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70-494: The city of Port-au-Prince is on the Gulf of Gonâve : the bay on which the city lies, which acts as a natural harbor, has sustained economic activity since the civilizations of the Taíno . It was first incorporated under French colonial rule in 1749. The city's layout is similar to that of an amphitheater ; commercial districts are near the water, while residential neighborhoods are located on

140-404: A 6.6 kilometres (4.1 mi) stretch within a range of 7–47 metres (23–154 ft) from the shoreline, of the uninhabited eastern lake shore, near charcoal-making sites and in coralliferous limestone outcrops. Aquatic fauna of the lake consists of small Poeciliidae (such as Gambusia dominicensis , Limia melanonotata and Limia nigrofasciata ) and cichlids ( Nandopsis haitiensis ). In

210-556: A global relief effort. On Wednesday 20 January 2010, an aftershock rated at a magnitude of 5.9 caused additional damage. The City Hall (Mairie de Port-au-Prince) and most of the city's other government municipal buildings were destroyed in the 2010 earthquake. Ralph Youri Chevry was the mayor of the city at the time of the earthquake. The worst hurricane season experienced by Haiti occurred in 2008 when four storms Fay , Gustav , Hanna , and Ike negatively impacted Haiti. Nearly 800 people were killed; 22,000 homes were destroyed; 70% of

280-449: A group from Hôpital reinforced the authority of the colonial administration, it also made the region a more attractive target for marauding buccaneers . In order to protect the area, in 1706, a captain named de Saint-André sailed into the bay just below the hospital, in a ship named Le Prince . It is said that M. de Saint-André named the area Port-au-Prince (meaning "Port of the Prince"), but

350-434: A length of 4 metres (13 ft), though 6.25 metres (20.5 ft) long or 7 metres (23 ft) long specimens have been reported in Étang Saumâtre. The lake is known for the high concentration of crocodiles at 9.6/km in certain zones, with average density of 6.3/km for all crocodile size classes. The density varies in its habitat zones, over a distance of 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) and 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) length from

420-404: A massive humanitarian crisis shortly after. The metropolitan area is subdivided into various communes (districts). There is a ring of districts that radiates out from the commune of Port-au-Prince. Pétion-Ville is an affluent suburban commune located southeast of the city. Delmas is located directly south of the airport and north of the central city, and the rather poor commune of Carrefour

490-516: A new city was built, Port-au-Prince. In 1770, Port-au-Prince replaced Cap-Français (the modern Cap-Haïtien ) as capital of the colony of Saint-Domingue . In November 1791, it was burned in a battle between attacking black revolutionaries and defending white plantation owners. It was captured by British troops on 4 June 1794, after the Battle of Port-Républicain . In 1804, it became the capital of newly independent Haïti. When Jean-Jacques Dessalines

560-511: A number of Europeans (both foreign-born and native-born). Citizens of Arab (particularly Syrian , Lebanese , and Israeli Arab ) ancestry have a large presence in the capital. Arab Haitians (a large number of whom live in Port-au-Prince) are, more often than not, concentrated in financial areas where the majority of them establish businesses. Most of the biracial residents of the city are concentrated within wealthier areas. Port-au-Prince

630-417: A number of hospitals including le Centre Hospitalier du Sacré-Cœur, Hôpital de l'Université d'État d'Haïti (l'HUEH), Centre Obstetrico Gynécologique Isaïe Jeanty-Léon Audain, Hôpital du Canapé-Vert, Hôpital Français (Asile Français), Hôpital Saint-François de Sales, Hôpital-Maternité Sapiens, Hôpital OFATMA, Clinique de la Santé, Maternité de Christ Roi, Centre Hospitalier Rue Berne and Maternité Mathieu. After

700-574: A significant number of UN personnel is present throughout the city as part of the stabilization mission in Haiti . Port-au-Prince various educational institutions, ranging from small vocational schools to universities . Influential international schools in Port-au-Prince include Union School , founded in 1919, and Quisqueya Christian School , founded in 1974. Both schools offer an American-style pre-college education. French-speaking students can attend

