GEO Haiti 2010

GEO HAITI • 2010
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capital. These are the Western Department (main
city, Port-au-Prince), the Southeastern Province
(main city, Jacmel), the Southern Department (main
city, Les Cayes), Nippes (main city, Miragoâne),
Grand’Anse (main city, Jérémie), Artibonite
Province (main city, Gonaïves), the Central Province
(main city, Hinche) and the northern Provinces
(North, Northeast and Northwest), with the main
cities of Cap-Haïtien, Port de Paix and Fort Liberté,
respectively. The country’s ten Departments 13 are
divided into 42 districts, which are themselves
divided into 140 towns that are further divided
into 565 communities.
1.3 Physiography
1.3.1 Surface area and relief
The territory of Haiti spans 28 704 km 2 which
includes a main island (La Grande Terre:
27 750 km 2 ) and 5 satellite islands which are La
Gonâve (670 km 2 ), La Tortue (180 km 2 ), L’Île-à-Vache
(52 km 2 ), Les Cayemites (45 km 2 ) and La Navassa
(7 km 2 ). One of the geographical characteristics
of Haiti is its steep topography. Almost 75% of the
Haitian landscape is comprised of steep mountain
ranges with 50% of its the peaks having slopes
above 40% (Figures 3 and 4).
Figure 4: Relief of the Republic of Haiti
The country’s main relief is made up of:
• The Northern mountain range with peaks
ranging from 1,200 to 1,300 meters;
• The Cahos Hills, the Black Mountains (Montagnes
Noires), the Matheux Mountain range, the
Trou d’Eau Hills with peaks reaching 1,200 to
1,500 meters located in the central part of the
country;
• The La Selle mountain range (Southeast) which
extends over 100 km and from which the La
Selle peak rises to 2,674 meters, the highest
point in the country;
• The La Hotte mountain range, the peaks of
which reach 2,347 meters at Morne Macaya
(Southwest) (Figure 5).
Moreover, various plains totalizing about
7,000 km 2 occupy nearly a quarter of the country’s
surface area: the Northern Plain, the Artibonite
Plain, the Cul-de-Sac Plain, the Des Cayes Plain,
the Léogâne and de l’Arbre Plains. The coastal strip
only stretches along 1,500 km.
With a configuration more or less similar to
the main island, the satellite islands possess
an endogenous potential very important to
their development. This is highlighted in the
following paragraphs.
• La Tortue Island
La Tortue Island is situated in the northern part
of Haiti and is close to the city of Port-au-Paix.
Separated from the Northern peninsula by a wide
channel measuring 16 km, it is 37 km long and
7 km wide, and has a surface area of 180 km 2 . Its
population is estimated at 36,000 inhabitants 14 .
It has a floral composition characterized by citrus,
coconut and avocado trees. The following figure
highlights this island.
Source: (http://www.quid.fr/, section: monde-Haïti-relief )
Embellished by magnificent beaches, such as the
one located at the south-western tip of the island,
and by historical sites (the La Rochelle Fort built
13
http://www.ht.undp.org/public/fichetechniquehaiti.php
14
http://www.campmandingue.com/ile%20de%20la%20tortue.htm