Ouest ( French ) or Lwès ( Haitian Creole ; both meaning "West") is one of the ten departments of Haiti . It is located in south-central Haiti, linking the Great-North and the Tiburon Peninsula .
85-515: It is the jurisdictional seat of the national capital, the city of Port-au-Prince . It has an area of 4,982.56 square kilometres (1,923.78 sq mi) and a population of 4,029,705 (2015 estimate), making it both the largest department by area and the most populated department in Haiti. The department was part of the Xaragua kasika under the leadership of Anacaona. There are many native settlements in
170-532: A defining role in Bolivar's success in liberating the countries of what would make up Gran Colombia . Petion was reported to be influenced by his (and his successor's) lover, Marie-Madeleine Lachenais , who acted as his political adviser. Pétion named General Boyer as his successor as president of the Republic of Haiti; he took control in 1818 following the death of Pétion from yellow fever . After Henri Christophe of
255-559: 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
340-405: 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
425-656: A move that drew criticism from abolitionists William Wilberforce and Thomas Clarkson . There had long been racial and class tensions between the gens de couleur and enslaved and free blacks in Saint-Domingue, where the enslaved black population outnumbered the white and gens de couleur by ten to one. During the years of warfare against French planters (commonly referred to as grands blancs ), racial tensions in Saint-Domingue were exacerbated in competition for power and political alliances. When tensions arose between full blacks and mulattoes, Pétion frequently supported
510-537: A neighborhood located east of the city. The city of Port-au-Prince is officially sieged by the Armée Indigénes. The very next day Pétion was located in the habitation Philippeaux and started bombarding the French troops. By October 5, an aide-de-camp of Lavalette brought a letter to Dessalines with the terms of their capitulation. Dessalines accepted with an exchange of prisoners and adjuvant-general Bonnet came back to
595-449: 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
680-512: 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
765-418: 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
850-529: 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
935-440: 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 a group from Hôpital reinforced the authority of the colonial administration, it also made
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#17328737342361020-490: A watershed moment in the decade-long conflict, eventually culminating in the decisive Haitian victory at the Battle of Vertières in 1803. Pétion was born "Anne Alexandre Sabès" in Port-au-Prince to Pascal Sabès, a wealthy French father and Ursula, a free mulatto woman, which made him a quadroon (a quarter African ancestry). Like other gens de couleur libres (free people of color) with wealthy fathers, Pétion
1105-576: 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
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
1275-455: 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 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
1360-444: 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
1445-507: Is the capital and most populous city of Haiti . The city's population was estimated at 1,200,000 in 2022 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is defined by the IHSI as including the communes of Port-au-Prince, Delmas , Cité Soleil , Tabarre , Carrefour , and Pétion-Ville . The city of Port-au-Prince is on the Gulf of Gonâve : the bay on which
1530-505: 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
1615-608: The British force in Northern Haiti. Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville , who was the Secretary of State for War to prime minister William Pitt the Younger , instructed Sir Adam Williamson, the lieutenant-governor of Jamaica, to sign an agreement with representatives of the French colonists that promised to restore the ancien regime , slavery and discrimination against mixed-race colonists,
1700-542: The French Revolution , the gens de couleur led a rebellion to gain the voting and political rights which they believed were due them as French citizens; this was before the 1791 slave rebellion . At that time, most free people of color did not support freedom or political rights for slaves. Pétion returned to Saint-Domingue as a young man to take part in the Haitian Revolution , participating in skirmishes with
1785-573: The Haitian Declaration of Independence , the northern troops fought the western troops in the Sibert Battle, where Pétion almost died. Cabaret was the de facto border between the two states. Under Jean-Pierre Boyer , fearing the return of the French boat, he ordered the construction of a city in the heights like Toussaint with Ennery , Dessalines with Dessalines and Christophe with Milot and naming it after his mentor Pétionville . Being
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#17328737342361870-632: 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
