View source for Port-au-Prince

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{{Infobox settlement
|name=Port-au-Prince
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|subdivision_name2      = [[Port-au-Prince Arrondissement|Port-au-Prince]]
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|leader_title           = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name            = [[Jean Yves Jason]]
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[[File:Port-au-Prince-TF.jpg|thumb|right|Aerial view, 3D computer generated image. January 27, 2010.]]

[[File:Hispaniola Vinckeboons4.jpg|thumb|300px|Early map of [[Hispaniola]] and [[Puerto Rico]], circa 1639.]]

'''Port-au-Prince''' ({{IPAc-en|icon|ˌ|p|ɔr|t|oʊ|ˈ|p|r|ɪ|n|s}}; {{IPA-fr|pɔʁopʁɛ̃s}}; [[Haitian Creole language|Haitian Creole]]: ''Pòtoprens''; {{IPA-ht|pɔtopɣɛ̃s}}) is the [[capital (political)|capital]] and largest [[List of cities in Haiti|city]] of the [[Caribbean]] nation of [[Haiti]].  The city's official population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census.<ref name=census>[http://www.geohive.com/cntry/haiti.aspx?levels=Ouest Institut Haïtien de Statistique et d'Informatique], 2003 Census</ref>

The city of Port-au-Prince is on the [[Gulf of Gonâve]]: the bay on which the city lies, which acts as a natural harbor, has sustained economic activity since the civilizations of the [[Arawaks]]. It was first incorporated under the colonial rule of the French, in 1749, and has been Haiti's largest metropolis since then. The city's layout is similar to that of an [[amphitheatre]]; commercial districts are near the water, while residential neighborhoods are located on the hills above. Its population is difficult to ascertain due to the rapid growth of [[slums]] in the hillsides above the city; however, recent estimates place the metropolitan area's population at around 3.5 million, nearly half of the country's national population.<ref>www.urbanres.net/docs/ToR-cityWidePlanning-Haiti_final.pdf</ref>

Port-au-Prince was catastrophically affected<ref>http://www.startribune.com/world/81268677.html</ref> by an [[2010 Haiti earthquake|earthquake on January 12, 2010]], with large numbers of structures damaged or destroyed. Haiti's government has estimated the death toll at 230,000 and says more bodies remain uncounted.<ref>{{cite news | first=The Associated Press| coauthors= |authorlink= Associated Press | title=Haiti Raises Earthquake's Death Toll to 230,000 | date=2010-02-09 | publisher= | url =http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=9790622 | work =| pages = | accessdate = 2010-02-10 | language = }}</ref>

==History==
Prior to the arrival of [[Christopher Columbus]], the island of [[Hispaniola]] was inhabited by people known as the [[Taíno]], who arrived in approximately 2600&nbsp;BC in large dugout [[canoe]]s. They are believed to come primarily from what is now eastern [[Venezuela]]. By the time Columbus arrived in 1492&nbsp;AD, the region was under the control of Bohechio, [[Taíno]] [[cacique]] of Xaragua.<ref name="Revolutionary_Freedoms">{{cite book|authors=Accilien, Cécile; Adams, Jessica; Méléance, Elmide; Jean-Pierre, Ulrick|title=Revolutionary freedoms: a history of survival, strength and imagination in Haiti|publisher=''[http://www.caribbeanstudiespress.com/ Caribbean Studies Press]''|location=[[Coconut Creek, Florida]]|year=2006|pages=19–23|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=O-p7qRKl_G0C&pg=PA19&dq=Bohechio+Haiti&cd=1#v=onepage&q=Bohechio%20Haiti&f=false|isbn=1-58432-293-4|accessdate=February 9, 2010}}</ref> He, like his predecessors, feared settling too close to the coast—such settlements would have proven to be tempting targets for the [[Carib people|Carib]]es, who lived on neighboring islands. Instead, the region served as a hunting ground. The population of the region was approximately 400,000 at the time, but the Taínos were gone within 30 years of the arrival of the [[Spain|Spaniards]].<ref name="Caribbean_Islands">{{cite book|authors=Gorry, Conner; Miller, Debra|title=Caribbean Islands|publisher=Lonely Planet|date=October 1, 2005|pages=245–246|isbn=1741040558|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=JJObOeOb0wEC&pg=PA245&dq=port-au-prince+climate&cd=1#v=onepage&q=port-au-prince%20climate&f=false|accessdate=February 9, 2010}}</ref>

