About[]
The town of Ganthier is one of several places in Haiti that caters to visitors. The town has great amenities to offer to tourists. It is known for the production of Haiti arts, crafts, and other handiwork. It also features a tourist shop where people can buy souvenirs. Ecotourists are fond of Ganthier's environs, including Lake Azuei, also called l'Étang Saumâtre.
With an estimated population of 62,534 in 2015, Ganthier ranks 35th out of 145 communes in population (11th in the Western Department).
History[]
The area of Ganthier was first called Hatte-Ganthier, meaning "place where animals are raised" by the French, who first settled there in 1685. They found the place favorable for breeding. They used the edges of the Saumâtre pond and its surroundings to carry out their "seamanship with the flibustlers."
During the colony's time, Ganthier was a district of the city of Croix-des-Bouquets, like a simple neighborhood. With the evolution of time, it fell, militarily, under Pétion-Ville. It subsequently became part of Thomazeau. After being split from Thomazeau by the decree of October 18, 1913, residents voted in favor of adopting a charter to transition in 1926 and the settlement was granted municipal status. Ganthier had, at the time, six municipal sections and a district: Galette-Chambon, Balan, Thoman, Pays Pourri, Mare Roseaux, and Fonds-Verrettes. But, in 1978, Ganthier lost its 5th section – Fonds-Verrettes, elevated to the rank of commune. Fond-Parisien became the 3rd section of Ganthier, according to a presidential decree of October 9, 1978.
- On December 20, 1869, at sunset, President Salnave, fleeing the triumphant Cacos revolution in Port-au-Prince, arrived at Ganthier, heading for Port-au-Prince.
- Another source puts Ganthier's date on August 16, 1912, eight days after the installation of President Tancrède Auguste in power.
Geography[]
Ganthier is a small hamlet well-stocked with thatched houses. It is located at 18.5324° N, 72.0661° W. According to the IHSI, this commune has a total land area of 496.11 square kilometers (191.55 square miles), of which 306.50 km² (62%) is suburban, 187.19 km² (38%) is rural, and 2.42 km² (>1%) is urban. Ganthier is the 8th largest municipality in Haiti by land area. Its land area is 1.78% of the national terriory. It is bordered by the town of Thomazeau on the north, the Independencia Province town of Jimaní, DR on the east, the town of Fonds-Verrettes on the southeast, and the city of Croix-des-Bouquets on the west. Ganthier has five communal sections and a district. It is coastal, its terrain consists of plains and its climate is hot.
Demography[]
Its inhabitants are called Ganthiérois.
| Year | Population | +/- |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 63,163 | |
| 2009 | 56,869 | -11% |
| 2015 | 62,534 | +9% |
Commune map of Ganthier, Haiti.
Neighborhoods[]
| GAN | Ganthier | 62,534 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VGA | Ville de Ganthier | 12,677 | ||
| QFP | Quartier de Fond-Parisien | 21,419 | ||
| GCB | 1ère Section Galette Chambon | 6,382 | Beauger, Blanchard, Carrefour Lamadelle, Chambon, Dame-Marie, Galette, Jacquet, Pacharles, Risque, Roche-Blanche, Ti Jardin, Ti Marché. | |
| BAL | 2ème Section Balan | 6,215 | Balan, Bois Léger, Bonnet, Carrefour Baugé, Carrefour Jouanau, Cassis, Chapotin, Descloches, Grand Bois, Grande Place Leroy, La Hatte, Madame-Beaugé, O'Gorman, Source Sable, Ti Place Leroy | |
| FPA | 3ème Section Fond-Parisien | 6,788 | Bas Laleau, Cadiac, Cajou, Dubois, Fonds-Parisien, La Femme, La Selle, La Source, Losette, Nan Augout, Nan Crête, Nan Plaisir, Plaine Toman. | |
| MRX | 4ème Section Mare Roseaux | 4,592 | Au-Codot, Bel-Fond, Bois Dêtre, Bois Galette, Ca Boen, Ca Covlo, Ca Louis, Coupette, Deiso, Dessable, Diègue, Grand-Etat, Grand-Fond, Grand-Roc, Joanneau, Louis Ginette, Mare Goyave, Mare Mouton, Mare Piquant, Mare Radar, Mare Roche, Mare Ti Jardin, Nan Baré, Nan Bazil, Nan Campo, Nan cayemittes, Nan Dauphine, Nan Roseau, Pain Desucre, Pays-Pourri, Piton-Conel, Platon-Grand-Fond, Saut-d'eau, Terre-Pierre, Ti Fond, Ti Guinin, Ti Savane, Ti Tongnin | |
| PPO | 5eme Section Pays Pourri | 4,461 | Badaud, Balisaille, Bois Blanc, Bois Ganthier, Bois Pin, Ca Fourmi, Diobel, Dougé, Elisabet, Gobert, Laleau, Lastic, Lastic-Le-Roche, Mare-Cheval, Matanier, Morne-Mare, Nan Bambou, Nan Bois Pin, Nan Grand-Goût, Petit-Mil, Pongnon, Pot-de-Chambre, Ti Place, Trocher, Trou-Mirliton. |
Economy[]
At the level of Economic and Financial Infrastructures, the municipality of Ganthier is deprived of it.
