Ascara

 is the largest by population in Ventora. Located on the shores of the Gulf of Eshar, Ascara is home to the 's largest port. It is also the of the  of Montaña. The Ascera Exchange ( Balsa de Ascara) is located in the city, as are head offices for many banks and numerous corporate headquarters, making Ascara the country's financial center as well. The city covers 502.45 km2 and has a population of 2,177,123. The current mayor (alcalde, fem. alcaldesa) is Vasco Giménez Meléndez.

History
A settlement of some type has existed in the location of present-day Ascara since before recorded history.

Geography
Ascara is located on the Gulf of Eshar.

Demographics
The city's residents refer to themselves as Ascareños (fem: Ascareñas'') while others call them Ascarans.

Ascara is home to the country's oldest university, the University of Ascara, which was founded in 1341. The university has over 75,000 students and is the most prestigious in the country. The Hospital Clinic of Ascara, an 819-bed, is affiliated with the university and adjacent to the its medical campus.

Economy
Ascara is the financial center of Ventora. Its financial district is the home of the Ascara Exchange (Bolsa de Ascara), the stock exchange on which nearly all the country's corporate firms are listed. Many banks have their head offices in the financial district and the city hosts more corporate headquarters than any other single location in the country.

Port of Ascara
In 2018, the port handled 103,409,208 t, including 4,031,532 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), of cargo, making it the country's busiest commercial port.

Culture
Chronicles Media Company, which operates the Chronicles Broadcasting Service and publishes the weekly newsmagazine Crónicas, has its headquarters in Ascara. The city's leading daily newspaper, Ventora Hoy (lit. "Ventora Today"), enjoys a wide circulation throughout the country.

Transport
Ascara and its metropolitan region are served by an extensive road, rail, and rapid transit network. Ascara Global Aerodrome is the largest airport in the region and the oldest commercial aviation center in the country.