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Place Name
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Cap-Haitien
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Pronunciation
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kahp-ah-ee-SYANG
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Place Status (Type)
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city
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Capital Of
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Nord dept.
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Population
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72,500 (1986)
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Location
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Nord dept., Haiti, Caribbean
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Latitude
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19°45'N
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Longitude
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72°12'W
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Cap-Haitien
(kahp-ah-ee-SYANG), city (1986 est. pop.
72,500),  Nord dept., N Haiti, on the Atlantic Ocean; 19°45'N
72°12'W. Haiti's 2d largest city, it is a seaport, commercial
center, and tourist attraction. It has an internatl. airport. Agr.
dominates the regional economy, with tobacco, sugar, coffee,
cacao, bananas, essential oils, and pineapples as the major commercial
crops; also sugar processing. Founded by the French in 1670, the city
was the capital of colonial Haiti for a century. In 1791,
Cap-Haitien was captured by Toussaint L'Ouverture, leader of a
slave rebellion. From 1811 to 1820 it served as capital of the kingdom
of Henri Christophe, whose Sans Souci Palace and famous citadel, La
Ferriere, still stand. Despite earthquakes (notably in 1842),
bombings, and civil strife, Cap-Haitien retains some
picturesque colonial charm. It is also known as Le Cap and
Cap-Francais.
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