Baradères is a seaside city and seat of the Baradères Arrondissement in the Nippes Department of Haiti. The population was 47,060 in 2015. Baradères is located approximately 60 km (35 mi) northeast of Les Cayes at the head of the Baradères Bay.
Baradères, located in the Nippes department of Haiti, is partly isolated and elongated with beautiful river coastlines that make a boat ride an unforgettable experience. This town is easily accessible by boats instead of car transportation due to its stiffed rocky unpaved roads.
Location in Haiti
About[]
Baradères is famous for being synonymous with Venice, internationally renowned for the same interesting aspects which are the river-like canal, and the Carnivalesque activities.
History[]
In the past, the second communal section of Baradères was called Grande-Rivière (in relation to Grande Rivière de Nippes).
Geography[]
Baradères is located on the western edge of the Nippes Department at 18.4812° N, 73.6382° W. According to the IHSI, this commune has a total land area of 192.71 square kilometers (74.41 square miles), of which 152.21 sq.km (79%) is suburban, 36.93 sq.km (19%) is rural, and 3.57 sq.km (2%) is urban. It has five communal sections and one district. The city of Baradères, the first and the fifth communal sections are coastal; the other communal sections (2, 3, and 4) are considered as inland areas. The land area of the commune consists primary of hills and a mostly tropical climate. It is bordered on the north by the town of Grand-Boucan, on the east by the town of Plaisance, on the south by the Southern Department towns of Cavaillon and Maniche, and on the west by the Grand'Anse town of Pestel.
Similarly to Pestel, which is another coastal town of the region, Baradères shares qualities that are identical to a certain extent. They are both coastal towns. They have a great deal of lush vegetation and coffee crops that make them a lucrative market for coffee growers and sellers. The three kilometers upstream narrow river for its main street gives rise to this beautiful old town of Baradères.
Demography[]
The inhabitants call themselves Baraderois.
| Year | Population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 42,584 | |
| 2003 | 31,689 | -26% |
| 2009 | 37,509 | +18% |
| 2015 | 47,060 | +25% |
Market area in Baradères, Haiti
Houses in Baradéres, Haiti
Baradères town hall
Economy[]
Farming and trade are the predominant economic activities of the inhabitants of the commune. It has commercial relations with other communes such as: La Gonâve, Cavaillon, Les Cayes, Miragoâne, and Port-au-Prince. For economic establishments, it has only two pharmacies. Much of the shopping takes place at the main markets of Marche Mindor and Marche Gourd in the first section, Marche Tet Dlo in the 2nd section, Marche Roche Plate in the 3rd section, Marche Laurent and Marche Vincendro in the fourth section, and Marche Cajozi, Marche Digotri, and Marche Cacajou in the fifth section.
At the level of the economic and financial infrastructure, the municipality is very lightly equipped and only has a marketing cooperative.
Infrastructure[]
Education The Ministry of the National Youth and Sports Education is represented by an office of School Inspection. Two kindergarten including one private and one congregational, 76 primary schools including 5 public, 70 private and one Congregational and one secondary school were inventoried in the commune.
The Maxwell School was founded in 2010 by the Little Sisters of St. Thérèse, a Haitian community of religious women. Maxwell is the only vocational school in Baradères. The student body in the school’s 2-year program in cooking and textiles has exploded from 17 in 2010 to more than 110 today.
Health The Ministry of Public Health and Population is not represented in the commune. Listed health facilities are: one public hospital and one private dental clinic. One doctor, two dentists, two trainee nurses, one assistant trainee, ten certified matrons and a lab technician are the staff of these institutions.
Utilities With respect to water availability, the municipality has three rivers, fourteen Springs, twenty-three wells, ten public fountains and two pumps. The city center and the communal section of the plain are electrified. The frequency of electrical power is 21 hours per week.
Security From the point of view of administrative and judicial infrastructures, there were two Peace courts, two civil status offices and one Sub-Commission (local police station). However, investigators did not notice the presence of any policeman. There is also a prison that was not working at the time of the inventory.
New Town Hall
Parasismic (earthquake-proof) and anticyclonic (hurricane-proof), the premises, which includes eight offices, a conference room and two waiting rooms, will house all the administrative entities of the Baradères Town Hall. An office will also be allocated to an inspector from the Directorate General of Taxes (DGI), responsible for collecting taxes at the commune level.
Coffee Industry[]
This appealing little town is also famous for its rare coffee crops due to its hilltop mountains and its impeccable soil quality. The coffee industry market is the primary lucrative source of income for the whole area. Coffee is so religiously consumed, for that reason there's a saying - "No trip to Baradères without having a cup of great coffee".
Baradéres River
Baradères River[]
Baradères' waterway is still the safest and the most effective transportation form to trade and to survive as a whole. The local economy is deeply embedded on its river and the water taxis are the main pillars.