With the arrival of the [[Spain|Spaniards]], the Amerindians were forced to accept a [[protectorate]], and Bohechio, childless at death, was succeeded by his sister, [[Anacaona]], wife of the [[cacique]] Caonabo. Anacaona tried to maintain cordial relations with the Spaniards, but this proved to be difficult, as the latter came to insist upon larger and larger tributes. Eventually, the Spanish colonial administration decided to rule directly, and in 1503, [[Nicolas Ovando]], then governor, set about to put an end to the régime headed by Anacaona. He invited her and other tribal leaders to a feast, and when the Amerindians had drunk a good deal of [[wine]] -- the Spaniards did not drink on that occasion—he ordered most of the guests killed. Anacaona was spared, though only to be hanged publicly some time later. Through violence and disease, the Spanish settlers decimated the native population.

Direct Spanish rule over the area having been established, Ovando founded a settlement not far from the coast (west of [[Etang Saumâtre]]), ironically named ''Santa Maria de la Paz Verdadera'', which would be abandoned several years later. Not long thereafter, Ovando founded ''Santa Maria del Puerto''. The latter was first burned by French explorers in 1535, then again in 1592 by the English. These assaults proved to be too much for the Spanish colonial administration, and in 1606, it decided to abandon the region.

For more than 50 years, the area that is today Port-au-Prince saw its population drop off drastically. Finally, some [[buccaneer]]s began to use it as a base, and [[Netherlands|Dutch]] merchants began to frequent it in search of [[leather]], as game was abundant there. Around 1650, French [[piracy|pirates]], or ''flibustiers'', running out of room on the [[Tortuga (Haiti)|Île de la Tortue]] began to arrive on the coast, and established a colony at Trou-Borded. As the colony grew, they set up a hospital not far from the coast, on the Turgeau heights. This led to the region being known as '''Hôpital'''.

Although there had been no real Spanish presence in Hôpital for well over 50 years, Spain retained its formal claim to the territory, and the growing presence of the French ''flibustiers'' on ostensibly Spanish lands provoked the Spanish crown to dispatch Castilian soldiers to Hôpital to retake it. The mission proved to be a disaster for the Spanish, as they were outnumbered and outgunned, and in 1697, the Spanish government signed the [[Treaty of Ryswick (Haiti)|Treaty of Ryswick]], renouncing any claims to Hôpital. Around this time, the French also established bases at Ester (part of Petite-Rivière) and [[Gonaïves]].

Ester was a rich village, inhabited by merchants, and equipped with straight streets; it was here that the governor lived. On the other hand, the surrounding region, Petite-Rivière, was quite poor. Following a great fire in 1711, Ester was abandoned. Yet the French presence in the region continued to grow, and not long thereafter, a new city was founded to the south: [[Léogane]].

While the first French presence in Hôpital, the region that was later to contain Port-au-Prince, was that of the ''flibustiers'', as the region became a real French colony, the colonial administration began to worry about the continual presence of these pirates. While useful in repelling Englishmen intent on encroaching upon French territory, they were relatively independent, unresponsive to orders from the colonial administration, and a potential threat to it. Therefore, in the winter of 1707, Choiseul-Beaupré, the governor of the region, sought to get rid of what he saw as a threat. He insisted upon control of the hospital, but the ''flibustiers'' refused, considering this humiliating. They proceeded to close the hospital, rather than cede control of it to the governor, and many of them became ''habitans'' (farmers) -- the first long-term European inhabitants in the region.

Though the elimination of the ''flibustiers'' as a group from Hôpital reinforced the authority of the colonial administration, it also made the region a more attractive target for the English. In order to protect the area, in 1706 a captain named de Saint-André sailed into the bay just below the hospital, in a ship named ''Le Prince''. It is said that M. de Saint-André named the area ''Port-au-Prince'' (meaning "Port of the ''Le Prince''"), although the port and the surrounding region continued to be known as ''Hôpital'' (however, the [[islet]]s in the bay had already been known as ''les îlets du Prince'' as early as 1680.)

The English did not trouble the area, and various nobles sought land grants from the French crown in Hôpital; the first noble to control Hôpital was Sieur Joseph Randot. Upon his death in 1737, Sieur Pierre Morel gained control over part of the region, with Gatien Bretton des Chapelles acquiring another portion of it.

