Centre (department)

Centre is one of the ten departments (French: départments, singular départment) of Haiti. It is in the center of the country, along the border with the Dominican Republic. It is the only department of Haiti that does not border the sea.

 Geography 
The Départment du Centre has an area of 3,675 km². It is bordered to the northeast by the Nord-Est Department, to the northwest by the Nord Department, to the west by the Artibonite Department and to the south by the Ouest Department. It borders the Dominican Republic to the east.

The mountain chains here run from west to east and the most important are the Montagnes Noires (in English, "Black Mountains"). There is also part of the Chaine du Trout d'Eau.

Lake Peligre, the second largest lake in Haiti, is in this department; it is an artificial lake created with the construction of the Peligre Dam on the Artibonite river.

The main rivers of the department are Boucan Carré, Fer-à-Cheval, Libon, Macacia, Thomonde and La Tombe, and all are tributaries of the Artibonite.

 Population 
The department had, in the 2003 census, a population of 581,505 persons: 289,028 men and 292,477 women, with only 94,619 (16.27%) living in cities and towns.

The main city is Hinche, the capital of the department.

 Administrative division 
The department is divided into four arrondissements (like districts) and 12 communes (like municipalities). The "arrondissements" and their "communes" are:

 Cerca la Source
 Cerca-la-Source
 Thomassique
 Hinche
 Hinche
 Cerca-Cavajal
 Maïssade
 Thomonde
 Lascahobas
 Lascahobas
 Belladère
 Savanette
 Mirebalais
 Mirebalais
 Saut-d'Eau
 Boucan-Carré

 References 

Category:Departments of Haiti