Les Cayes
| Les Cayes Haitian Creole: Okay Aux Cayes |
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 Les Cayes
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| Coordinates: 18°12′0″N 73°45′0″W / 18.2°N 73.75°WCoordinates: 18°12′0″N 73°45′0″W / 18.2°N 73.75°W | |
| Country |  Haiti |
| Department | Sud |
| Arrondissement | Les Cayes |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Yvon Cheri |
| Population (1995) | |
| • Total | 45,904 |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
Les 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. As the world's largest supplier of vetiver, it exports 250 tons annually of this ingredient of perfume and fragrance manufacturing. Minor exports include bananas and timber.
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[edit] History
The island of what was known by the Spanish as Hispaniola was inhabited for thousands of years by indigenous peoples. The first European settlement in the southwest area was the town of Salvatierra de la Sabana, founded by the Spanish explorer Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar in 1504. This settlement was abandoned in 1540.
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 hurricanes 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]
[edit] Notable natives and residents
- John James Audubon, French-American naturalist, was born here.
- André Corvington, Olympic fencer
- André Rigaud, Haitian military leader, was born here on a plantation. His father was a planter who sent him to France for education.
[edit] Facilities
Les Cayes has an airport, Antoine-Simon Airport.
The American University of the Caribbean, Haiti is located in Les Cayes.
Les Cayes Hospital is a small hospital in the commune.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Caribbean Net News, "Cuba to open fifth field hospital in Haiti", 5 February 2010 (accessed 5 February 2010)
- ^ Bill Whitaker, "One Month Later, Haiti Works to Recover", CBS News, 12 February 2010, (accessed 18 February 2010)
[edit] External links
- Les Cayes-related website
- "Port-Salut: bien sur, mais...", Le Nouvelliste, in French, article on differences between Les Cayes and Port Salut
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