By this time, the colonial administration was convinced that a capital needed to be chosen, in order better to control the French portion of Santo-Domingo ([[Hispaniola]]). For a time, [[Petit-Goâve]] and [[Léogâne]] vied for this honor, but both were eventually ruled out, for various reasons. [[File:HabitationSaintDomingue.jpg|thumb|right|Colonial mansion in Port-au-Prince, 18th century.]]First of all, neither was centrally located. Petit-Goâve's climate was too [[malaria]]l, and Léogane's topography made it difficult to defend. Thus, in 1749 a new city was built: Port-au-Prince.

===Colonial history===
In 1770, Port-au-Prince replaced [[Cap-Français]] (the modern Cap-Haïtien) as capital of the colony of [[Saint-Domingue]], and in 1804, it became the capital of newly independent Haïti. Before Haïtian independence, it was captured by [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] troops on June 4, 1794.

French colonial commissioner [[Étienne Polverel]] proclaimed the city '''Port-Républicain''' on 23 September 1793 "in order that the inhabitants be kept continually in mind of the obligations which the [[French Revolution|French revolution]] imposed on them". It was later renamed Port-au-Prince by [[Jean-Jacques Dessalines|Jacques I]], emperor of Haïti.<ref>[[Jacques Nicolas Léger]], ''Haiti: Her History and Her Detractors'' (The Neale Pub. Co., 1907), page 66</ref> When Haiti was divided between a kingdom in the north and a republic in the south, Port-au-Prince was the capital of the republic, under the leadership of [[Alexandre Pétion]]. [[Henri Christophe]] renamed the city '''Port-aux-Crimes''' after the [[assassination]] of Jacques I at Pont Larnage (now known as Pont-Rouge, and located north of the city.)

===2010 earthquake===
[[File:Haiti earthquake damage overhead.jpg|thumb|200px|Aerial view of earthquake damage in Léogâne, January 2010.]]
[[File:2010 Haiti earthquake USAID relief situation.svg|thumb|The city of Port-au-Prince, with heavily damaged areas highlighted.]]

{{Main|2010 Haiti earthquake}}
On 12 January 2010, a [[Moment magnitude scale|7.0 earthquake struck]] Port-au-Prince, devastating the city. Most of the central historic area of the city was destroyed, including Haiti's prized [[Port-au-Prince Cathedral|Cathédrale de Port-au-Prince]], the capital building, [[National Assembly of Haiti|Legislative Palace]] (the parliament building), [[Supreme Court of Haiti|Palace of Justice]] (Supreme Court building), several ministerial buildings, and at least one hospital.<ref>{{fr icon}} Haiti Press Network, [http://www.haitipressnetwork.com/news.cfm?articleID=13327 "Haïti – Séisme : l’ISPAN publie une liste de patrimoines détruits ou endommagés"], ''30 January 2010'' (accessed 1 February 2010)</ref> The second floor of the [[Presidential Palace of Haiti|Presidential Palace]] was thrown into the first floor, and the domes skewed at a severe tilt. The [[Port international de Port-au-Prince|seaport]] and [[Toussaint Louverture International Airport|airport]] were both damaged, limiting aid shipments. The seaport was severely damaged by the quake<ref>CNN, Anderson Cooper 360, 18 January 2010</ref> and was unable to accept aid shipments for the first week. The airport's control tower was damaged<ref>New York Times, [http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/world/americas/14cutter.html?hp "Devastation, Seen From a Ship"], '''Eric Lipton''', ''13 January 2010'' (accessed January 15, 2010)</ref> and the US military had to set up a new control center with generators to get the airport prepared for aid flights. Aid has been delivered to Port-au-Prince by numerous nations and voluntary groups as part of a global relief effort. On Wednesday, January 20, 2010, an aftershock rated at a magnitude of 5.9 caused additional damage.<ref>Bhatt, Aishwarya (2010-01-13). Presidential Palace Ruined in the Earthquake. Over 200,000 dead. [http://www.thaindian.com thaindian.com], 13 January 2010. Retrieved from http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world/haiti-presidential-palace-ruined-in-the-earthquake_100303424.html.</ref>

