Port Harcourt is the capital of Rivers State, Nigeria and largest city in the state.

It is also the fourth most populous city in Nigeria after Lagos, Kano, and Ibadan.

Founded
1912

Port Harcourt was founded in 1912 by Frederick Lugard, governor of Nigeria.

Purpose
The colonial administration of Nigeria created the port to export coal from the collieries of Enugu located 243 kilometres (151 mi) north of Port Harcourt, to which it was linked by a railway.

Name
The port was built in 1912, but not given a name until August 1913, when the then Governor of Nigeria, Sir Frederick Lugard, named it “Port Harcourt” in honor of Lewis Harcourt, then the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Composition
The urban area (Port Harcourt metropolis) is made up of the local government area itself and parts of Obio-Akpor and Eleme.

The Greater Port Harcourt region, spans eight local government areas that include Port Harcourt, Okrika, Obio-Akpor, Ikwerre, Oyigbo, Ogu–Bolo, Etche and Eleme.

Some of Port Harcourt’s more popular and well-known residential areas are known as Port Harcourt Township (or just “Town”), GRA (Government Reserved Area) phases 1–5, Elekahia, Rumuomasi, D-line, Elelenwo, Eliozu, Iboloji, Ogbunabali, Rumuola, Rumigbo, Mgbuoba, Diobu, Woji, Amadi Flats, Umuchitta, Rumuokoro and Borikiri.

The main industrial area is located in Trans Amadi, Abuloma.

Location
Port Harcourt lies along the Bonny River and is located in the Niger Delta.

Rivers state is located in southern Nigeria, comprising the Niger River delta on the Gulf of Guinea.

Boundaries
It is bounded by the states of Anambra and Imo on the north, Abia and Akwa Ibom on the east, and Bayelsa and Delta on the west