The Baradères River crosses the main town up to multiple small town areas is similar to the Venice River that crosses its city. The obvious difference is that the Gondola service that is a must romantic famous boat ride for any visitor is not regarded as much. The romantic boat ride aspect of the Baradères river is not as intriguing to the locals due to a lack of appreciation, education, and culture.
Water Taxi[]
River in Baradéres, Haiti
Noticely, international foreigners enjoy greatly the water taxi rides more than the car rides to the seemingly long canals. The water taxi ride prices to this hidden gem vary from towns to towns such as Petite-Rivière-de-Nippes, Petit-Trou-de-Nippes, Anse-a-Veau, and to unknown remote areas. The coast guard as well is nonexistent in case there is a major accident. I must say the typical boat owners and the water taxi riders are on their own for any maritime related issues.
Culture[]
This hidden wonder, river-like canal encompassed with beautiful sceneries has captivated all the visitors and the locals. Travelling consistently through this river puts the locals in communion with this mystical water god like spirit. For some of them, as if God is living through these waters. Whenever it's time to travel the most sacred adepts would pray for permission and protection to reach their final destination.
Religion There are 26 Catholic churches (including chapels) in the commune, twelve Baptist churches, five Adventist Churches, fourteen Pentecostal churches, six Churches of God, a Wesleyan Church, one hall of the Kingdom of Jehovah's Witnesses and another church that has the name body of Christ.
Communication There is no postal office, no radio station, no newspaper/magazine or television station in the commune. On the other hand, it has a telephone call centre unfortunately broken down at the time of the inventory.
Leisure As for leisure, the commune is very lightly endowed. There is no library, no museum, no cinema, no movie theater, no night club. 27 open spaces considered as football (soccer) fields, sixteen gaguères and one public square were inventoried in the commune. In terms of cultural heritage, the commune has only one natural site: The cave of Mapou located at the 5th Communal section of (Rivière Salée) Salt River.
Festivities[]
Barely, Baradères is reachable by a few people but the tradition marching bands "Rara" is vastly spread throughout, mainly in the Grand Sud and in the rest of the country. The Rara tradition is immensely respected and the rituals are blindly followed. During the lent season, especially on Sundays, the marching bands "Rara" have walked hundreds of kilometers to display their dancing skills, masks uniforms, and their unique rhythms to the entire Grand Sud. It's like seeing ancient troubadour-like figures returning into the modern time.
This region could be intensely crowded around this time with all sorts of fans. What I found interesting is the importance of the costumes and the masks traditions. Some bands are vying for best costumes competition. Street artists and Rara bands are all over the whole areas making it impossible for the local transportation. This unique attraction can also be seen in other powerful Carnival cities such as Léogâne, and Jacmel. Like Venice carnival, Masks and costumes are a must. It's the same for the" Rara" band members in Baradères.
Marching Bands[]
These marching bands" Rara" are known for captivating people through their mysterious ways. People have always been fascinated by these "Rara" bands but their haunted stories have kept people from joining them religiously like the other regular folks.
Organizations In the commune, investigators inventoried only two political parties, two Popular organizations, peasants group and a womens group. [2]
References and Links[]
Haiti Observer. Baradères: mystical Venice of Haiti - [3]
The Baradères town hall moves into new premises - [4]
_Ha%C3%AFti.jpg "L'homme le plus haut (Baraderes) Haïti.jpg (47 KB)")
Commune map; Baradères , Haiti
Neighborhoods
| BAR | Baradères | 31,689 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VBA | Ville des Baradères | Urban | 2,189 | |||
| Quartier de Eaux-Basses | Urban | 1,318 | ||||
| GEN | 1ère Section Gérin (ou Mathon) | Rural section | 5,192 | Abricot, Fond-Moriane, Laplante, Mingo, Nan Charles, Nan Sabaise, Nan Terrain, Picard, Picardi, Pommier, Tomaset, Trois-Frères | ||
| TEE | 2ème Section Tête-d'Eau | Rural | 8,588 | Bambou, Besson, Goulo, Jeanroui, Minet-Laurent, Nicolo, Telhor, Tête de l'Eau | ||
| FTT | 3ème Section Fond Tortue | Rural section | 8,002 | Boisneau, Ca Savon, Fond Gondol, Fond Tortue, Gaspard, L'Etang, Pays Perdu, Séjour | ||
| PLN | 4ème Section La Plaine | Rural section | 7,104 | Bourjoly, Laurent | ||
| RSA | 5ème Section Rivière-Salée | Rural section | 7,644 | Désobert, Dieu-Juste, Dony, Fond-Palmiste, Gardier, Jeudi, Julien, Liciet, Nan Renaud, Rivière Salée | ||
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