Gressier

Gressier is a commune of the Port-au-Prince Arrondissement in the Ouest Department of Haiti.

Gre7 — Location in proximity to capital area

Gressier is a small town within the outer southwest reaches of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area. It overlooks the Caribbean Sea is at an elevation of 16 meters (52 feet). As of the 2015 Census, the town's population was 36,453, making it the second-least populated commune in the department, behind Thomazeau.

The population increased by 10,506 (+35.3%) from the 25,947 counted in the 2003 Census, which had in turn increased by 8,456 (+48.3%) from the 17,491 counted in the 1998 Census. As of the 2015 Census, about two-thirds of the town's population resides in Ville de Gressier, the town's economic hub and commercial center.

It should be noted that some areas of the town still have traces of the time of the Indians. However, the city itself was founded as early as the 19th century, that is to say, about 1800.

History[]

The area now known as Gressier was a part of the Léogâne District, Morne-Chandelle section, commune of Léogâne. One of the first settlers built a military post and successively negotiated the partition of Gressier from Morne-Chandelle. Founded in the 19th century ^(1800's), Gressier is a recent town. It was granted municipal status in 1932. It had the former name Gardes Gendarmes.

• After the fall of Toussaint L'Ouverture, in 1802, general Rochambeau, Lavalette, and Pageot left Port-Républicain with 800 men and crossed the hills of Jacmel, which were flooded with insurgent bands. While they were still at Gressier, a farmer who afterwards became an intrepid colonel, Sanglaou, almost at the head of some insurgents, took them off while they were resting.

• In 1818, President Boyer built on the Gressier habitation a considerable building to serve as a hospice in the West. After its completion, no invalid was admitted, and these constructions eventually fell into disrepair, after having served for a few years in the accommodation of the cavalry.

• On the 17th of September, 1845, at Gressier, a massacre of the rivier insurgents took place, after their defeat at Léogâne, where their leader, Colonel Pierre Paul, fought.

Gre17 — View of Gressier, from the mountaintop

Geography[]

Gressier, one of the eighteen communes of the Western Department, is a coastal town with three communal sections. It is located less than 40 km (25 miles) west of Downtown Port-au-Prince, at 18.5383° N, 72.5294° W. According to the IHSI, the commune has a total area of 92.31 square kilometers (35.64 square miles), of which 17.14 km² (19%) is rural and 73.41 km² (71%) is suburban, and 1.76 km² (2%) is urban. The town's southern border is the Saddle Mountain Range (Massif de la Selle), whose ridge serves as the boundary between the departments of the West and the South, and the town's western border is the Léogâne Plain. It is bounded on the north by the Gulf of Gonâve, on the east by commune of Carrefour, and on the south and west by the commune of Léogâne. The town's population is mostly concentrated in the center, La Ville de Gressier, and along Route Nationale 2. Developed on a plateau between the highlands and the sea, its land area consists of plains in the town center and foothills in the communal sections. With mountains on one side and the magnificent beaches of the turquoise blue Caribbean on the other, Gressier is known for its beautiful landscape.

Neighborhoods

GRE	Gressier		36,453
VGR	Ville de Gressier	Urban	21,800
MAB	1ère Section Morne à Bateau	Rural	3,944	Caille-Pin, Dubois, Grande-Saline, Merger.
MOC	2ème Section Morne Chandelle	Rural section	3,485	Bellevue, Berault, Colin, Corail-Thor, Gode, Ignace, La Source, Maillette , Sibilot.
PBL	3ème Section Petit-Boucan	Rural section	7,489	Bazelais, Bellevue, Berault, Corail, Echarlotte, Fayette, Jean-Jean, Jovin, La Salle-Pte-Place, Maville, Pamber, Petit-Boucan, Plaisance, Santo.

Demographics The inhabitants are called Gressiérois. It is for the most part a very young population. More than half of the population is under the age of 18. Old people are few; they constitute a small part of the municipality.

Year	Population	%
1998	17,491
2003	25,947	+48%
2009	33,152	+28%
2015	36,453	+10%

Climate[]

Gressier has a tropical savana climate, according to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification, typified by tropical wet and hot climatic conditions. Included in the region of Western Department's climatic circle, Gressier enjoys a pleasant temperature.

This climate is considered to be Aw. The average annual temperature for three fourths of the year is about 30°C (86°F). The temperature drops between December and January to 27°C (81°F). The average annual rainfall is 1281 mm (50.4 inches).

Since it is located at a modest altitude, it is actually quite cooler despite being located near the coastal area which otherwise experiences a humid climate. The regular alternation of the rainy season (from April to September) and the dry season (from December to March) has always given great fertility to the land and lush greenery to the vegetation which once encouraged the inhabitants to agricultural exploitation. Despite the deforestation experienced by Gressier, it still has a very rich flora. Fruit trees such as mango trees, coconut trees, are very numerous. According to some people, Gressier was, in the past, a major producer of trees and construction wood such as logwood, mahogany, and Gaillac.

Enviornment

Despite its proximity to the sea, Gressier does not have a humid tropical climate. As with most of the Haïtian countryside, Gressier is also mountainous. About three fifths of the total land area is above 200 m (656 ft) in elevation. The soil, is for the most part, siliceous and porous limestone. The locals often use these resources as building materials for their houses.

