Artibonite (department)

Artibonite is one of the ten departments (French: départments, singular départment) of Haiti. It is named Artibonite because the Artibonite river flows across the department from east to west. Its capital is Gonaïves.

The independence of Haiti was proclaimed in the Place d'Armes of Gonaïves on 1 January 1804 by Jean Jacques Dessalines.

 Geography 
The Départment de l'Artibonite, with an area of 4,895 km², is the largest department of Haiti.

The main river of the department is the Artibonite. Other rivers are Ennery, de l'Estère, Montrouis, Quinte.

The mountain chains here run from west to east and the most important are the Chaine de Terre-Neuve and the Montagnes Noires (in English, "Black Mountains"). There is also part of the Chaine des Mattheux.

It is bordered to the northwest by the Nord-Ouest Department, to the north and northeast by the Nord Department, to the east by the Centre Department and to the south by the Ouest Department. The Gulf of Gonâve is to the west.

 Population 
The department had, in the 2003 census, a population of 1,299,398 persons: 625,690 men and 673,708 women, with 422,476 (32.51%) living in cities and towns.

The main cities are Gonaïves (the capital) and Saint-Marc.

 Administrative division 
The department is divided into five arrondissements (like districts) and 15 communes (like municipalities). The "arrondissements" and their "communes" are:
 Dessalines
 Desdunes
 Dessalines
 Grande Saline
 Petite Rivière de l'Artibonite
 Gonaïves
 Ennery
 Estère
 Gonaïves
 Gros-Morne
 Anse Rouge
 Gros-Morne
 Terre-Neuve
 Marmelade
 Marmelade
 Saint Michel de l'Attalaye
 Saint-Marc
 La Chapelle
 Saint-Marc
 Verettes

 Economy 
Most of the rice of Haiti is grown in the Artibonite department, along the valley of the River Artibonite.

 References 

Category:Departments of Haiti
Category:Cities in Haiti