Biggest Cities In Haiti

Most of the cities in Haiti were established during the French colonial era or just after independence. These towns play important economic, administrative, historical, and cultural functions in the country due to their significance both in the early times and the modern times. The cities have experienced slow growth due to political instability, natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes and disease outbreaks. The poor administrative policies by the government have also contributed to the slow and inconsistent growth of these towns as most of the populations remain unemployed.

Biggest Cities In Haiti

Port-au-Prince

Port-au-Prince is the most populous and capital city of Haiti. The town was established in 1749. The city served as a colonial seat for the French in 1770. Spanish had established a protectorate in the town during the 16th century, but they later abandoned the town in 1606 leaving it in poverty. The town was an important trading point for Dutch merchants as they acquired leather from game animals. Port-au-Prince has a population of 987,310. The city serves as an important commercial center making it the largest economic center in Haiti and the seat of the national government. The city also serves important cultural functions due to the presence of the National Museum. Problems such as unemployment and lack of housing leading to slums are familiar to the people of Port-au-Prince. Some buildings in the city were destroyed in the 2010 earthquake.

Carrefour

Carrefour is a commune within the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince and the second most populous city in Haiti with a population of 511,345. The city served as an important tourist stop over due to the beautiful natural landscape as well as the warm and welcoming natives. Currently, the city serves as a residential area for most of the people working in Port-au-Prince. The city is plagued with poverty as most of the residents are low-income earners as well as political instability. The underdeveloped city was also damaged by the 2010 earthquake.

Delmas

Delmas is also a commune within Port-au-Prince and the third most populous city in Haiti with a population of 395,260. Delmas is the Haiti’s richest county due to its increasing tax revenues. Delmas is an important transport center with two major roadways traversing it. The roads include AutoRoute de Delmas and Boulevard de Louverture. Other transport facilities include the Toussaint Louverture International Airport. Like other cities and towns in Haiti, Delmas was affected by the 2010 earthquake leaving several damages to buildings and deaths.

Pétionville

Pétionville, a commune of Port-au-Prince, is the fourth most populous city in Haiti with 376,834 people. The city was founded in 1831. The city serves as an important tourist destination in Haiti as well as a residential and commercial center with big businesses established by wealthy citizens, foreign investors, and diplomats. The city experiences problems of poor administration and formation of slums. The town is an important entertainment and recreational center with nightclubs, restaurants, salons, and gyms. The city was affected by the 2010 earthquake leading to the destruction of the hospital.

Problems Facing Haitian Cities

The cities of Haiti including Gonaives, Port-de-Paix, Cite-Haïtien, Saint-Marc, and Croix-des-Bouquets are confronted with a common problem of poverty due to underemployment and unemployment leading to the development of slums, poor access to social amenities and political instability.