Chantal is a commune in the Les Cayes Arrondissement, in the Southern Department of Haiti. It had 34,121 inhabitants at the 2015 census.
Chantal is a community that aspires to development. Its inhabitants, in spite of challenging means, make efforts in this direction.
About[]
History
The area known as Chantal was first a district of the commune of Torbeck. It was erected as a commune in 1937, under the Government of Stenio Vincent, on the request of the notables of the locality. Mainly the citizen Feu Dieuveuille Saint Paul, a progressive, helped in this task by the then Senator Antoine Thélémaque and his fellow parliamentarians. On the historical level, the name of Chantal (Jantal) is probably the name of a French colonist, as one day said, one of the mayors of this commune.
Government
Chantal's divisions are La Ville and three sections. Generally all social and political activities focus in the Center (La Ville). Administratively, this commune's three sections headed each by a "CASEC " (Administrative Board of the communal section) and a "ASEC " (Assembly of the communal section). The administration of the municipality is entrusted to a Council of three members.
Geography
According to the IHSI, this commune has a total area of 160.36 square kilometers (61.92 square miles), of which 123.57 km² (77%) is rural, 33.9 km² (21%) is suburban, and 2.89 km² (2%) is urban. It is bordered by the Grand'Anse town of Beaumont on the north, the town of Torbeck on the east and south, the town of Arniquet on the southwest, Roche-à-Bateaux, Côteaux, and Port-à-Piment on the west, and the town of Chardonnières on the northwest.
Chantal is an interior commune of the southern department and has three communal sections. Its dominant relief is the plain and its climate is normal. The inhabitants of the town are called Chantalais. This population is relatively young.
Demographics
Year | Population | Change -/+ |
---|---|---|
1998 | 21,725 | |
2003 | 27,935 | +29% |
2009 | 31,030 | +11% |
2015 | 34,121 | +9% |
Neighborhoods
CHT | Chantal | 34,121 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
VTA | Ville de Chantal | 4,331 | ||
FDP | 1ère Section Fonds-Palmiste | 6,654 | ||
MLO | 2ème Section Meloniére | 11,833 | ||
CFC | 3ème Section Carrefour Canon | 11,303 |
Climate[]
Chantal has a hot and wet tropical rainforest climate (Köppen climate classification Af) and averages 168 clear days per year. The temperature varies so little throughout the year that it is not entirely meaningful to discuss hot and cold seasons. The rainfall in Chantal is significant, with precipitation even during the driest month. While most days have warm and pleasant temperatures, Chantal has an average wind speed of 14.9 kph (9.3 mph).
Economy[]
From the point of view of Economic and Financial Infrastructures, the municipality is quite deprived. There is no hotel, board, restaurant or bank.
Agriculture, livestock and trade are the main economic activities of the inhabitants of the municipality. Trade with other municipalities such as Les Cayes and Port-au-Prince.
Cattle Market in Chantal
The inhabitants are mainly concerned with agriculture which is very precarious. The weather is marked by prolonged droughts. This agriculture is traditional and rudimentary, not mechanized. However, they are familiar with the use of the marshes especially in maize and millet crops. The use of the animal traction plow is also known.
Women are engaged in the retail trade. They offer their goods to the inhabitants of Arniquet and Ducis. Friday is the public market day in Chantal. People come from various localities and especially from the city of Les Cayes.
Industrial activities are non-existent. No processing plant. The craft professions have declined considerably. In the past there were flourishing cabinet, shoe, sewing workshops for young people and girls. Now all of this is gone and leaves very few traces.
Dry Plains
The plains of Smith and Dupéron were once known for their paddy fields. Today their capacities are greatly reduced, yet they are crossed by an important river called Rivière des Mornes whose waters could irrigate them.
The city of Les Cayes, head of the South department, is about 24 kilometers (15 miles) from Chantal. There is a close relationship between these communities. Economically, Chantal, with her public market on Friday, represents an important storehouse for both Les Cayes and Port-au-Prince. Food supplies (bananas, yams, sweet potato, mazombelle, taro), cereals (maize, petit-mil), green vegetables, animals for slaughter (oxen, pigs, goats, sheep or ewes) are transported to cities by trucks or on the backs of animals by mobile merchants commonly referred to as salesmen.
