Basra:
Basra (also known as Basrah or Basara; historically sometimes called Busra, Busrah) is the second largest city of Iraq. It is the country's main port. The city is located along the Shatt al-Arab (Arvandrood) waterway near the Persian Gulf. Basra is 55 km from the Persian Gulf and 545 km from Baghdad. Basra is the capital of the Basra province.
The area surrounding Basra has substantial petroleum resources with many oil wells. The city also has an international airport. Basra is in a fertile agricultural region, with major products including rice, maize corn, barley, millet, wheat, dates, and livestock. The city's oil refinery has a production capacity of about 140,000 barrels a day (22,300 m³).
Today Basra consists of three main areas: Ashar, which is the old commercial center, including the Corniche and the bazaars, Margil, which includes the port and modern residential areas and Basra proper, which is the old residential area, with many old-style houses.
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