Ascara

 is the largest by population in Ventora. Located on the shores of the Xxx Gulf, 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 Xxx Gulf.

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

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.