Ahvaz, city in southwestern Iran, the administrative center of Khuzestan (Khuzistan) Province. Ahvaz is one of Iran's largest cities and the center of the region's oil industry. It is located at the confluence of the Karun and Shatt al Arab rivers on the lowland plain of Khuzestan.
Ahvaz has long served as a shipping hub for river traffic and is also a regional center for air, highway, and rail transportation. Since oil was discovered near Ahvaz in 1980, the oil industry has been central to the city's economy. Ahvaz is a major supply and distributing center for the oil fields that lie to the north and for several oil pipelines that pass through the city. Manufactures produced in the city include processed foods and textiles. Educational institutions in Ahvaz include Shahid Chamran University and a branch of the private Islamic Free University. Although the city dates from ancient times, virtually no historical monuments have survived due to damage inflicted during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988).
