Basel, << BAH zuhl >> (pop. 173,863), is a major inland port and transportation center in Switzerland. It lies on the Rhine River in the northern part of the country.
Basel is an important producer of chemicals and a center for banking and insurance. The city also has long been known for its manufacture of dyes, leather goods, and paper. Basel was once a frontier post of the Roman Empire. It has a cathedral founded in 1019. The University of Basel was founded in 1459.