Eight building materials, over 100 food supply centers, over forty shops, twenty-eight depots, two private morgues, two gas stations, two pharmacies , and two dry cleaning form the economic and commercial establishments of the commune of Ganthier.
The town has its shopping at the main markets of Ti Source and Ti Marché in the first section, Malpasse and Mingrette in the third section, and Marché Gobert and Marché Chapelle in the fourth.
Infrastructure[]
Transportation[]
Another good thing is the condition of roads in Ganthier. The roads are basically in good condition. Even during rainy season, the roads can be traveled on. The only problem is that some parts of the city are dirt roads and others have potholes. But all in all, the city's road construction is way better than in other towns. Air travel may also pose difficulties to tourists, but the international airport in Port-au-Prince is a 25-kilometer drive.
Education
The Ministry of National Education of Youth and Sports is not represented in the municipality of Ganthier. There are a few private kindergartens and at the primary level, 7 public, numerous private and two congregational schools were inventoried in the commune. There are also six secondary schools including one public and five private and five vocational schools.
Health
The Ministry of Public Health and Population is not represented in the commune of Ganthier. A group of medical staff- doctors, nurses, auxiliaries, certified matrons and a laboratory technician provide the health service of the municipality of Ganthier.
Utilities
For water availability, the town of Ganthier has a river, eight springs, fifteen wells and public fountain. The commune of Ganthier is not electrified.
Security
For the Administrative and Judicial Infrastructures, it has a police station in town, a sub-police station in Malpasse, a court of peace and a registry office.
Culture[]
Religion
On the side of religion, eighty-one temples were listed in the commune of Ganthier. The Baptist churches are the most numerous, fifteen in total.
Organizations[]
The town's primary NGO is FONHDAD, Fondation Haïtienne de Développement Agricole Durable (Haitian Foundation for Sustainable Agricultural Development).
Communication
At the time of the inventory, Ganthier had no telephone, no radio station, no newspaper / magazine, nor television station.
Leisure
As for Leisure, the commune of Ganthier has two libraries. It has no museum, no theater and movie theater. Football is the sport practiced in the municipality on unsuitable spaces. Three night clubs operating on Saturdays and Sundays and seven gaguères were also listed in the municipality.
A woman stretches out her arms in prayer on Good Friday
It should be noted the existence of a place of visit and prayer (Calvaire Miracle) and a place of relaxation (Source Zabette) in the town.
In addition to the regular tourists flocking the city are the pilgrims who arrive every year. Thousands of natives and pilgrims come to Ganthier to visit a holy site called the Calvaire Miracle. Most of the pilgrims are Catholic and Vodun followers who pray and wish to get rid of their problems and start a new life. In order to signify the challenges and burden they carry, the pilgrims hold stones over their heads.
References[]
Le Nouvelliste - Survol de l’histoire de la commune de Ganthier [1]
Haiti Chery - The Battle in Haiti for a Town Called Ganthier: Complicity of NGOs in a Land Grab [2]
Michael Vedrine