Massif: a compact group of mountains, especially one that is separate from other groups.
Massif de la Hotte ( Hood Mountain Range )
On the western half of Haiti's southern peninsula, the scenic Massif de la Hotte mountain range is surrounded by water on three sides. Peaks in this range rise dramatically out of the sea to altitudes of over 4,000 feet. The highest summit in the range, Pic Macaya, reaches 7,700 feet.
Massif de la Selle ( Saddle Mountain Range )
East of the Massif de la Hotte, the Massif de la Selle mountains extend from the base of the southern peninsula into the Dominican Republic, where they become known as the Sierra de Baoruco. The Massif de la Selle contains Haiti's highest point, Pic la Selle, also known as Chaine de la Selle, measured at 8,792 feet.
Massif du Nord (Northern Mountain Range)
Massif du Nord
On Haiti's northern peninsula, the Massif du Nord range extends from the country's northwestern tip eastward into the Dominican Republic, where they're called the Cordillera Central. Summits in the Haitian portion of this chain average around 4,000 feet.
Central Mountains
In between the Massif du Nord and the Massif de la Selle, Haiti's mainland is strewn with relatively smaller but still substantial mountain ranges. The Montagnes Noires extend south from the Massif du Nord, with elevations around 2,000 feet. To their southwest, the Chaine des Matheux and the Montagnes du Trou d'Eau peter out into the Cul-de-Sac plain.
The Trou d'Eau chain forms a mountain range in the center of Haiti. It constitutes the eastern extension of the Chain of Matheux and an offshoot of the Sierra de Neiba in the Dominican Republic. These mountains rise to the northeast of Trou-Caïman Lake and extend from north-west to south-east. The chain culminates at 638 meters (2,125 ft.) above sea level.
The Trou d'Eau range is largely underforested.
Black Mountains[]
Montagnes Noires[]
This very hilly mountain range located within the Departments of Artibonite and the North, spans approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) in length. The range commences at the Cahos near Marmelade and extends its branches towards the Artibonite River. It has an average elevation of 800 meters (2,600 ft.). Historically, the peak served as the colonial boundary. The Black Mountain Range includes the Black Mountains proper (Picos Negros), Pico Kercabras, and Cahos, which is the highest point in the range. The Crête Sale gorge traverses the Black Mountains, situated between Ennery and Saint-Raphael. As the Black Mountains approach their terminus, they meet the shores of the Artibonite, opposite the mountains of the Beasts and the Loma del Peligro, which rise in the vicinity of Honduras, as well as the Morne à Cabrits located on the left bank of the Artibonite. Several ravines, including those tributary to the Grande Rivière du Nord, such as Gambade de Joli Trou and Fond Chevalier, descend from the Montagne Noire, along with the Petite Rivière des Gonaives and the Croix River, offering delightful vistas.
- In 1794, following the capture of Dondon by the French, Toussaint Louverture pursued Jean François into the Black Mountains.
- In January 1795, after the battle of Charles Sec, it was now Jean François turn to pursue Toussaint into the Black Mountains, specifically at Pico.
Cul-de-Sac
Lying to the north of the Massif de la Selle and the south of the Chaine des Matheux and the Montagnes du Trou d'Eau, the Cul-de-Sac plain contains Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. This narrow, horizontal strip measures about 7 miles from north to south and 20 miles from east to west.
Plains[]
Plaine de l'Artibonite
The Artibonite River cuts through Haiti's central mountains, forming a lush, fertile valley. The longest river in the country, the Artibonite often floods during the wet season, bringing nutrient-rich sediment washed down from upstream to the surrounding countryside.
Gonaïves Plain
The Gonaïves Plain is situated on a flat terrain that is reliant on the Artibonite Plain to the north. The plain extends 12 kilometers in width, stretching from the shoreline to the base of the mountains, and spans 38 kilometers in length, from the base of the Spanish Ridge to the Estère bridge. Its total area is 400 square kilometers.
The North Plain constitutes a very important structure of the country. The part belonging to the North Department stretches east-west from Limonade to Port-Margot. From north to south, there is a practically uniform alluvial coastal plain made up of gravel and sand quaternary and lowered by erosion.
Northeastern Plains
This zone encompasses Fort Liberté, Ferrier, and Terrier Rouge. It is a collection of dry low-mountain, hill, plateau, and plain areas getting no more than 600 mm of rainfall a year. It faces sporadic water shortages, with much of the area facing problems with erosion. The main activities in this zone are farming, livestock-raising, and charcoal production. The two main crops are corn and pearl millet, followed by beans, peas, cassava, sweet potatoes, and groundnuts. Most stock-raising activities involve goats and sheep, followed by cattle and poultry. Animals are raised for sale and are considered a form of savings. As far as land tenure is concerned, all lands are owned either by local households, by the State, or by a handful of private absentee landowners living in the city. These are typically large-scale traders with holdings of over five squares of land.
Central Plateau
Haiti's Central Plateau separates the Massif du Nord from the Montagnes Noires. This flat but elevated area runs in a northwest-to-southeast direction for 52 miles to the Dominican border. It averages about 18 miles wide.
List of extreme points in Haiti[]
NORTH
Notthernmost point: Voute l'Eglise, Tortuga Island
Notthernmost mainland point: Desroulin, Port-de-Paix
Northernmost commune: Tortuga
Northernmost communal section: 2e Mare Rouge, LTT
EAST
Easternmost point: Ti Palma, CLS
Easternmost commune: Cerca-la-Source
Easternmost communal section: Lamielle, CLS
SOUTH
Southernmost point: Pointe l'Abacou, SJS
Southernmost commune: Saint-Jean-du-Sud
Southernmost communal section: Trichet, SJS
WEST
Westernmost point: Navassa Island
Westernmost mainland point: Cap des Irois, Les Irois
Westernmost commune: Les Irois
Westernmost communal section: Matador, LEZ
Sources[]
Famous landforms [1]
Chaîne du Trou-d'Eau[2]
Livelihood Profiles [3]