Infrastructure[]
Transportation
Chantal is located off the Route 2 Extension, further west past Les Cayes. Directions here include making a left after Carrefour Béraud and "crossing a river bed". If it rains, the town is an island.
The line of communication linking the Melonnière and Carrefour-canon sections is a gravel road. Then the other ways are only trails.
Education
The Ministry of the National Education of the Youth and the Sports is not represented in the commune of Chantal. Chantal has many primary and secondary schools that comprise its school system, with about 40 primary schools and three secondary schools. There is also a high school, the Lycée Sylvain Salnave High School (operating in the afternoon from 13 hrs to 19 hrs) and several kindergartens.
Chantal's school youth study preferably in Les Cayes. They intends to find in this great city more teachers that are better prepared. Secondary courses are offered to Chantal in high school and classical colleges. On the other hand, no sign of a vocational school is visible. The Chantalaise youth would also like to be trained professionally. There is a lack of that education. The learning of a profession has the virtue of raising the economic, social, moral and spiritual level of man. The Chantalis aspires to it and hopes that solidarity will help reach this goal.
Health
The Ministry of Public Health and Population is not represented in the commune of Chantal. As a result, ARDESCH (Association for the rehabilitation and economic and Social development of Chantal) does not remain indifferent. Its members know that the path of development undoubtedly passes through health.
The health infrastructure is very rudimentary. It consists of two health clinics (one in Ville de Chantal, one in Leprêtre), three mobile clinics (in Canon, Mathieu, and Riviere Morne), 24 assembly posts in the three communal sections for first aid, injection, and dressing, and a disabled center in Laplace.
When the situation goes beyond them, they refer the case to the General Hospital of Les Cayes.
Chantal's Health Center
Its foundation by the nuns dates back to the year 1953. Since then it's run by a nun. Frozen in immobilism for a long time, it eventually evolved. Other services such as a laboratory and a pharmacy were created. Its physical setting is too narrow to hospitalize the sick. Many cases of mortality result from this deficiency situation.
Utilities
The town of Chantal has six rivers, six springs and public fountains with about 107 taps. The city of Chantal has a sanitation service and is electrified. The power supply frequency is 70 hours per week.
Security
For Administrative and Judiciary Infrastructures, the National Police of Haiti (PNH) is represented by a sub-commission and the Ministry of Justice, by a court of peace. There is also a civil status office. There is no prison in the commune.
Culture[]
Religion
Within the commune evolve various religious faiths. The most prominent are the Catholics, the Pentecostals, and the Baptist churches. Seventh-day Adventists are beginning to implant. We must also add the Jehovah's Witnesses. The Vodun is practiced at different levels.
Organizations[]
At the level of parties and organizations, the municipality is very lightly endowed. It has only two grassroots organizations, two women's groups and a non-commercial cooperative.
Several NGO's support projects in this commune
• ARDESCH (Association for Recovery and Economic and Social Development of Chantal)
Communication
The municipality has a post office. However, there is no radio station, television, nor newspaper / magazine.
Leisure
As for Leisure, there are twenty-one listed gaguères in the commune. The football (soccer) is the only sport practiced by the inhabitants of the town. There is no library, museum, theater nor cinema. The Fortress of the Plantons is the only site inventoried in the commune of Chantal.
Neighborhoods
CHT | Chantal | 34,121 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
VTA | Ville de Chantal | Urban | 4,331 | ||
FDP | 1ère Section Fonds-Palmiste | Rural | 6,654 | Cadet, Dupéron, Maisonneuve, Mélonienne, Musso, Pélerins. | |
MLO | 2ème Section Meloniére | Rural section | 11,833 | Boclo, Caprou, Clermont, Desjardins, Ferriere, Jabouin, La Hatte, La Place, L'Etang, Mathieux, Mirabelle, Poldic, Saint-Martin, Smith, Terre-Rouge, Tete-Paon, Toman. | |
CFC | 3ème Section Carrefour Canon | Rural | 11,303 | Bois Marassa, Caiman, Formond, Les Platons, Nan Seille, Nan Selle. |
References and Sources[]
References and sources
Average weather in Chantal [1]
Michael Vedrine