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Les Cayes


Aux Cayes
Cathedral in Les Cayes
Cathedral in Les Cayes
CountryFlag of Haiti.svg Haiti
DepartmentSud
ArrondissementLes Cayes
Government
 • MayorYvon Cheri
Population
 (1995)
 • Total45,904
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (Eastern)

Les Cayes, formerly Aux Cayes (Haitian Creole: Okay), is a town and seaport in southwestern Haiti, with a population of approximately 45,904 people (1995 estimate). Estimates from 2008 place the population at close to 70,000 people. Due to its isolation from the political turmoil of the capital, Port-au-Prince, it is one of Haiti's major ports, with export trade concentrating on mostly coffee and sugarcane and being the world's largest supplier of vetiver at 250 tons annually, a necessary ingredient of perfume and fragrance manufacturing. Minor exports include bananas and timber.

History

The first European settlement in southwestern Hispaniola was the town of Salvatierra de la Sabana, founded by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar in 1504. This settlement was abandoned in 1540, and the area was uninhabited until the French colonial administration founded the town of Aux Cayes ("On the cayes"), so named due to its proximity to Île à Vache. The town was destroyed twice by hurricane in 1781 and 1788.

On 24 December 1818, Simón Bolívar came to Les Cayes in search of support for his movement against the Spanish colonial government in South America.

In the wake of the 12 January 2010 quake, the Cuban military set up a field hospital in the region.[1]

Notable natives and residents

Facilities

Les Cayes has an airport, Antoine-Simon Airport, serviced by Sunrise Airways

Les Cayes Hospital is a small hospital in the commune.[2]

References

  1. Caribbean Net News, "Cuba to open fifth field hospital in Haiti", 5 February 2010 (accessed 5 February 2010)
  2. CBS News, "One Month Later, Haiti Works to Recover", Bill Whitaker, 12 February 2010 (accessed 18 February 2010)

External links

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