Economy[]

The local economy is based on agriculture, livestock, and trade. Subsistence farming is practiced on a large scale by Gressier inhabitants. Millet, sugarcane, maize, coffee, manioc, yam and rice are cultivated here. Three fifths of the land is arid and the remaining two fifths is very fertile due to the many springs, streams, and rivers. Those water resources help to support the largely agricultural market economy.

Trade is one of the most important activities in the town of Gressier. From seafood to agricultural products, and basic necessities from Port-au-Prince or imported from abroad, an internal exchange takes place every day between the inhabitants of the town of Gressier. This exchange takes place at the public markets at several bazaars and shops in the area. With the port of Port-au-Prince being very close by, the majority of the population invests in the sale of consumer products from abroad. Trade has greatly influenced the manners, customs and lives of the inhabitants of the commune of Gressier.

For the economic and financial infrastructures, the town has at least five hotels, five restaurants, a credit union, twelve borlette banks, and six business houses. For commercial establishments, there are about two building materials shops, two food supply centers, three gas stations, two private morgues, four phamarcies, a beauty studio, small market and photography studio. Although the proximity to Port-au-Prince has long meant that Gressiens have nearby access to money transfer agencies (the town has at least six money transfer businesses), there is currently no functional system of mobile money transfer for rural Gressier.

Gre12 — Marché de Gressier; Gressier Market

Gre5 — Residential area in Gressier, Haiti

Immediately after turning off of the main highway, the roads in Gressier deteriorate to a mix of gravel, mud, and deep ruts. The community is not entirely rural, but the main road offers the only developed commercial section. On the side roads, small shops and businesses are freely mixed among residential zones. Along the ocean, private beach clubs offer access to the water to those that can afford it. Small groupings of houses and businesses form what appear to be distinct villages, but in reality are all part of the commune of Gressier.

Gre4 — Stone garden in Gressier's Model Village

Infrastructure[]

Transportation

For Gressiens, the issue of transport is largely an advsantage. Its proximity to Port-au-Prince and its location on the major thoroughfare (Route Nationale 2) means that Gressier’s merchants have essentially unlimited access to public transport carriers.

There is no airport in Gressier. Travelers can also make the most of the Port Au Prince Airport located at a distance of 25 kilometers (16 miles).

Education

Gre30 — New school buildings in Gressier, Haiti

The Ministry of National Education of Youth and Sports is not represented in the town of Gressier. Information on the number of primary schools is not available. At secondary level, six schools including one public, four private and one congregational have been identified in the municipality. There are also three vocational schools.

Health

In the commune of Gressier, there is a health center for primary care. In the event of a serious event, the inhabitants, to be treated, must go either to the Sainte-Croix Hospital or the Signeau Hospital in Léogâne. The Ministry of Public Health and Population is represented by a communal office. Six doctors, two dentists, four nurses, four auxiliaries, a certified matron and a laboratory technician train the health personnel of the commune.

An auxiliary living in the commune sells private services which consist of: blood pressure control, dressing of the wounded, consultations in case of fever and flu, and the sale of certain drugs. Traditional medicine is commonly practiced.

Utilities

For the water supply, the municipality of Gressier has four rivers, one of them is collected for the irrigation of more than fifty hectares of land, six springs, a lagoon and ten wells. The town of Gressier and various surrounding localities are electrified.

Administration

GRE 61122 — Street vendors in front of the Town Hall in Gressier, Haiti

The population of Gressier benefits from certain services set up by the central State. The town has several public offices, There is a town hall, a peace court, a tax office, and a registry office. There is also a police station and a public square.

Culture[]

Religion

Gressier has a Catholic church which is led by a priest. Ranging from Baptist, 7th day Adventist, Jehovah's Witness, Pentecostal, and the Eben-Ezer denominations, at least 48 temples have been identified in the commune. The Church of God turns out to be the most numerous.

Vodou is practiced by part of the population. It is used to protect everyone from evil effects, to seek healing when stricken with illness, and sometimes for revenge.

Organizations

The municipality of Gressier does not have representation of political party. However, it has twelve popular organizations, two peasant groups and an NGO.

Communication

Previously, the town had no phone. Gressier has benefitted from the recent cell phone revolution, to such an extent that all the population now has telephone access. The town has no radio station, no newspaper / magazine, nor television station.

Leisure

As for Leisure, the municipality of Gressier does not have a library, cinema hall, museum nor theater. The most widely practiced sport is soccer.

Like most places in the country, socio-cultural activities play a big role in Gressier. Gambling occupies a major role in rural Haiti. After hours of hard work during a working day, the inhabitants move at some point to go to a place where they can find the possibility of quenching their desire. This is why, in the area of Gressier, the most popular game is cockfighting. It is practiced during holidays and weekends. Many of the locals go there to have fun and relax.

Gre27 — Bel Horizon; Gressier, OU, Haiti

In Gressier, due to an ideal geographical situation, there are several beaches. People from all over, most mainly from the metropolitan area and surrounding areas come here to relax. They organize various activities such as fairs and days by the sea.

For monuments and sites, the town has a natural cave and has the largest number of beaches in the region.