==Geography==
[[Image:Port au Prince(nasa).jpg|thumb|left|Urban expansion in Port-au-Prince.]]
The metropolitan area is subdivided into various districts ([[Arrondissements and communes of Haiti|communes]]).  There is a ring of districts that radiates out from the commune of Port-au-Prince. [[Pétionville]] is an affluent suburban commune located southeast of the city.  [[Delmas, Ouest|Delmas]] is located directly south of the airport and north of the central city, and the rather poor commune of [[Carrefour, Haiti|Carrefour]] is located southwest of the city.  Port-au-Prince commune harbors many low-income slums plagued with poverty and violence in which the most notorious, [[Cité Soleil]] is situated.  However, Cité Soleil has been recently split off from Port-au-Prince proper to form a separate commune.  The Champ de Mars area has begun some modern infrastructure development as of recently.  The downtown area is the site of several projected modernization efforts in the capital.

===Climate===
Port-au-Prince features a [[tropical wet and dry climate]] and relatively constant temperatures throughout the course of the year. Port-au-Prince’s [[wet season]] runs from March through November, though the city experiences a relative break in rainfall during the month of July. The city’s [[dry season]] covers the remaining three months.  Port-au-Prince generally experiences warm and humid conditions during the dry season and hot and humid conditions during the wet season.

{{Weather box
|location = Port-au-Prince
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C = 34
|Feb record high C = 35
|Mar record high C = 37
|Apr record high C = 37
|May record high C = 37
|Jun record high C = 37
|Jul record high C = 38
|Aug record high C = 38
|Sep record high C = 37
|Oct record high C = 37
|Nov record high C = 36
|Dec record high C = 34
|year record high C = 38
|Jan high C = 31
|Feb high C = 31
|Mar high C = 32
|Apr high C = 32
|May high C = 32
|Jun high C = 33
|Jul high C = 34
|Aug high C = 34
|Sep high C = 33
|Oct high C = 32
|Nov high C = 31
|Dec high C = 31
|year high C = 32
|Jan low C = 20
|Feb low C = 20
|Mar low C = 21
|Apr low C = 22
|May low C = 22
|Jun low C = 23
|Jul low C = 23
|Aug low C = 23
|Sep low C = 23
|Oct low C = 22
|Nov low C = 22
|Dec low C = 21
|year low C = 22
|Jan record low C = 17
|Feb record low C = 16
|Mar record low C = 16
|Apr record low C = 16
|May record low C = 19
|Jun record low C = 19
|Jul record low C = 19
|Aug record low C = 20
|Sep record low C = 19
|Oct record low C = 19
|Nov record low C = 18
|Dec record low C = 16
|year record low C = 16
|Jan precipitation mm = 33
|Feb precipitation mm = 58
|Mar precipitation mm = 86
|Apr precipitation mm = 160
|May precipitation mm = 231
|Jun precipitation mm = 102
|Jul precipitation mm = 74
|Aug precipitation mm = 145
|Sep precipitation mm = 175
|Oct precipitation mm = 170
|Nov precipitation mm = 86
|Dec precipitation mm = 33
|year precipitation mm = 1353
|source 1 = BBC Weather <ref name="weather1">{{cite web
| url =http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/city_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT003200 | title =Average Conditions Port au Prince, Haiti| accessdate =January 31, 2010
| publisher =BBC Weather }}</ref>
|date=August 2010
}}

==Demographics==
[[File:Port au Prince vu depuis l'olofson.jpg|thumb|right|View of Port-au-Prince from the Olofsson hotel in 2006.]]
The population of the area was 1,234,742.<ref>[http://www.geonames.org/HT/largest-cities-in-haiti.html]</ref>
The majority of the population is of [[African diaspora|African]] descent, but a prominent [[multiracial]] minority controls many of the city's businesses. There are sizable numbers of [[Hispanic]] residents, as well as small numbers of [[European ethnic groups|Europeans]] (mostly foreign-born).  Citizens of [[Middle East]] (particularly [[Syria]]n and [[Lebanon|Lebanese]]) ancestry are a minority with a presence in the capital. {{Citation needed|date=November 2010}} [[Arab diaspora|Arab Haitians]] (a large number of whom live in the capital) are more often than not, concentrated in financial areas where the majority of them establish businesses.  Most of the mulattoes in the city are concentrated and reside within wealthier areas of Port-au-Prince.