770-559: A treaty with the Spanish. Prior to the arrival of Christopher Columbus , the island of Hispaniola was inhabited by the Taíno people, who arrived in approximately 2600 BC in large dugout canoes . They are believed to come primarily from what is now eastern Venezuela . By the time Columbus arrived in 1492 AD, the region was under the control of Bohechio, Taíno cacique (chief) Xaragua. He, like his predecessors, feared settling too close to

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840-428: Is a brackish water lake. It lies 22 kilometres (14 mi) east of Port-au-Prince on the fertile Plaine du Cul-de-Sac . The lake supports over 100 species of waterfowl , American flamingos ( Phoenicopterus ruber ), American crocodiles ( Crocodylus acutus ), and several other fauna found nowhere else in Haiti. The color of the lake is an intense shade of blue, and it is skirted by brush and cacti . Étang Saumâtre

910-576: Is also located in downtown Port-au-Prince at the Palace of Ministries, adjacent to the National Palace in the Champ de Mars plaza. The Haitian Group of Research and Pedagogical Activities (GHRAP) has set up several community centers for basic education. UNESCO 's office at Port-au-Prince has taken a number of initiates in upgrading the educational facilities in Port-au-Prince. A 2012 independent study found that

980-503: Is in the region of dry subtropical forest and hence the vegetation around the lake is sparse, with cacti and scrub-type shrubs . Typical vegetation consists of dry-forest plants endemic to the island of Hispaniola . They include trees, shrubs and cacti: caguey ( Leptocereus paniculatus ), melon espinoso ( Melocactus lemairei ), palo blanco ( Croton poitaei ), pitahaya ( Harrisia nashii ) and oreganillo ( Lantana cifferiana ). The lagoon itself has several species of algae . In

1050-567: Is located on the arid part of the valley Cul-de-Sac, 29 kilometres (18 mi) east of Port-au-Prince in the Ouest department . Its eastern side is part of the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic; the Dominican city of Jimaní is less than 1 km from the southeast end of the lake. The lake itself is part of a chain of nearby saline lakes that lie within the valley known as

1120-416: Is located on the coast of the gulf. Other cities on the gulf coast include Gonaïves , Saint-Marc , Léogane Miragoâne , and Jérémie . Several islands are located in the gulf, the largest being Gonâve Island , followed by the much smaller Cayemites . The Gulf is more than 500 km in length from Mole-Saint-Nicolas to Abricots and it consist of more than a dozen bays and harbors. The Port-au-Prince Bay

1190-440: Is located southwest of the city. The commune harbors many low-income slums plagued with poverty and violence in which the most notorious, Cité Soleil , is situated. However, Cité Soleil has been recently split off from Port-au-Prince proper to form a separate commune. The Champ de Mars area has begun some modern infrastructure development as of recently. The downtown area is the site of several projected modernization efforts in

1260-444: Is one of the nation's largest centers of economy and finance. The capital exports its most widely consumed produce of coffee and sugar , and has, in the past, exported other goods, such as shoes and baseballs . Port-au-Prince has food-processing plants as well as soap , textile and cement factories. Despite political unrest, the city also relies on the tourism industry and construction companies to move its economy. Port-au-Prince

1330-504: Is the birthplace of internationally known naïve artist Gesner Abelard , who was associated with the Centre d'Art . The Musée du Panthéon National Haïtien (MUPANAH) is a museum featuring the heroes of the independence of Haiti, the Haitian history and culture. On 5 April 2015, the construction of a new LDS Temple in Port-au-Prince was announced. Port-au-Prince is the only city anywhere in

1400-603: Is the largest in the country and one of the biggest in the Caribbean. This article about a location in Haiti is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Etang Saum%C3%A2tre Étang Saumâtre ( Spanish : Laguna del Fondo ), (English: brackish pond ) is the largest lake in Haiti It is also known as Lake Azuéi ( Lac Azuéi ); its Taíno name was Yainagua . Unlike its hypersaline neighbor, Étang Saumâtre