1955-597: The Republic of Haiti from 1807 until his death in 1818. One of Haiti's founding fathers, Pétion belonged to the revolutionary quartet that also includes Toussaint Louverture , Jean-Jacques Dessalines , and his later rival Henri Christophe . Regarded as an excellent artilleryman in his early adulthood, Pétion would distinguish himself as an esteemed military commander with experience leading both French and Haitian troops. The 1802 coalition formed by him and Dessalines against French forces led by Charles Leclerc would prove to be
2040-575: The Toussaint Louverture Airport , is located in Delmas . The Department of Ouest is subdivided into five arrondissements , which are further subdivided into twenty communes . (with 2009 Population Estimates in parentheses) Port-au-Prince Port-au-Prince ( / ˌ p ɔːr t oʊ ˈ p r ɪ n s / PORT oh PRINSS ; French: [pɔʁ o pʁɛ̃s] ; Haitian Creole : Pòtoprens , [pɔtopɣɛ̃s] )
2125-495: The senate onerous and suspended the legislature in 1818. Pétion seized commercial plantations from the rich gentry. He had the land redistributed to his supporters and the peasantry, earning him the nickname Papa Bon-Cœur ("good-hearted father"). The land seizures and changes in agriculture reduced the production of commodities for the export economy. Most of the population became full subsistence farmers, and exports and state revenue declined sharply, making survival difficult for
2210-653: 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
2295-610: The Battles of Pernier, Croix-des-Bouquets , and Mirebalais they gained a Concordat, although the slaves did not gain anything. In Arcahaie, on May 18, 1803, the generals of the North and West and Maroons met for a Congress and chose Jean-Jacques Dessalines as commander of the Armée Indigènes and chose the Haiti Flag designed by Catherine Flon . According to Thomas Madiou 's recount of
2380-631: The Cotes-des-Arcadins, eco-tourism with Park Azuei-Caiman and Park La Selle, historical tourism with the countless historical monuments especially the National Museum , and cultural tourism. For many years, agriculture was a part of the economy of the department, with the Arcahaie plain being a center for plantain , the Cul-de-Sac and Léogane being known for large sugar-cane plantations mostly for
2465-478: The French government. Many maroon troops controlled the mountain around Port-au-Prince mainly Romaine-la-Prophetesse and Lamour Dérance and Cangé. Around 1772, Romaine-la-Prophétesse acquired a plantation named Trou Coffy in the department (likely in what is now Fondwa ), becoming a prominent coffee grower and trader. In 1791 and 1792, during the early Haitian Revolution , Romaine led some thirteen thousand slaves and rebels in freeing slaves from and burning
2550-802: 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
2635-543: The Haitian Revolution, the fight for Port-au-Prince is one of the most important fights. After Gabart gained control of St-Marc , the entire Artibonite region was under the control of Dessalines and the Armée Indigène . In the south, only the major port town of Les Cayes was still under French control. In the north, Cap-Haitian and Mole-St-Nicolas are still under French control. Rochambeau anticipated that
Ouest (department) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2720-629: The Haitians and gave the French 4 days to leave the city. Thus on September 9 Port-au-Prince was freed from the French troops and Dessalines enter the city proudly with Pétion on his right and Gabart on his left. Pétion , Germain Frère and Yayou are signatories of the Haitian Declaration of Independence . Ouest was part of the Second Military Division of the West with Pétion as commander. Pétion build
2805-618: 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
2890-554: The Plain of Arcahaie-Cabaret and the Plain of Léoganes . The Golfe is more than 500 km in length from Mole-Saint-Nicolas to Abricots and it consists of more than a dozen bays and harbors. The Bay of Port-au-Prince is the largest in the country and one of the biggest in the Caribbean harboring many islands, cays, and reefs. The island of Gonave is the largest satellite island on Hispaniola being
2975-484: 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 was abundant there. Around 1650, French flibustiers , running out of room on the Île de la Tortue , began to arrive on
3060-511: 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 was a rich village, inhabited by merchants, and equipped with straight streets; it
3145-458: 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. Alexandre P%C3%A9tion Alexandre Sabès Pétion ( French pronunciation: [alɛksɑ̃dʁ sabɛs petjɔ̃] ; 2 April 1770 – 29 March 1818) was the first president of
3230-405: 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 was first burned by French explorers in 1535, then again in 1592 by the English. These assaults proved to be too much for
3315-545: 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 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
3400-575: The area was a hospital named Morne L'Hopital. In the second half of the 18th century, the French wanted to build a new colonial capital outside the troubled North. One of the suggestions was Petit-Goâve but later they chose the region of l'Hopital building which would become the City of Port-au-Prince . In 1793 the city fell to the British troops where they built the Fort-National until Toussaint gained it back for
3485-472: 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 the region, with Gatien Bretton des Chapelles acquiring another portion of it. By then,