==Economy==
[[File:Port au Prince..JPG|thumb|right|Artisan in Port-au-Prince.]]
Port-au-Prince is one of the nation's largest centers of economy and finance. The capital currently exports its most widely consumed produce of [[coffee]] and [[sugar]], and has, in the past, exported other goods, such as shoes and baseballs. Port-au-Prince has food-processing plants as well as [[soap]], [[textile]], and [[cement]] factories. Despite political unrest, the city also relies on the [[tourism]] industry and [[construction]] companies to move its economy. Port-au-Prince was once a popular place for cruises, but has lost nearly all of its tourism, and no longer has cruise ships coming into port.

Though unemployment is very high in Port-au-Prince, it would be more accurate to say that people are underemployed. A person can expect extremely high levels of economic activity throughout the city, especially among people selling goods and services right off the streets. One author argues that virtually no one is unemployed in Port-au-Prince's slums, because they would be unable to survive if they were.<ref>Simon M. Fass's research book, ''Political Economy in Haïti: The Drama of Survival''</ref> Port-au-Prince also has several upscale districts in which crime rates are much lower than in the center of the capital.{{Citation needed|reason=someone has statistics on crime rates??!!!|date=May 2010}}

Port-au-Prince has a tourism industry. The [[Toussaint Louverture International Airport]] (referred to often as the Port-au-Prince International Airport) is the country's main international gateway for tourists. Tourists often visit the Pétionville area of Port-au-Prince. Other sites of interest include [[Victorian architecture|gingerbread houses]].

==Health and public safety==
There are a number of hospitals including Sacred Heart Hospital Center (CDTI, Centre Hospitalier du Sacre-Coeur).<ref>[http://wikimapia.org/13381534/Centre-Hospitalier-du-Sacre-Coeur-CDTI Centre Hospitallier du Sacre Coeur]</ref> Hopital de l' Universite d'Etat d'Haiti, Centre Obstetrico Gynecologique Isaie Jeanty-Leon Audain,Hopital du Canape-Vert, Hopital Francais (Asile Francais), Hopital Saint Francois de Sales, Hopital-Maternite Sapiens, Hopital OFATMA, Clinique de la Santé, Maternite de Christ Roi, Centre Hospitalier Rue Berne and Maternite Mathieu.<ref>[http://www.haitimedical.com/union/reference/hospitals.asp]</ref>
After the 2010 Earthquake, two hospitals remained that were operational. The University of Miami in parternship with Project Medishare has created a new hospital to provide inpatient and outpatient care for those impacted by the January 2010 earthquake. This hospital is volunteer staffed and provides level 1 trauma care to Port-au-Prince and the surrounding regions.<ref>[http://projectmedishare.org/]</ref>

CDTI closed in April 2010 when international aid failed to materialize. It had been considered the country's premiere hospital.<ref>[http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100718/NEWS01/7180333/1006/Lack+of+funds+forces+hospital+to+shut+down]</ref>

==Culture==
The culture of the city lies primarily in the center around the National Palace as well as its surrounding areas. The [[National Museum of Haiti|National Museum]] is located in the grounds of the palace, established in 1938. The National Palace was one of the early structures of the city but was destroyed and then rebuilt in 1918. It was destroyed again by the [[2010 Haiti earthquake|earthquake on 12 January 2010]] which collapsed the center's domed roof.

[[Image:PortAuPrincePacot.jpg|thumb|right|150px|An old gingerbread house in Pacot.]]
Another popular destination in the capital is the [[Hotel Oloffson]], a 19th century [[Victorian architecture|gingerbread mansion]] that was once the private home of two former [[List of heads of state of Haïti|Haïtian presidents]]. It has become a popular hub for tourist activity in the central city. The [[Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, Port-au-Prince|Cathédrale de Port-au-Prince]] is a famed site of cultural interest and attracts foreign visitors to its Neo-Romantic architectural style. 

The Musée d'Art Haïtien du Collège Saint-Pierre contains work from some of the country's most talented artists, and the Musée National is a museum featuring historical artifacts such as King [[Henri Christophe]]'s actual suicide pistol and a rusty [[anchor]] that museum operators claim was salvaged from [[Christopher Columbus|Christopher Colombus']] ship, the ''[[Santa María (ship)|Santa María]]''. Other notable cultural sites include the Archives Nationales, and the Bibliothèque Nationale (National library). The city is the birthplace of internationally known [[naïve art]]ist [[Gesner Abelard]], who was associated with the [[Centre d' Art]].