1470-485: Is widely distributed in the coastal regions of the Neotropics ; however, it is assumed to be surviving on the island of Hispaniola only in the saltwater lakes of Étang Saumâtre and Enriquillo. In 1984, there were estimated to be more than 400 individuals in and around Étang Saumâtre. It is also reported that this population is nearing extirpation , due to excessive hunting and poaching. American crocodiles generally achieve

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1540-531: The Hispaniolan slider ( Trachemys decorata ) and other reptiles, such as the rhinoceros iguana ( Cyclura cornuta ). Some fishes, such as tilapia , are also found. Its recognized importance is as a breeding, passage and wintering area for numerous bird species: as many as 300–400 breeding pairs of wading birds in the Ciconiiformes can be found in the eastern zone of the lagoon. Important avian raptor species of

1610-630: The Presidential Palace was thrown into the first floor, and the domes skewed at a severe tilt. The seaport and airport were both damaged, limiting aid shipments. The seaport was severely damaged by the quake and was unable to accept aid shipments for the first week. The airport's control tower was damaged and the US military had to set up a new control center with generators to get the airport prepared for aid flights. Aid has been delivered to Port-au-Prince by numerous nations and voluntary groups as part of

1680-652: The 2010 earthquake, two hospitals remained that were operational. The University of Miami in partnership with Project Medishare has created a new hospital, L'Hôpital Bernard Mevs Project Medishare, to provide inpatient and outpatient care for those impacted by the January 2010 earthquake. This hospital is volunteer staffed and provides level 1 trauma care to Port-au-Prince and the surrounding regions. CDTI (Centre de Diagnostique et de Traitement Intégré) closed in April 2010 when international aid failed to materialize. It had been considered

1750-547: The Cul-de-Sac Depression in Haiti and the Hoya de Enriquillo in the Dominican Republic. Because the region was a former marine strait , several areas of the valley are below sea level. While the lake created in a depression is 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) long and 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) wide. Étang Saumâtre is landlocked, as it has no surface outlet. It is fed by springs emanating from calcareous rocks. The western part of

1820-463: The Dominican Republic and many international agencies are aware of the status of the two water bodies and the catchments drained by them. While Lago Enriquillo in the Dominican Republic has become the first Dominican Ramsar Site and is also a national park since 1996, its twin lake, Etang Saumâtre has only been studied and is yet to receive the constructive attention for conservation of its American crocodiles and to promote ecotourism in general. However,

1890-850: The French language but also a secondary language in English. The State University of Haiti ( Université d'État d'Haïti in French or UEH), is located within the capital along other universities such as the Quisqueya University and the Université des Caraïbes . There are many other institutions that observe the Haitian scholastic program. Many of them are religious academies led by foreign missionaries from France or Canada . These include Institution Saint-Louis de Gonzague , École Sainte-Rose-de-Lima, École Saint-Jean-Marie Vianney, Institution du Sacré-Coeur, and Collège Anne-Marie Javouhey. The Ministry of Education

1960-614: The Lycée Français ( Lycée Alexandre Dumas ), located in Bourdon. Another school is Anís Zunúzí Bahá'í School north west of Port-au-Prince which opened its doors in 1980 which survived the 2010 Haiti earthquake and its staff were cooperating in relief efforts and sharing space and support with neighbors. A clinic was run at the school by a medical team from the United States and Canada. Its classes offered transition from Haitian Creole to

2030-569: The airport road (Boulevard Toussaint-Louverture) and its adjoining connectors to the New ("American") Road via Route Nationale 1. This latter area in particular has been the scene of numerous robberies, carjackings, and murders. Gulf of Gon%C3%A2ve The Gulf of Gonâve ( French : Golfe de la Gonâve ; Haitian Creole : Gòf Lagonav ) is a large gulf of the Caribbean Sea along the western coast of Haiti . Haiti's capital city, Port-au-Prince ,

