Port-au-Prince
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Port-au-Prince (/[unsupported input]ˌpɔːrtoʊˈprɪns/; French pronunciation: [pɔʁopʁɛ̃s]; Haitian Creole: Pòtoprens; Haitian Creole pronunciation: [pɔtopɣɛ̃s]) is the caipital an lairgest ceety o the Caribbean kintra o Haiti. The ceety's population wis 704,776 as o the 2003 census, an wis offeecially estimatit tae hae reached 897,859 in 2009.[1]
Port-au-Prince | |
---|---|
Ville de Port-au-Prince | |
Port-au-Prince | |
Coordinates: 18°32′N 72°20′W | |
Kintra | Haiti |
Depairtment | Ouest |
Arrondissement | Port-au-Prince |
Foondit | 1749 |
Colonial seat | 1770 |
Govrenment | |
• Mayor | Gabrielle Hyacinthe |
Area | |
• City | 36.04 km2 (13.92 sq mi) |
Population (2009 Estimation) | |
• City | 897,859 |
• Density | 25,000/km2 (65,000/sq mi) |
• Metro | 2,509,939 |
Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
The ceety o Port-au-Prince is on the Guwf o Gonâve: the bay on which the ceety lees, which acts as a natural harbor, haes sustained economic activity syne the ceevilizations o the Arawaks. It wis first incorporatit unner the colonial rule o the French, in 1749, an haes been Haiti's lairgest metropolis syne then. The ceety's layoot is similar tae that of an amphitheatre; commercial destricts are near the watter, while residential neebourheids are locatit on the hills abuin. Its population is difficult tae ascertain due tae the rapid growt o slums in the hillsides abuin the ceety; housomeivver, recent estimates place the metropolitan aurie's population at aroond 3.7 million, nearly hauf o the kintra's naitional population.[2]
Port-au-Prince wis catastrophically affectit[3] bi an earthquake on 12 Januar 2010, wi lairge numbers o structures damagit or destroyed. Haiti's government haes estimatit the daith toll at 230,000 an says mair bodies remain uncoontit.[4]