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Introduction Portsmouth is New Hampshire's first settlement, the second oldest city, the first capital, and its only seaport. Portsmouth is located in southeastern New Hampshire in Rockingham County and is at the mouth of a broad tidal basin for six inland rivers. Portsmouth’s livelihood depended largely upon the sea for many years. Today, it jas developed as one of the finest vacation spots of New England.
Portsmouth is equidistant from Portland, Maine, to the north and Boston, Massachusetts, to the south. Portsmouth itself lies on the banks of the Piscataqua River and on the opposite bank of the Piscataqua is the city of Kittery, Maine site of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Portsmouth is the only seaport in the state and has one of the deepest harbors in the world. The land around the harbor is hilly, sloping down to Piscataqua Bay.
Winter in Portsmouth is mild and wet because of the influence of the Atlantic Ocean. The city receives an average snowfall of 62 inches every year. Summers are warm and humid and sometimes lightened by ocean breezes.
Area: 15.7 square miles (2000)
Elevation: 20 feet above sea level
Latitude: 36.83 N,
Longitude: 76.35 W
Average Temperatures: January, 19.9° F; July, 69.5° F; annual average, 44.7° F
Average Annual Precipitation: 46 inches of rain; 62 inches of snow
Population: 100,169 as on 2005
Attractions * Governor John Langdon House
* John Paul Jones House
* Strawbery Banke Museum
* Federalist and Georgian mansions
* St. John's Church
* Prescott Park
* Odiorne Point State Park
* Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Festivals * Bowstreet Artisans Fair
* Prescott Parks Art Festival
* Children's Museum of Portsmouth
* Harbor Arts Jazz Festival