Departmental Flag
Nord-Ouest (Kreyol: Nòdwès, English: North-West) is the northernmost province in Haiti. It borders the Artibonite Department to its southeast, the North Department to its east, Atlantic Ocean to its north, and Windward Passage to its west, sharing a maritime border with Guantánamo Province, Cuba. Its capital and its most populous city is Port-de-Paix. The department is named for the compass direction in relation to the national capital of Port-au-Prince.
Within this region lies the Mole Saint Nicolas Peninsula, along with the bays of Môle and Henne. One of the notable features in this area is Turtle Island. The Trois Riviéres River, Môle, and Jean Rabel Rivers are the primary watercourses in this region. It is within this department that Christopher Columbus first arrived on December 6, 1492.
The Northwest Department roughly coincides with the Far West, a geographic region of northwestern Haiti bounded by its coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the waters of the Trois Rivieres to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common conception includes the district of Môle Saint-Nicolas and portions of the Port-de-Paix and Gros-Morne districts; namely all lands west of the Les Trois Rivières Valley. Historically, this area was part of a larger region known as Marién, one of the five ancient Taíno kingdoms. As of the 2015 census, the North West Department was home to over 700,000 residents.
Native Americans have inhabited the area for about 7,000 years. The competitive tribes of the Arawak-speaking Taino and Kali-speaking Carib were active at the time of European encounter. The first French to arrive were pirates who began to use the island of Tortuga in 1625 as a base and settlement for raids against Spanish ships. During the 17th century, French colonists claimed the territory as part of the Kingdom of France's colony of Saint-Domingue. After the Kingdom of Great Britain began to settle colonies to the west in nearby Jamaica, the two nations competed in Haiti in addition to Spain. After signing a truce in 1697, France ceded the eastern portion of Hispaniola to Spain.
This department is divided into three districts, which are divided into ten municipalities, which are in turn made up of multiple named villages. Its western end, known as Cap-à-Foux, forms the northern boundary of the Windward Passage, which extends southwestward toward Jamaica.
Exterior boundaries:
East: Northern Department
Southeast: Artibonite Department
Interior boundaries:
This Department is divided into 3 arrondissements:
Click here to view a more detailed map.
About[]
This department is unique compared to the others. It is only a vast peninsula, exposed to strong winds from the south and north, which blow with force. Positioned on the country's northern peninsula, it occupies the upper portion of the "horseshoe" shape when viewed on a map of Haiti, with a length that is double its width. Bordered by the sea to the north and west, its terrain is made up of various materials, with white marl being the predominant component. The coastlines alternately feature extended stretches of Neptunian rock formations and sheer cliffs that are relentlessly pounded by the raging waves.
The North West region is rich in various minerals such as silver, copper, zinc, iron, antimony, magnet, and cinnabar. Additionally, it is abundant in alabaster, chalk, rock salt, spar, rock crystal, sandstone, pyromach flint, ocher, cut stones, magnificent shellfish, corals, sponges, and salt marshes. The region also boasts a diverse range of plant life including logwood, garlic, shallots, cotton trees, coffee trees, cocoa trees, and speckled mahogany. Other notable vegetation includes campeche, bresillet, guaiac, opuntia, cactus, fig, ebony, vines, and tobacco.
The forests in the North West are home to various wildlife such as wild guinea fowl, pigs, chestnuts, lizards, and parrots. The region is also known for its beekeeping industry, producing beeswax and honey. The excellent pastures in the area are used for raising cattle, horses, donkeys, and millet. The climate in the North West is generally hot.
The people in the North West region are generally known for their liberal and republican views. While republicanism emphasizes the importance of civic virtue and the common good, liberalism is based on economics and individualism.
History[]
Woman from the Northwest, Haiti
The Spanish colonization of what is today the Republic of Haiti got off to an inauspicious start, and within a short period of time the western sections of the island were more or less ignored. With the main Colonial Focus concentrated on the east and south of the island, Spanish interest in the northern and western parts remained negligible. As a result, the coastline became the haunt of French and British Pirates who preyed on ships plying the route between the New World colonies and Europe. The Western territory remained sparsely populated until France began to take an interest during the latter half of the 17th century, and, under the influence of agents of the French Crown, a plantation economy began to thrive on the coastal plains. Over the course of the next 100 years, however, the fortunes of the two colonies were reversed.
