Haiti's Central Plateau, an interior basin that is part of Haiti and the San Juan Valley (D.R.), occupies about 150 square miles (390 square km) in the center of the country. The plateau has an average elevation of about 1,000 feet (300 metres), and access to it is difficult through winding roads. It is bounded by Cahos Mountains on the west and the Noires Mountains on the south. The Artibonite River—the island’s longest, approximately 175 miles (280 km) long—rises in the western Dominican Republic in the Cordillera Central and follows a southwestward course along the border with Haiti. Its tributaries flow eastward and southward through Haiti’s Central Plateau to a point near the Dominican border, where they join the river proper as it turns westward. The Artibonite then skirts the Noires Mountains as it flows to the Gulf of Gonâve. In eastern Haiti the river was impounded as Lake Péligre in the mid-20th century; a hydroelectric complex began operating at Péligre in 1971, but its power output has been unreliable during the dry season. Just upstream from the Artibonite’s delta in the Gulf of Gonâve, some of its waters are used to irrigate the triangular Artibonite Plain.
Central Plateau is split into two regions, haut Plateau (Hinche and CLS) and bas Plateau (Mirebalais and Saut-d'Eau).
About[]
The Central Plateau is not only an area protected from earthquakes and hurricanes but also a region dotted with tourist sites.
The Bassin Zim waterfall, which is not far from Papaye in the municipality of Hinche, could attract hundreds of visitors a day. But the lack of infrastructures, and the erosion which decreases the flow of the fall will undoubtedly cause the disappearance of this heritage within a few years.
The Layaye and Saltadère caves located in the Juanaria section (municipality of Hinche) sometimes release hot and cold water. They could, according to the inhabitants of the area serve as a pole of attraction for tourists. For the time being, according to them, they harbor only misery and desolation.
Saut-d'Eau, declared a Natural Park, is a fertile land, where there is plenty of water. Saut d'eau is located 65 km (40 miles) from the capital with a large, rich and diversified vegetation cover. Thanks to its famous mystical caves, notably those of Marotière and Doco, Saut d'eau could become the biggest tourist destination in the country.
Saut d'Eau is also a high place of pilgrimage given the presence of sites such as the Immaculate, Calvary, and Palms.
A few km from the center of Hinche, in the locality of Colladère, a fantastic cave houses tools from the pre-Columbian period. This cave is unique throughout the Haitian territory.
There is also the Péligre hydroelectric plant which has served the capital since 1971, and which must supply the town of Hinche. The dam, 72 m (236 ft.) high, operates from an artificial lake, Lac de Péligre, which can also be a tourist attraction.
For some time, access to part of the Central Plateau has been improved thanks to the National Road #3.
It remains that it would be necessary to be able to exploit this tourist potential, to relaunch economic activity and guarantee the community significant entrances.
Geographic landmarks[]
The Center Department has an area of 3,750 km2 (1,448 sq.mi), or 14% of the area of the national territory. It is the third in area after the Western and the Artibonite Departments and its population is 600,000 inhabitants.
The Central Plateau corresponds to a vast basin bordered to the north by the Northern Mountain Range, to the west by the Montagnes Noires, to the south by the Trou d'Eau Mountains and to the east by the Bassin de San Juan de la Dominican Republic. In its northwest part, this department presents rugged aspects with altitudes of more than 1000 m (3,280 ft.) in the Black Mountains and inclines towards the east; the southeast, much more hilly, is with altitudes of 125 m (410 ft.) in the Péligre dam area.
The Central Plateau is one of the regions with high rainfall. It records an annual average water level of 1,500 mm (59 inches). From April to June, the trade winds penetrate deeper into the Dominican Republic and go up the San Juan Valley to reach the central zone of Haiti. They bring abundant precipitation to which is added, in October, the precipitation brought by the east winds which also go up the San Juan Valley, according to the Bureau of Mines and Energy (BME).
The Center Department comprises four arrondissements, Hinche, Mirebalais, Lascahobas and Cerca-La-Source. It also includes twelve municipalities, four neighborhoods and 35 communal sections.
Goâve Valley[]
The Valley of Goâve, also known as Guaba or Goaba, encompasses the plains of Saint-Jean, Banica, Saint-Michel, and Hinche, all of which are adjacent to each other. This region is rich in porphyry, agate, alabaster, and jasper in various hues, as well as sulfur; the area near Guaba is known for its gold deposits. The land is well-suited for livestock breeding, thanks to the abundance of rivers that irrigate it, particularly the Guayamuco River, making the soil highly fertile. The valley is famous for its mahogany wood, although it is becoming increasingly scarce. The climate is healthy, with an average elevation of 300 meters above sea level.
References[]
Haïti : Penser la reconstruction avec le Plateau Central [1]