Ouest (department) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3570-504: The capital of newly independent Haïti. When Jean-Jacques Dessalines 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 ,
3655-399: 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
3740-454: 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
3825-546: 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
3910-472: 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 the hills above. Its population is difficult to ascertain due to the rapid growth of slums in
3995-470: 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 the territory, and the growing presence of the French flibustiers on ostensibly Spanish lands provoked
4080-428: 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,
4165-426: 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 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,
4250-446: 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
4335-661: 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
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#17328737342364420-419: 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
4505-648: The department are Blanche River, Froide River, Monance River, and Bois-de-Chène Ravine. The earthquake activities in the area are a result of the Enriquillo-Plantain-Garden fault going from Jamaica to the Dominican Rep passing through the Xaragua Peninsula and the Gonave Microplate . Two well-documented earthquakes happen in the area. On 12 January 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck in
4590-554: The department notably around Akaya , Azuei Lake, Yaguana , the island of Guanabo and Goava . It is understood that the Azuei Plaine region was used as a hunting ground for the natives. The island of Gonave is the last point of refuge for the Taino natives. One of the only Spanish settlements in the area was a destroyed Spanish town called Santa-Maria-de-la-Paz-Verdadera, the actual city of Tabarre . The earliest French settlement in
4675-606: The department, the largest in Haiti in two centuries. In the Port-au-Prince Arrondissement , many areas suffered damage. In the Léogâne Arrondissement , the city of Léogâne suffered 80-90% destruction. Other places in Léogâne were also affected. Ouest is the wealthiest department in Haiti, with economic poles in different sectors. Ouest's tourism sector touches on different branches such as leisure tourism in
4760-475: 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,
4845-478: 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 the death toll to be 230,000. Gang violence is extensive, and kidnappings , massacres and gang rapes are common occurrences, often with
4930-496: The hope of securing power in the colony. Following the French deportation of Toussaint Louverture and the renewed struggle, Pétion joined the nationalist force in October 1802. This followed a secret conference at Arcahaie , where Pétion supported Jean-Jacques Dessalines , the general who had captured Jacmel. The rebels took the capital of Port-au-Prince on October 17, 1803. Dessalines proclaimed independence on 1 January 1804, naming
5015-878: The mulatto faction. He allied with General André Rigaud and Jean-Pierre Boyer against Toussaint Louverture in a failed rebellion, the so-called " War of Knives ", in the South of Saint-Domingue, which began in June 1799. By November, the rebels were pushed back to the strategic southern port of Jacmel ; the defence was commanded by Pétion. The town fell in March 1800 and the rebellion was effectively over. Pétion and other mulatto leaders went into exile in France. In February 1802, General Charles Leclerc arrived with tens of warships and 32,000 French troops to bring Saint-Domingue under more control. Gens de couleur Petion, Boyer, and Rigaud returned with him in
5100-560: 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,
5185-455: The nation Haiti. On 6 October 1804, Dessalines declared himself ruler for life and was crowned Emperor of Haiti as Jacques I . Disaffected members of Emperor Dessalines's administration, including Pétion and Henri Christophe , began a conspiracy to overthrow Dessalines. Following the assassination of Dessalines on 17 October 1806, Pétion championed the ideals of democracy and clashed with Henri Christophe who wanted absolute rule. Christophe
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#17328737342365270-460: The new state. Believing in the importance of education, Pétion started the Lycée Pétion in Port-au-Prince. Petion's virtues and ideals of freedom and democracy for the world (and especially slaves) were strong, and he often showed support for the oppressed. He gave sanctuary to the independence leader Simón Bolívar in 1815 and provided him with material and infantry support. This vital aid played
5355-670: The next step for Dessalines would be the conquer of Port-au-Prince, so he moved the capital of the colony back to Cap-Francois which would be harder for the British Navy to put under blockade versus Port-au-Prince located in the Gulf of Gonave . Leaving Petite-Rivière-de-l'Artibonite on September 15, the general stopped in St-Marc by Gabart and was in Arcahaie by Pétion on September 17. The same night for Croix-des-Bouquets where he camped by Frère. Pétion continued to march toward P-au-P and