2100-445: The area in 1706. However, the islets in the bay had already been known as les îlets du Prince as early as 1680, predating the ship's arrival. Furthermore, the port and the surrounding region continued to be known as Hôpital , named after the filibusters ' hospital. French colonial commissioner Étienne Polverel named the city Port-Républicain on 23 September 1793 "in order that the inhabitants be kept continually in mind of

2170-409: The bottom of the lake and during bird nesting season they are found around a heron rookery to catch falling eggs of birds. Their foraging techniques vary from an active to a passive mode, and they forage on non-aquatic invertebrates and also odonate larvae . Birds and fish (Cichilidae) are the common items of their diet. Adults also eat domestic animals such as dogs and goats, and turtles. They nest in

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2240-399: The capital. Port-au-Prince has a tropical wet and dry climate ( Aw ) and relatively constant temperatures throughout the course of the year. Port-au-Prince's wet season runs from March through November with rainfall peaking from April to May and from August to October, with the city experiencing a relative break in rainfall during the months of June and July. The city's dry season covers

2310-535: The catchment of Lake Azuéi. Its water level has remained relatively stable. Increased levels of eutrophication in the form of increased growth of algae have been noted due to urban growth which is chiefly in Fonds Parisien . During heavy afternoon winds deposit periodically dropped or dumped plastics from the shore. Publicly taxed waste disposal and management rarely operate around the lake, an area which also has little law enforcement of minor littering. Haiti and

2380-451: The celebration, the cemetery becomes packed with people. Those who are celebrating make sacrifices of food for the spirits (mange lwa) and pour liquor on the gravestones among other festivities. The mayor of Port-au-Prince is Lucsonne Janvier, who succeeded Ralph Youri Chevry in July 2020. In 2023, Janvier's City Hall employees protested lack of salaries. The city's separate districts (primarily

2450-546: The center's domed roof. Another popular destination in the capital is the Hotel Oloffson , a 19th-century gingerbread mansion that was once the private home of two former Haitian presidents . It has become a popular hub for tourist activity in the central city. The Cathédrale de Port-au-Prince is a famed site of cultural interest and attracts foreign visitors to its Neo-Romantic architectural style. The Musée d'Art Haïtien du Collège Saint-Pierre contains work from some of

2520-508: The city). The Port-au-Prince area was part of the Xaragua chiefdom with the capital city, Yaguana being in Léoganes. There were multiple Taino settlements in the area such as Bohoma and Guahaba. It is understood that most of the plain area was used as hunting grounds. The Bahoruco mountain range in the north-east of Port-au-Prince was the scene of a Taino rebellion led by Enriquillo resulting in

2590-640: The coast; such settlements would have proven to be tempting targets for the Caribs , who lived on neighboring islands. Instead, the region served as a hunting ground. The population of the region was approximately 400,000 at the time, but the Taínos were gone within 30 years of the arrival of the Spaniards. With the arrival of the Spaniards, the Amerindians were forced to accept a protectorate , and Bohechio, childless at death,

2660-446: The country's crops were lost, according to reliefweb.org. Then, in 2012, Hurricane Sandy , while not making direct impact, resulted in 75 deaths, $ 250 million in damage and a resurgence of cholera that was estimated to infected 5,000 people. In 2016, Hurricane Matthew caused catastrophic damage across Haiti, and over 500 deaths were associated with the storm in Haiti alone, along with at least $ 3 billion in damages. The storm also caused

2730-661: The country's most talented artists, and the Musée National is a museum featuring historical artifacts such as King Henri Christophe 's actual suicide pistol and a rusty anchor that museum operators claim was salvaged from Christopher Columbus 's ship, the Santa María . Other notable cultural sites include the Archives Nationales, the Bibliothèque Nationale (National Library) and Expressions Art Gallery . The city

