercial port. It was occupied by British forces in 1856, during the Anglo-Persian War 1856-1857. Bushehr surrendered to the British on December 9, 1856.
It was occupied by the British again in 1915, the second time due to German intrigue, most notably by Wilhelm Wassmuss.
In previous centuries, many Africans settled in Bushehr. Although there is no discernible linguistic influence from Africa in Bushehr, there are cultural and genetic influences.
Industries include fishing and a thermoelectric power plant, while the inland area (also called Bushehr) produces Shiraz wine, metalwork, rugs and other textiles, cement, and fertilizer. The Iranian navy maintains a base here.
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