5440-683: The political center of the country, most of Haiti's political instability and economical fight happen in the Port-au-Prince area since 1749 until today. The department is bordered to the north by Artibonite and Centre and the Mattheux mountain chain , the west by the Gulf of Gonave, the south by the Sud-Est department and the La Selle Mountain Chain , and the Dominican Republic to the east through
5525-631: 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
5610-439: 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 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
5695-409: The production of rum , and the hills of Kenscoff cultivating different vegetables. Unfortunately, over-construction and the ever-expansion of the city, those areas see their fertile land now covered with asphalt and concrete. Much of Haiti's road network extends out of Ouest. The bay harbors many ports of sizable capacity owned or operated by the state or private parties. Haiti's largest airport,
5780-412: The province of Independencia . It is the second largest department in Haiti after Artibonite . Gonâve Island is also part of the Ouest department. The department's stretch of coastline lies entirely in the Gulf of Gonâve . A part majority of the department lies in the Plaine-de-Cul-de-Sac which continues to the Dominican Rep. as the Hayo de Enriquillo . Two other plains that lie in the region are
5865-399: The provinces plantations and briefly controlling two major cities, Léogâne and Jacmel . Ogé and Chavannes organized more than 300 blacks the Suisses to rebel against their so-called master. Caradeux the rough slave master in the region orderer their execution in Omòl .In 1791, Pétion, Pinchinnat, Beauvais, and more rebelled against the French authority and reclaimed their civil rights. After
5950-399: 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 the port and the surrounding region continued to be known as Hôpital , but the islets in
6035-412: 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 , the governor of the region sought to get rid of what he saw as
6120-404: 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
6205-528: 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 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
6290-511: The size of Singapore . The largest lake in the country is a salty lake in a depression in the plain of the same name, Azuei Lake. A smaller lake lies next to it Caiman Lake. Both lakes form a national park harboring flamingos and caimans . The hills of Port-au-Prince consist of a mountain from the Massif de la Selle - Cordillera Meridional , where one can find multiple forests such as Foret-des-Pins and Parc-la-Visite. The most important rivers in
6375-430: The southern Republic of Haiti . After the inconclusive struggle dragged on until 1810, a peace treaty was agreed to, and the country was split in two. In 1811, Christophe made himself king of the northern Kingdom of Haiti . On 2 June 1816, Pétion modified the terms of the presidency in the constitution, making himself president for life . Initially a supporter of democracy, Pétion found the constraints imposed on him by
6460-612: The twin forts Jacques and Alexandre on the order of Dessalines. On October 17, 1806, coming from Dessalinesville , Emperor Jacques 1st was ambushed and assassinated plunging the country into a civil war. His body was buried in St-Anne Cemetery. On January 2, 1904, he received state funerals and later on his body was moved to the Autel de la Patrie in Champs-de-Mars along with Pétion's body. On January 1, 1807, only three years after
6545-570: 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
6630-550: 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, 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
6715-631: Was attacked twice by caco rebels . The first battle , which took place in 1919, 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
6800-668: Was by habitation Drouillard the next day. The French general of Croix-des-Bouquets Lux left the arrondissement to go help the French troops in P-au-P, he passed by Damien, Sarthe and the convoy was attacked by the Indigènes. By September 23, Cangé left Léogane , marched toward Port-au-Prince, and attacked the Fort-Bizoton in Carrefour , Gabart was at the St-Joseph gate and Dessalines camped in Turgeau
6885-582: 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 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
6970-469: Was elected president, but he did not believe the position had sufficient power, as Pétion kept powers for himself. Christophe went to the north with his followers and established an autocracy, declaring the State of Haiti . The loyalties of the country divided between them, and the tensions between the blacks and mulattoes of the North and South, respectively, were reignited. Pétion was elected President in 1807 of
7055-409: 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, the region later to contain Port-au-Prince was that of the flibustiers ; as
7140-433: 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
7225-567: Was sent to France in 1788 to be educated and study at the Military Academy in Paris. In Saint-Domingue , as in other French colonies such as Louisiane , the free people of color constituted a third caste between the whites and enslaved Africans. While restricted in political rights, many received social capital from their fathers and became educated and wealthy landowners, resented by the petits blancs , who were mostly minor tradesmen. Following
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