Port Harcourt was founded by the British in 1912 and named for Lewis, Viscount Harcourt, who was secretary of state for the colonies from 1910 to 1915. Port Harcourt is also known as the Garden City for its array of Parks and gardens. It is the capital of Rivers State and the centre of Nigeria's oil industry. Even though the city did not exist before 1912, there are several historic towns in its vicinity, of which Bonny, Opobo and Brass are the best known. Most of these towns were formerly connected with slave trade. Nowadays they are oil terminals.
Before the discovery of oil, Port Harcourt was mainly a fishing town. Nowadays, Port Harcourt is an industrial center and the operational headquarters of the Nigerian petroleum industry. Oil is refined there and piped mostly to Bonny for export. Palm oil and kernels, cacao, coal, tin and peanuts are Port Harcourt's chief exports. Steel and aluminum products, pressed concrete, glass, tires, paint, footwear, furniture and cigarettes are also manufactured in the city, while bicycles and motor vehicles are assembled there.
Port Harcourt has a rail terminus and an airport. There is also a golf course. Some of the city's most interesting sights include the Rivers State museum, the Rivers State Integrated Cultural Center and the Azumini Blue River. An annual Rivifest is held in Port Harcourt.
Accommodation and restaurants are widely available. Port Harcourt is a deep-water port on the Bonny River in the Niger delta in the south of Nigeria. It is about 500 km south from Abuja.
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