Les Cayes Haitian Creole: Okay Aux Cayes | |
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![]() Cathedral in Les Cayes | |
Country | ![]() |
Department | Sud |
Arrondissement | Les Cayes |
Government | |
• Mayor | Yvon Cheri |
Population (1995) | |
• Total | 45,904 |
Time zone | UTC-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
- John James Audubon, French-American naturalist
- André Corvington, Olympic fencer
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
- ↑ Caribbean Net News, "Cuba to open fifth field hospital in Haiti", 5 February 2010 (accessed 5 February 2010)
- ↑ CBS News, "One Month Later, Haiti Works to Recover", Bill Whitaker, 12 February 2010 (accessed 18 February 2010)
External links
- Les Cayes-related website
- L'auberge du rayon vert;local hotel with major impact on town of Port salut
- article recently written on les Cayes and Port Salut differences
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da:Les Cayes de:Les Cayes et:Les Cayes es:Les Cayes fr:Les Cayes (ville) it:Les Cayes ht:Okay (komin) nl:Les Cayes (stad) ja:レカイ no:Les Cayes nn:Les Cayes pl:Les Cayes pt:Les Cayes simple:Les Cayes