Introduction
Portland, Oregon city, on the Willamette, near the confluence with the Columbia (border with Canada), with 438,000 inhabitants.
It is the largest city, major port (accessible by ocean-going vessels) and industrial center of Oregon, also a major distribution center and railroad hub, with metal, machine, woodworking, food, electronics and textile industries, as well as shipyards, publishing and printing houses. Major agricultural exhibitions and a rose festival are held annually. The international airport is also an air force base.
The city, seat of a Roman Catholic archbishop, is home to many educational and cultural institutions: University of Portland, several faculties of the University of Oregon, a museum of fine arts, and a zoo.
History
The city was founded in 1851 and quickly developed into a care center during the gold rushes of 1850 and 1897-1900.
The connection to the railway network (1883) and the construction of the Bonneville dam (1937; hydroelectric power stations) led to major industrial development.
