Portsmouth << PAWRTS muhth >> (pop. 208,003), a city on the southern coast of England, is one of the United Kingdom’s chief naval centers. It is also a unitary authority, a type of local government district in the United Kingdom.
Harbor facilities, dry docks, and ship repair basins line much of the waterfront in Portsmouth. Among the city’s major industries are shipbuilding, engineering, and the manufacture of clothing, plastics, and pharmaceuticals. Portsmouth’s landmarks include a cathedral that dates from the 1100’s and the birthplace of the famous novelist Charles Dickens.
Portsmouth was founded in the 1100’s. It became the leading naval station in England after the construction of a dockyard there during the 1500’s. The dockyard declined in size and use after World War II ended in 1945.
