Thanks to their favorable position between East and West, Italian cities such as Venice became international trading and banking hubs and intellectual crossroads.

The 1975-1990 civil war heavily damaged Lebanon's economic infrastructure, cut national output by half, and all but ended Lebanon's position as a West Asian entrepôt and banking hub.

Geographically, and because of trade, Italian cities such as Venice became international trading and banking hubs and intellectual crossroads.

Yet, from the banking hub of Wilmington to the farmlands of southern Delaware, the issues facing the Finance Committee resounded with residents here, underscoring Mr. Roth's pivotal role.

The 1975-90 Lebanese civil war seriously damaged Lebanon's economic infrastructure, cut national output by half, and had major consequences for Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub.

Not long ago, it was a relatively obscure North Carolina textile and banking hub.

Dubai and Singapore have cultivated sophisticated private banking hubs, offering discreet financial services and a tax haven aimed at luring away wealthy clients.

Foreign exchange specialists in Johannesburg, the banking hub of sub-Saharan Africa, call counterfeiting, especially of $100's, an annoyance, though not yet an epidemic.

It is the base for the United States Navy's Fifth Fleet, produces a notable amount of oil and remains a banking hub.

The Kingdom is the main banking hub for the Persian Gulf and a centre for Islamic finance, which has been attracted by the strong regulatory framework for the industry.