Port-au-Prince

Capital and chief port of Haiti, on the west coast of the island of Hispaniola; population (2001 est) 1,047,600. The port is able to berth 10,000-tonne ships, and handles half of the country's foreign trade, with coffee and sugar as the major exports. Manufacturing industries include sugar, rum, textiles, tobacco, cement, and plastics. An international airport supports the significant tourist industry.

The settlement was founded, and given a grid layout, by the French in 1749, but was almost destroyed by earthquakes in 1751 and 1770. It became the capital of the French colony of Saint-Domingue in 1770 and, when Haiti gained independence in 1804, Port-au-Prince continued to serve as the capital. During 1915-34 and 1994-95, the city was occupied by a US military force.

Notable landmarks include the stone quay, built by the French in 1780, the modern Cathedral of Notre Dame (1915), the National Palace, which was rebuilt in 1918, and the Iron Market. The city is the home of the State University of Haiti (1920), the national and archaeological museums, and the national library.