Gonaïves

Gonaïves (Kréyòl: Gonayiv) is a port city in western Haiti. It is the capital city of the Artibonite Département.

The city is on the coast of the Gonaïve Bay, on the northeast of the Gulf of Gonâve, about 171 km north of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. It is also the chief town of an arrondissement (a part of a department) with the same name. The arrondissement has three communes (a commune is like a municipality): Gonaïves, Ennery and Estère.

 History 
In 1802, the Battle of Ravine-à-Couleuvres, an important battle of the Haitian Revolution, was fought near Gonaïves.

Gonaïves is also known as City of Independence because it was there that Jean-Jacques Dessalines declared Haiti independent from France on 1 January 1804.

Floods produced by rains from tropical storms and hurricanes devastated the city and many people died in September 2004 (Hurricane Jeanne), and again four years later, in August-September 2008 (Hurricane Hanna).

 Economy 
Gonaïves is an important commercial centre. The agricultural products of the region (coffee, cotton, sugar and bananas) are sent to other countries and other parts of Haiti from the harbor of the city.

 Media 
 Radio 
 Radio Explosion FM
 Radio Continentale FM
 Radio Independence
 Radio Kiss FM
 Radio Mega Max FM
 Radio Provinciale FM
 Radio Pyramide FM
 Radio Trans-Artibonite
 Radio Gonaives FM
 Radio Etincelle FM
 Radio Trans Atlantique F.M

 References 

 Other websites 
 Haïti Référence: Perfil de la ville de Gonaïves  - Information on Gonaïves (French text).

Category:Cities in Haiti