==Government==
[[Image:Haitian national palace earthquake.jpg|thumb|The [[National Palace (Haiti)|Presidential Palace]] (National Palace) in Port-au-Prince, which was severely damaged by the [[2010 Haiti earthquake]].]]
The current mayor of Port-au-Prince is [[Jean Yves Jason]], who headed the city at the time of the 2010 earthquake.<ref name=nytimes>{{cite news |first=|last=|title=Trapped Haitian Girl Dies Despite Rescue Effort  |url=http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/14/world/AP-CB-Haiti-Trapped-Alive.html|work=[[Associated Press]] |publisher=[[New York Times]] |date=2010-01-14 |accessdate=2010-01-20}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=RjwilmsiBot}}</ref>  The city's separate districts (primarily the districts of [[Delmas, Ouest|Delmas]], [[Carrefour, Haiti|Carrefour]], and [[Pétionville]]) are all administered by their own local mayors who in turn fall under the jurisdiction of the city's general mayor. The seat of the state, the [[National Palace (Haiti)|Presidential Palace]], is located in the Champ de Mars plaza of the city. The PNdH (''[[Police Nationale d’Haïti]]'') is the authority governing the enforcement of city laws. The national police force as of recently, have been increasing in number. However because of its ailing ineffectiveness and insufficient manpower, a significant number of [[United Nations|UN]] personnel is present throughout the city as part of the [[United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti|stabilization mission in Haiti]].

The [[Port-au-Prince City Hall]] was destroyed in the 2010 earthquake.<ref name=wp>{{cite news |first=Manuel|last=Roig-Franzia|title=Shattered city government in quake-ravaged Port-au-Prince in need of help itself |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/19/AR2010011904614.html?hpid=topnews |work=[[Washington Post]] |publisher= |date=2010-01-20 |accessdate=2010-01-20}}</ref> Most of the city's other government [[municipal]] buildings also collapsed in the earthquake.<ref name=wp/>

==Education==
Port-au-Prince contains various educational institutions, ranging from small [[vocational school]]s to [[university|universities]]. Influential international schools in Port-au-Prince include Union School,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.gov/m/a/os/1550.htm |title=Haiti, Port-au-Prince: Union School |work=Office of Overseas Schools |publisher=United States Department of State |date=2007-10-26 |accessdate=2008-11-29}}</ref> founded in 1919, and Quisqueya Christian School,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.quisqueya.org |title=Quisqueya Christian School |publisher=Quisqueya Christian School |accessdate=2008-11-29}}</ref> founded in 1974. Both schools offer an American-style pre-college education. French-speaking students can attend the Lycée Français (Lycée Alexandre Dumas), located in Bourdon. Another school is [[Anís Zunúzí Bahá'í School]] north west of Port-au-Prince which opened its doors in 1980<ref name="anis">{{Cite web | title = About The School | work = Anis Zunuzi Baha'i School | publisher = Anís Zunúzí Bahá'í School | date = | url =http://www.angelfire.com/ct/zunuzischool/#about | accessdate = 2010-02-06}}</ref> which survived the [[2010 Haiti earthquake]]<ref name="facebk">{{Cite web | last =  Thimm  | first = Hans J. | title = Anís Zunúzí Bahá'í School | work = Facebook Page | year = 2010 | url = http://www.        .   /group.php?v=wall&gid=155485740573 | accessdate = 2010-02-06}}</ref> and its staff were cooperating in relief efforts and sharing space and support with neighbors.<ref>{{Cite web | title = New Events and Updates | work = Projects & Initiatives; Projects we support; Anis Zunuzi School | publisher = Mona Foundation | year = 2009 | url =http://www.monafoundation.org/news-events.htm| accessdate = 2010-02-06}}</ref> A clinic was run at the school by a medical team from the United States and Canada.<ref name="BWN755">{{Cite news  | title = Amid wreckage in Haiti, new birth brings hope | newspaper = Bahá'í World News Service | location = | pages = | language = | publisher = Bahá'i International Community | date = 5 February 2010 | url = http://news.bahai.org/story/755 | accessdate = 2010-02-06}}</ref> Its classes offered transition from [[Haitian Creole language|Haitian Creole]] to the [[French language]] but also a secondary language in English.<ref name="BN682">{{cite journal| title = Development - A look at programs around the world; Americas; Agriculture and forestry;| journal = Bahá'í News | year = 1987 | month = January | number = 682 | ISSN=0195-9212 | page = p. 4 | url =http://www.teachingandprojects.com/meansandmaterials.htm}}</ref> [[University of Haiti|The State University of Haiti]] (''Université d'État d'Haïti'' in [[French language|French]] or '''UEH'''), is located within the capital along other universities such as the Quisqueya University and the ''Université des Caraïbes''. There are many other institutions that observe the Haitian scholastic program. Many of them are religious academies led by foreign missionaries from France or Canada. These include Institution Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague, École Sainte-Rose-de-Lima, École Saint-Jean-Marie Vianney, Institution du Sacré-Coeur, and Collège Anne-Marie Javouhey.

