Ascara

 is a and the largest  by population in Ventora. Located on the Lávar River just above its mouth at 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 247.45 km2 and has a population of 2,394,835. 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. The municipality itself was founded in founded in 713 BC and became one of the key city-states of the pre-Haksar tributary period.

Geography
Ascara is located on the Lávar just north of 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.

Points of interest
The River Palace (: Palacio del Río), former palace of the Duke of Montaña, at 18000 m2, is the largest -style building in Ventora. Now the seat of the Montañan duchy government and parliament, the building is a popular tourist draw for its style and grandeur.

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.