2800-418: The country's premiere hospital. The culture of the city lies primarily in the center around the National Palace as well as its surrounding areas. The National Museum is located in the grounds of the palace, established in 1938. The National Palace was one of the early structures of the city but was destroyed and then rebuilt in 1918. It was destroyed again by the earthquake on 12 January 2010 which collapsed

2870-404: The death toll to be 230,000. Gang violence is extensive, and kidnappings , massacres and gang rapes are common occurrences, often with the complicity of police officers and politicians. Port-au-Prince literally means "Prince's Port", but it is unclear which prince was the honoree. A theory is that the place is named after Le Prince , a ship captained by de Saint-André which arrived in

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2940-474: The districts of Delmas , Carrefour , and Pétion-Ville ) are all administered by their own municipal councils. The seat of the state, the Presidential Palace , is located in the Champ de Mars, square plaza of the city. The PNdH ( Police Nationale d’Haïti ) is the authority governing the enforcement of city laws. The national police force as of recently, have been increasing in number. However, because of its ailing ineffectiveness and insufficient manpower,

3010-444: The eastern shore line, while the western shores have small fresh water springs and marshes. The eastern shore is state-owned, but parts of the western side of the lake are privately owned. Salinity of the lake water is now reported as 15‰ (parts per thousand). Lake water fluctuations are minimal, at about 50 centimetres (20 in), except during the drought period, when the water level could go down by 2 metres (6.6 ft). Conversely,

3080-460: The fringes of the lake, Conocarpus erectus are reported and Typha domingensis are seen in the marshy region and fresh water streams and canals that have inlet into the lake. The lake has halophytic algae laid out as mattresses growing on its lake bed. Buttonwood mangroves trees have large growth in the periphery of the lake. These are felled extensively to make charcoal . Deforestation and soil erosion have occurred and are occurring in

3150-412: The governor of the region sought to get rid of what he saw as a threat. He insisted upon control of the hospital, but the flibustiers refused, considering that humiliating. They proceeded to close the hospital rather than cede control of it to the governor, and many of them became habitans (farmers) the first long-term European inhabitants in the region. Although the elimination of the flibustiers as

3220-499: The guests killed. Anacaona was spared, only to be hanged publicly some time later. Through violence, introduced diseases and murders, the Spanish settlers decimated the native population. Direct Spanish rule over the area having been established, Ovando founded a settlement not far from the coast (west of Etang Saumâtre ), ironically named Santa Maria de la Paz Verdadera , which would be abandoned several years later. Not long thereafter, Ovando founded Santa Maria del Puerto . The latter

3290-428: The hills above. Its population is difficult to ascertain due to the rapid growth of slums in the hillsides above the city; however, recent estimates place the metropolitan area's population at around 3.7 million, nearly a third of the country's national population. The city was catastrophically affected by a massive earthquake in 2010, with large numbers of structures damaged or destroyed. Haiti's government estimated

3360-430: The lake has slightly saline water, while the eastern part has fresh water. The lake has a length, from northwest to southeast, of 22 kilometres (14 mi); its maximum width is 12 kilometres (7.5 mi). The total area is 170 km (66 sq mi). The lake water has an elevation of 15 metres (49 ft) with maximum water depth being 30 metres (98 ft). A sandy shore, shallow lagoons and mudflats form

3430-573: The lake include the osprey ( Pandion haliaetus ). American crocodiles are found in the lake, and have instilled fear among the local community. It is one factor responsible for the poor development of the lake as an ecotourism project. Extensive studies have been reported on this species of crocodile, as opposed to the Central American Crocodylus moreletii and the South American Crocodylus intermedius . C. acutus

3500-558: The murder rate in Port-au-Prince was 60.9 murders per 100,000 residents in February 2012. In the 22 months after the end of the President Aristide era in 2004, the murder rate for Port-au-Prince reached a high of 219 murders per 100,000 residents per year. High-crime zones in the Port-au-Prince area include Croix-des-Bouquets , Cité Soleil , Carrefour , Bel Air , Martissant, the port road (Boulevard La Saline), urban route Nationale 1,

