Port-de-Paix (; ht, Pòdepè or ; meaning "Port of Peace") is a
commune and the capital of the
Nord-Ouest department of
Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and s ...
on the Atlantic coast. It has a population of 462,000 (2015 IHSI estimate). Port-de-Paix used to be a large exporter of
banana
A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", disting ...
s and
coffee
Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world.
Seeds of ...
.
History
During the Amerindian period this area was called "Xarama" by the
Taïno people. The area around the town was given the name "Valparaíso" by
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
* lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo
* es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón
* pt, Cristóvão Colombo
* ca, Cristòfor (or )
* la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...
after landing here in the late evening of December 6, 1492, and today still contains many attractive beaches and cave locations. A ferry operates between the town and
Tortuga island, (La Tortue), called "Gusaeni Cahini" by the Taïnos, which is situated just across the water.
The town was founded in 1665 by French
filibusters, driven from Tortuga Island by the British occupiers. In 1676 the capital of the French Colony of
Saint-Domingue
Saint-Domingue () was a French colony in the western portion of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, in the area of modern-day Haiti, from 1659 to 1804. The name derives from the Spanish main city in the island, Santo Domingo, which came to ref ...
was moved from Tortuga to Port-de-Paix, and it remained the seat of government until 1711 when the capital was moved to
Cap-Français. In 1676,
Padrejean escaped from slavery in the Port. In 1679 the town saw the first black slave revolt. The area saw great success during the 18th century but on February 27, 1903, the town was almost entirely destroyed by fire, and never attained its former status.
FIRE DESTROYS PORT DE PAIX.; Haitian Maritime Town Burned on Thursday ... - Article Preview - The New York Times
/ref>
Port-de-Paix is also the chief town of an arrondissement of the same name. The arrondissement consists of five communes: Port-de-Paix, La Pointe des Palmistes, Bassin-Bleu
Bassin-Bleu ( ht, Basen Ble) is a commune in the Port-de-Paix Arrondissement, in the Nord-Ouest department of Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country loca ...
, Chansolme and Tortuga.
Port-de-Paix was hit by a magnitude 5.9 earthquake in 2018.
Transportation
Port-de-Paix is served by Port-de-Paix Airport.
Notable people
* Hurby Azor
Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor (born September 26, 1964), also known as Fingerprints, is a Haitian musician and hip-hop music producer. He is best known for discovering and producing the hip-hop trio Salt-N-Pepa and the rap duo Kid 'n Play.
Early life ...
* Eliezer Cadet
Media
* Le Novateur
*Kreyolofoni
Radio
* Radio Génération80 88.9fm
*Radio Tele Arnold Fm 96.9 https://www.radiotelearnoldfm.com
*Radio Toxic FM 91.3
*Radio Télé diffusion du Nord-Ouest (RTNO)92.5 & ch.6
*Radio Balade FM 102.3 MHz http://www.radiobalade.com
*Radio Melodie Inter 98.3
http://www.radiomelodieinter.com
*Radio New Star 104.1
*Radio Planète FM 100.7
*Radio Télé Universelle Plus (TRUP)103.5 FM & Ch.10
*Radio Voix Eglise Bethanie 94.3 FM
*Radio Voix de la Paix 94.7 FM
*Radio Harmonie Inter 101.5 Fm Stereo http://www.radioharmonieinter.com
*Radio Couleur FM 93.9 FM Stereo
*Radio Télé Ideal Plus 89.7 ch.40
*Radio Castro Inter 97.1
*Radio Excel Inter 106.7
*Radio Dary FM 97.5
*Radio Paismesbrebis 93.5
*Radio natal 96.7
*Radio Cosmos Inter 101.1
*Radio Perfection 105.7
*Radio Clean FM 95.1
*Radio capoix FM 106.3
*Radio Tele Port-de-Paix 88.3
*Radio magnitude fm 98.7 http://www.radiomagnitudefm.com
*Radio expression FM 98.9
*Radio union plus 92.1
*Radio omega 91.9
References
{{Communes of Haiti
Populated places in Nord-Ouest (department)
Populated places established in 1665
Communes of Haiti
1665 establishments in the French colonial empire
Port cities in the Caribbean