The Ministry of Education is also located in downtown Port-au-Prince at the Palace of Ministries, adjacent to the National Palace in the Champ de Mars plaza.

The Haïtian Group of Research and Pedagogical Activities (GHRAP) has set up several community centers for basic education. [[UNESCO]]’s office at Port-au-Prince has taken a number of initiates in upgrading the educational facilities in Port-au-Prince.

==Transportation==

All of the major transportation systems in Haiti are located near or run through the capital. The northern highway, Route Nationale #1 (National Highway One), originates in Port-au-Prince.  The southern highway, Route Nationale #2 also runs through Port-au-Prince.  Maintenance for these roads lapsed after the 1991 coup, prompting the [[World Bank]] to lend [[United States dollar|USD]]$ 50 million designated for road repairs. The project was canceled in January 1999, however, after auditors revealed corruption.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}} A third major highway, the Haitian Route Nationale #3, which connects Port-au-Prince which links the capital to the central plateau; however, due to its poor condition, it sees limited use.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}}

[[Image:Tap-tap city.jpg|thumb|A taptap (shared taxi) in central Port-au-Prince.]]
The most common form of public transportation in Haiti is the use of brightly painted [[pickup truck]]s as [[taxicab|taxis]] called "[[Tap-Tap|tap-taps]]."

The [[port|seaport]], [[Port international de Port-au-Prince]], has more registered shipping than any of the over dozen ports in the country.{{Citation needed|reason="more registered shipping" needs documenting|date=May 2010}}  The port's facilities include cranes, large berths, and warehouses, but these facilities are in universally poor shape.  The port is underused,{{Citation needed|reason="underused" is pov, needing a strong outside citation|date=May 2010}} possibly due to the substantially high port fees compared to ports in the [[Dominican Republic]].

The [[Toussaint Louverture International Airport]] (Aéroport International Toussaint Louverture also known as Maïs Gâté), which opened in 1965 (as the François Duvalier International Airport), is located north of the city. It is Haiti's major jetway, and as such, handles the vast majority of the country's international flights. Transportation to smaller cities from the major airport is done via smaller aircraft. Companies providing this service include [[Caribintair]] and [[Sunrise Airways]].

==Sister cities==
Port-au-Prince has two [[sister cities]]:
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Miami, Florida|Miami]], [[United States]] - 1991<ref name="sisters">{{cite web|url=http://www.sister-cities.org/directory/|title=Sister City International Listings|publisher=[[Sister Cities International]]|accessdate=February 2, 2010}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|Canada}} [[Montreal]], [[Canada]] - 1995<ref>http://www11.ville.montreal.qc.ca/sherlock2/servlet/template/sherlock%2CAfficherDocumentInternet.vm/nodocument/20146;jsessionid=24C10045060CDD0AA23BD919B260FD0F</ref>

==See also==
* [[Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault zone]]
* [[:Category:People from Port-au-Prince|Famous People from Port-au-Prince]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* [http://portauprince.usembassy.gov/ Port-au-Prince  U.S Embassy]
* [http://www.amizman.com/radios Live Radios from Haiti]
* [http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1953379_1953494_1958231,00.html?xid=rss-world-huffpo Scientists: Why Haiti Should Move Its Capital] by ''[[Time Magazine]]''

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Port-Au-Prince}}
[[Category:Port-au-Prince| ]]
[[Category:Capitals in North America]]
[[Category:Capitals in the Caribbean]]
[[Category:Populated places in Haiti]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Haiti]]
[[Category:Gulf of Gonâve]]
[[Category:Ouest Department]]
[[Category:Port cities in the Caribbean]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1749]]
[[Category:Communes of Haiti]]

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