Gonaïves (; also Les Gonaïves; , ) is a
commune in northern
Haiti
Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...
, and the capital of the
Artibonite department of Haiti. The population was 356,324 at the 2015 census.
History
The city of Gonaïves was founded around 1422 by a group of
Taíno
The Taíno are the Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, Indigenous peoples of the Greater Antilles and surrounding islands. At the time of European contact in the late 15th century, they were the principal inhabitants of most of what is now The ...
, who named it ''Gonaibo'' (to designate a locality of
cacicat of the Jaragua). The
Gulf of Gonâve is named after the town.
In 1802, an important battle of the
Haitian Revolution
The Haitian Revolution ( or ; ) was a successful insurrection by slave revolt, self-liberated slaves against French colonial rule in Saint-Domingue, now the sovereign state of Haiti. The revolution was the only known Slave rebellion, slave up ...
, the
Battle of Ravine-à-Couleuvres
The Battle of Ravine-à-Couleuvres (Haitian Creole: ''Batay Ravin Koulèv''), fought on 23 February 1802, was a major battle of the Saint-Domingue expedition during the Haitian Revolution.
A French division under General Donatien-Marie-Joseph de ...
was fought near Gonaïves.
Gonaïves is also known as Haiti's city of independence, because it was the location of
Jean-Jacques Dessalines declaring Haiti independent from France on January 1, 1804, by reading the Act of Independence, drafted by
Boisrond Tonnerre, on the Place d'Armes of the town.
Marie-Claire Heureuse Félicité, the wife of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, died here in August 1858.
In the early 2000s, Gonaïves was the scene of substantial rioting and violence motivated primarily by opposition to
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, and on February 5, 2004, a group calling itself the
Revolutionary Artibonite Resistance Front seized control of the city, starting the
2004 Haïtian rebellion. But in recent years, the city has seen a complete return to order.
Even compared with other Haitian port cities, Gonaïves has long been vulnerable to hurricanes due to its location in a flood plain and due to the surrounding unforested mountains. In September 2004,
Hurricane Jeanne caused major flooding and mudslides in the city. Four years later, the city was again devastated by another storm,
Hurricane Hanna, which killed 529 people, mostly in flooded sections of Gonaïves, where the destruction was described as "catastrophic" and 495 bodies were discovered as late as September 5. Haitian authorities said the tally would grow once officials were able to make their way through the city. "The assessment was only partial, because it was impossible to enter the city at that moment". Gonaïves Mayor Stephen Moise said at least 48,000 people from the Gonaïves area were forced into shelters.
In 2020, President
Jovenel Moïse skipped a traditional visit to Gonaïves during a climate of violence. According to local media, an armed group targeted Prime Minister
Ariel Henry's visit on 1 January 2022, resulting in one death and two injuries.
Education
University
Gonaives has a variety of training centers including the
Université Publique de l'Artibonite aux Gonaïves (UPAG); and
The Law and Economics School of Gonaives.
Health
Gonaives is home to the recently renovated La Providence Hospital.
Sport
Gonaives has some major league teams including
Eclair AC and
Racing FC (Gonaives).
Media
*Radio SuperXtraL'unique 94.1 FM
*Radio Motivation Fm Listen Live - 95.5 MHz FM, Gonaïves, Haiti
*Radio Boss Haiti 103.9 FM - The Radio of the moment.
*Radio Redemption 100.9 FM
*Radio Xplosion 96.5 FM
*Radio Tele Satellite FM - 100.5 FM
*Tele Radio new star fm 99.9 Chaine 13
*Radio Continentale 99.5 FM
*Radio Sun 91.3 FM
*Radio Independence 101.5 FM stations affiliées: radio Metropole 100.1, Lavwadlamerik
*Radio Mega Max 95.9 FM
*Radio Kiss FM 96.9
*Radio Provinciale 95.3 FM
*Radio Pyramide FM
*Radio Trans-Artibonite
*Radio Gonaïves 97.7 FM
*Radio Trans Atlantique 102.5 FM
*Radio Etincelle
*Radio Nouvelle Vision Chrétienne
*Radio Intrepide 97.3 FM
*Radio Tambou FM
*Radio Express FM
*Radio Classic Inter FM
*Radio 4VEG FM
*Radio Espace FM
*Radio KL 2000 FM
*Radio Super Vision FM
*Radio Megamax FM
*Radio Main Dans La Main FM
*Radio Clarté 103.9 FM
*
Radio Vision 2000 98.1 FM
*Radio Télé 2004 (101.1FM)
*Radio Zetwa 89.1 Fm La Gonave
Notable people
*
Ralph Chapoteau
*
Frantz Jean-Charles (born 1968), retired footballer
*
Marie-Denise Fabien Jean-Louis (born 1944), physician and politician
*
Ti Manno
*
Maurice Sixto
*
Jean-Euphèle Milcé
References
External links and further reading
*Latortue, Paul R.
"Gonaives: the last 50 years"''Caribbean Studies'', Vol. 34, Núm. 1, enero-junio, 2006, pp. 263–274 University of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonaives
Populated places in Artibonite (department)
Gulf of Gonâve
Communes of Haiti
Port cities in the Caribbean