Petit-Goâve
Petit-Goâve | |
|---|---|
| Country |  Haiti |
| Department | Ouest |
| Arrondissement | Léogâne |
Petit-Goâve (Haitian Creole: Tigwav) is a coastal town in Ouest Department, Haïti. It is located 68 kilometres (42 mi) southwest of Port-au-Prince. The town has a population of approximately 12,000 inhabitants.
History
The town is one of the oldest cities of the country, and was named Goâve by the Amerindians. The Spanish called it Aguava at the end of the 16th century. After French colonization through the releasing of the Spanish, the French divided the city into two halves; Grand-Goâve and Petit-Goâve. Petit-Goâve became a wealthy settlement in the western half of Hispaniola and briefly became the "pre-capital" of the prosperous colony of Saint-Domingue.
January 2010 earthquake
It was significantly affected by the 12 January 2010 earthquake.[1] On 20 January a strong aftershock of magnitude 5.9 Mw struck Haiti.[2] The U.S. Geological Survey reported that its epicentre was almost exactly under Petit-Goâve. The U.S. Geological Survey initially reported that the magnitude of the aftershock was 6.1, but they later revised that figure to 5.9 [3]
On the 19th, authorized by the Haitian government, 1300 US Marines were deployed equally between Petit-Goave and Grand-Goave.[4] Spanish amphibious assault ship Castilla is to arrive at Petit-Goâve beginning in February to assist in recovery efforts.[5]
Spanish warship Castilla arrives on 4 February 2010.[6]
As of 9 February 2010, the US 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit is rotating out of Haiti, having been replaced by the US 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, in their position on USS Bataan and Carrefour, Leogane and Petit-Goave, Grand-Goave.[7][8]
Aid For Haiti (AFH) [1], a US-based non-profit has been coordinating some of the local medical care in the area of Petit Goave. They are located at the Wesleyan Compound in Petit Goave.
The 400th episode of the radio program This American Life, which aired in February 2010, featured a story on a university in Petit Goave.
Notables
- Dany Laferrière, Haitian-Canadian writer
- Faustin Elie Soulouque (Faustin I), President of Haiti (1847-1849), Emperor of Haiti (1849-1859)
- Hubert Deronceray political leader
- Issa el Saieh, musician
- Wilson Bigaud, artist peinter
- Yves-Mary Fontin, poet-writer
Facilities
Petit-Goave has a hospital, Notre-Dame de Petit-Goave.[9] In February 2010, this hospital was largely unusable due to damage from the earthquake.The Norwegian Red Cross ERU (Emergency Response Unit) has established their field hospital in the hospital and runs 2 full equipped Operation Theather and 2 ambulanses with paramedics. Norwegian Red Cross support the hospital with electrical power and medical equipment and medicin.
References
- ^ CNN, "Outside Port-au-Prince, 'towns are absolutely destroyed'", Khadijah Rentas, 15 January 2010 (accessed 17 January 2010)
- ^ http://www.canada.com/news/world/Magnitude+aftershock+strikes+Haiti/2463104/story.html
- ^ "Magnitude 6.1 - HAITI REGION". 20 January 2010. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
- ^ Template:Fr icon Agence France-Presse, "Les Américains passent à la vitesse supérieure", Clarens Renois, 19 January 2010 (accessed 28 January 2010)
- ^ Template:Fr icon Journal Ouest-France, "Le navire-hopital espagnol devrait arriver à Petit-Goave début février", 27 January 2010 (accessed 28 January 2010)
- ^ Latin American Herald Tribune, "Spanish Aid Ship Reaches Haiti", 5 February 2010 (accessed 5 February 2010)
- ^ WITN, "24th Marine Expeditionary Unit Leaving Haiti", NBC News, 9 February 2010 (accessed 10 February 2010)
- ^ DVIDS, "22nd MEU Moves Into Carrefour", 22MEU, 8 February 2010 (accessed 10 February 2010)
- ^ Template:Es icon "La operación "Hispaniola", totalmente operativa en Haití", Gema Nieves, 8 February 2010 (accessed 11 February 2010)
External links
- Petit Goave 350 Development
- Reuters, "Petit Goave atlas of building damage assessment", 2 March 2010