3570-531: The obligations which the French Revolution imposed on them." It was later renamed back to Port-au-Prince by Jacques I , Emperor of Haiti. When Haiti was divided between a kingdom in the north and a republic in the south, Port-au-Prince was the capital of the republic, under the leadership of Alexandre Pétion . Henri Christophe renamed the city Port-aux-Crimes after the assassination of Jacques I at Pont Larnage (now known as Pont-Rouge, and located north of

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3640-450: The past, 17,000 mirror carp fingerlings and 50,000 Tilapia mossambica fingerlings (a figure of 6,000 is also mentioned) were reportedly introduced to the lake. Fish productivity figures of the lake are not available. However, the actual catches are reported to be small, as fishing is done only on a small scale. Boats do not ply the lagoon; fishing methods are primitive and no nets are used. Ducks are hunted for food as well. The lake

3710-629: The population could not survive. Port-au-Prince has several upscale districts in which crime rates are significantly lower than in the city center. Port-au-Prince has a tourism industry. The Toussaint Louverture International Airport (referred to often as the Port-au-Prince International Airport) is the country's main international gateway for tourists. Tourists often visit the Pétion-Ville area of Port-au-Prince, with other sites of interest including gingerbread houses . There are

3780-472: The port and the surrounding region continued to be known as Hôpital , but the islets in the bay had already been known as les îlets du Prince as early as 1680. Pirates eventually refrained from troubling the area, and various nobles sought land grants from the French crown in Hôpital; the first noble to control Hôpital was Sieur Joseph Randot. Upon his death in 1737, Sieur Pierre Morel gained control over part of

3850-585: The range of 500–1,000 millimetres (20–39 in)), within similar geological setting. Azuéi's salinity is about one fifth (1/5) the salinity of sea water. A few small rivers flow into the lake. The lake and its surrounding land are habitat for flora and fauna of several endemic species, including invertebrates , fishes and reptiles . This endemism is also common to the twin lakes, due to proximity and common history. The lake supports over 100 species of waterfowl (including flamingos), as well as American crocodiles; freshwater species of turtle , including

3920-426: The region later to contain Port-au-Prince was that of the flibustiers ; as the region became a real French colony, the colonial administration began to worry about the continual presence of these pirates. While useful in repelling foreign pirates , they were relatively independent, unresponsive to orders from the colonial administration, and a potential threat to it. Therefore, in the winter of 1707, Choiseul-Beaupré ,

3990-518: The region, with Gatien Bretton des Chapelles acquiring another portion of it. By then, the colonial administration was convinced that a capital needed to be chosen, in order to better control the French portion of Hispaniola ( Saint-Domingue ). For a time, Petit-Goâve and Léogâne vied for this honor, but both were eventually ruled out for various reasons. Neither was centrally located. Petit-Goâve's climate caused it to be too malarial , and Léogane's topography made it difficult to defend. Thus, in 1749,

4060-402: The remaining three months. Port-au-Prince generally experiences warm and humid conditions during the dry season and hot and humid conditions during the wet season. The population of the area was 1,234,742. The majority of the population is of African descent, but a prominent biracial minority controls many of the city's businesses. There are sizable numbers of residents, Asians , as well as

4130-580: The same area and have the same origin is that though they are considered "twins," they are two dissimilar bodies of water. Azuéi has a stable shore line, its waters are azure blue in colour, salinity level is low (11‰) and its surface area is relatively stable. However, Enriquillo's water looks white-greyish in colour, its salinity levels are very high (they have risen from 36‰ to 110‰) and current water surface area (160 km (62 sq mi) compares to 280 km (110 sq mi) in 1968. The climatic conditions for both lakes are similar (low rainfall in

4200-433: The shore line. In the rocky shores, the density was reported to be 0.2/km. However, from 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) from the shore line called the conocarpus fringe, the density was recorded as 14.5/km. They grow in size up to the age of 2 years when their size is in the range of 0.9–1.8 metres (3.0–5.9 ft). They are found in shallow water zones also and feed on cichlids ( Nandopsis haitiensis ). They remain mostly at

