Geography of Portsmouth
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a city in Rockingham County and a seaport on the Piscataqua River, three miles (5 km) from the Atlantic Ocean. Though it has fishing and light manufacturing industries, Portsmouth has long been dependent on shipbuilding at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, located across the river in Maine. Nearby are many coastal resorts, the University of New Hampshire, and a large air force base.
A trading post, established here in 1623, grew into a fishing and lumbering settlement called Strawbery Banke. The name was changed to Portsmouth in 1653. After New Hampshire was separated from Massachusetts in 1679, Portsmouth served as capital until the Revolutionary War. It was incorporated as a city in 1849 and has the council-manager form of government.
Population: 25,925.