Nord-Ouest, Haiti was formed out of territory from the Nord and Ouest departements during the 19th century. At its forming, it was one of the five departments of the Republic of Haiti, with a population of 70,000 inhabitants, Four senators, and two districts which are: that of Port, de Paix, the capital, and that of Möle Saint Nicolas. With the exception of the Tortuga Island and the coastal area near Port-de-Paix, the NW is arid and barren. Port-de-Paix, which was once a large exporter of coffee and bananas, is now importing contraband goods from Miami. Once called Valparaiso by Columbus, there are still some lovely beaches and scenery. Take the ferry to Tortuga island, once the biggest pirate bases in the Caribbean. Named for the smooth shape that reminded travelers of a turtle's shell, Tortuga's best beach is Pointe Saline at the western tip of the small island. This area is very dry and offers little shade. At Les Palmiste on the eastern coast visit a pre-Columbian rock carving of a goddess at La Grotte au Bassin and two big caves at Trou d'Enfer and La Grotte de la Galerie. Basse-Terre, on the southeastern coast is home to the remains of Fort de la Roche, once the island's biggest fortress. Along with a 15m high lime kiln, three cannons and the foundations of a wall are all that is left of Fort Ogeron, built in the mid 1600's.
Road to fishing village La Plateforme located south of Bombardopolis
- On July 2, 1807, President Pétion found himself in the north, while an expedition against Christophe in Port-de-Paix was underway, with the outcome favoring Pétion. In order to bolster the insurrection in Port de-Paix, General Lamarre was dispatched by Pétion to Mole Saint Nicolas. Lamarre eventually reached Port-a-Piment. On July 13, Christophe, leading a force of 8,000 soldiers, launched an invasion of the North West department, which had revolted in support of Pétion.
Donkeys on the road connecting the high plateaus with Bombardopolis and village Baie-de-Henne with the valley
Geography[]
Population by municipality / area
| Inhabitants | kms2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Port-de-Paix | 121 116 | 401.53 | |
| Saint-Louis-du-Nord | 54 269 | 13672 | |
| Jean-Rabel | 130 668 | 47177 | |
| Môle Saint-Nicolas | 32 991 | 25165 | |
| Anse-à-Foleur | 30 632 | 65.07 | |
| Bombardopolis | 33,540 | 181.69 | |
| Baie-de-Henne | 17 223 | 222.42 | |
| Tortuga | 35 433 | 196.17 | |
| Bassin-Bleu | 40 630 | 220.22 | |
| Chansolme | 14 043 | 27.91 | |
| TOTAL | 510 545 | 2,175.15 |
Demographics[]
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1890 | 7000 |
| 2003 | 531,198 |
| 2009 | 662,777 |
| 2015 | 728,807 |
Land description[]
The North West Department has a coastline of about 165 km (103 miles), 11% of the coastline of the National Territory. The morphology of the Department is characterized in the east by the extreme point of the Massif du Nord, in the center by part of the Massif de Terre Neuve, bounded to the north by the plain of mosquitoes and to the south by the plain d'Arbe, to the west by the plateaus of Môle St Nicolas and Bombardopolis, bordered by the low terraces of the bay of Henne and indented on their northern side by the small plain of Jean Rabel.
The Northwest Department is attached the island of the Tortue consisting essentially of a plateau, cut deeply by river valleys.
Mont Saint-Nicolas traverses this department from east to west, channeling its waters into two primary slopes. A section of the Plaisance Range extends westward, where one can observe Cap Saint Nicolas and Cap à Foux.
Artificial Lakes Project[]
The Northwest region of Haiti, which has been suffering from prolonged drought periods, will be bound to experience a new change altogether after construction of artificial lakes. The project which involved the construction of over 160 artificial lakes was well appreciated by the local dwellers that would use the new resource for fishing, watering their animals and using it for irrigation. With the established artificial lakes up and running, local dwellers will be in a position to adequately suffice their food needs and earn some income from the economic activities promoted by the new resource in the region, President Martelly said.
The artificial lakes project, which was pioneered by the ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with other ministries, was an initiative to improve Haiti's capacity to cater for food supply to its countrymen and their livestock without great hassles. Michael Martelly's launching trip was graced by the presence of the Minister for Agriculture, Thomas Jacques and Senator Melius. He made his first launch at Baie-de-Henne and at Raymond, both located on the Northern regions of Haiti.
All along the launching activities, Ministry of Agriculture officials expressed their hopes in the new unleashed resource and urged local dwellers to maintain it and utilize it well. Led by the Secretary of State for Agriculture, Mr. Vernet Joseph, and Karl Charlemagne who is currently the Ministry's Departmental Director, promised to be actively participating in facilitating fish breeding programs for the benefit of dwellers who may be interested in rearing fish. On his side, President Martelly said that the projects were also initiated to promote equity in distribution of natural resources which has been on a biased side over a long time.
Michael Vedrine