4270-533: The territory, and the growing presence of the French flibustiers on ostensibly Spanish lands provoked the Spanish crown to dispatch Castilian soldiers to Hôpital to retake it. The mission proved to be a disaster for the Spanish, as they were outnumbered and outgunned, and in 1697, the Spanish government signed the Treaty of Ryswick , renouncing any claims to Hôpital. Around this time, the French also established bases at Ester (part of Petite Rivière ) and Gonaïves . Ester

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4340-408: The water level rises about 2 metres (6.6 ft) above the average during heavy rainfall years. The present assessment is that the level of the lake has been rising in recent years, forcing Haitians who live in plantation residential areas ("bateyes") around the edge of the lake to seek higher ground. Another inference drawn by a comparison between the two lakes – Azuéi and Enriquillo – which are in

4410-570: The world to have a main avenue named for American abolitionist hero John Brown . Another is named for another abolitionist hero, Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner . There is a celebration of Bawon Samdi and Gran Brigi called Fet Gede, which takes place from the Day of the Dead on 1 November through the third day of the month. This occurs in the national cemetery of Haiti. While celebrating, people wear Vodou white cotton clothing and purple headscarves. During

4480-415: Was a rich village, inhabited by merchants, and equipped with straight streets; it was here that the governor lived. On the other hand, the surrounding region, Petite-Rivière, was quite poor. Following a great fire in 1711, Ester was abandoned. Yet the French presence in the region continued to grow, and soon afterward, a new city was founded to the south, Léogâne . While the first French presence in Hôpital,

4550-545: Was a victory of the American and Haitian government forces, as was the second attack in 1920. On 12 January 2010, a 7.0 earthquake struck Port-au-Prince, devastating the city. Most of the central historic area of the city was destroyed, including Haiti's prized Cathédrale de Port-au-Prince , the capital building, Legislative Palace (the parliament building), Palace of Justice (Supreme Court building), several ministerial buildings, and at least one hospital. The second floor of

4620-489: Was abundant there. Around 1650, French flibustiers , running out of room on the Île de la Tortue , began to arrive on the coast, and established a colony at Trou-Borded. As the colony grew, they set up a hospital not far from the coast, on the Turgeau heights. This led to the region being known as Hôpital . Although there had been no real Spanish presence in Hôpital for well over 50 years, Spain retained its formal claim to

4690-517: Was assassinated in 1806, Port-au-Prince became the capital of the mulatto -dominated south (Cap-Haïtien was the capital of the black -dominated north). It was re-established as the capital of all of Haiti when the country was unified again in 1820. During the American occupation of Haiti (1915–1934) , Port-au-Prince, garrisoned by American Marines and Haitian gendarmes , was attacked twice by caco rebels . The first battle , which took place in 1919,

4760-431: Was first burned by French explorers in 1535, then again in 1592 by the English. These assaults proved to be too much for the Spanish colonial administration, and in 1606, it decided to abandon the region. For more than 50 years, the area that is today Port-au-Prince saw its population drop off drastically, when some buccaneers began to use it as a base, and Dutch merchants began to frequent it in search of leather, as game

4830-433: Was once a popular place for cruises, but has lost nearly all of its tourism, and no longer has cruise ships coming into port. Unemployment in Port-au-Prince is high, and compounded further by underemployment. Levels of economic activity remain prominent throughout the city, especially among people selling goods and services on the streets. Informal employment is believed to be widespread in Port-au-Prince's slums, as otherwise

4900-464: Was succeeded by his sister, Anacaona , wife of the cacique Caonabo . The Spanish insisted on larger tributes. Eventually, the Spanish colonial administration decided to rule directly, and in 1503, Nicolas Ovando , then governor, set about to put an end to the régime headed by Anacaona. He invited her and other tribal leaders to a feast, and when the Amerindians had drunk a good deal of wine (the Spaniards did not drink on that occasion), he ordered most of

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