Harwich
[key], town, Essex, E central England, on the estuary of the Stour and the
Orwell rivers. An important port, Harwich imports foodstuffs, iron and
steel, and machinery; it exports chemicals and automobiles. In wartime it
has been a naval base. Harwich serves as a port for passenger ships to
Denmark, Germany, and Holland. There is also container-ship service from
Harwich to Zeebrugge, Belgium. The town's other industries are boatbuilding,
fishing, light engineering, and cement manufacture. An ancient town, Harwich
was known in the Middle Ages for its port and had an important shipbuilding
industry in the 17th cent.
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