It is a seaport (notably for transatlantic traffic), a major naval base, and a fishing and manufacturing center; products include ships and marine supplies, electronic and communications equipment, and processed food. A long breakwater protects the port.

Cherbourg is built on the probable site of the Roman camp of Coriallum. By the 11th century the community was known as Carusbar or Carusburc. It was sacked by the English in 1295, but it withstood several English sieges during the following two centuries. Projects for the fortification and improvement of the harbor were initiated in the 17th century. In 1758 Cherbourg was captured by the British, and its port facilities were destroyed; they were restored in a long-term project begun in the 1770s and completed in the mid-19th century. During World War II the city was occupied by the Germans in 1940, and it suffered heavy damage while being recaptured by the Allies in 1944. Population (1990) 28,773.