Plain of the Cul-de-Sac (french: Plaine du Cul-de-Sac, also known as the Cul-de-Sac Plain, or the Cul-de-Sac Depression) is a fertile
lowland on the island of
Hispaniola
Hispaniola (, also ; es, La Española; Latin and french: Hispaniola; ht, Ispayola; tnq, Ayiti or Quisqueya) is an island in the Caribbean that is part of the Greater Antilles. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and th ...
. It extends from southeastern
Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
into the southwestern
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...
, where it is known as the ''Hoya de Enriquillo''.
Geography
Covering an area of 28 000 km² around with a length of 32 km long and 25 km wide, the Plain of the Cul-de-Sac is bounded to the north and south by high mountains and to the west by the
Gulf of Gonâve on edges of which is the Haitian capital of
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince ( , ; ht, Pòtoprens ) is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 987,311 in 2015 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is define ...
and to the
Plaine de l'Arcahaie that extends to the west. The Plain of the Cul-de-Sac extends eastward into the Dominican Republic.
This valley was once an arm of the sea and upon withdrawal of the latter during the uprising Oligocene
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...
, salt water was trapped in the lowest points of depression resulting in two grand lakes; the
Etang Saumâtre (also called "Lake Azuéi") in Haiti and
Lake Enriquillo in the Dominican Republic and a small freshwater pond called
Trou Caïman
Trou Caïman (literally " Caiman's Hole" in French), sometimes called Eau Gallée by locals, is a saltwater lake in Haiti known for its excellent birdwatching opportunities.
Description
The lake is 9 km (5.6 mi) long, 3 km (1.9&n ...
, also in Haiti.
The plain has always been a farming region. In the colonial era,
indigo
Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...
was cultivated there. Over the decades, this production lost its momentum, giving way to fields of
sugar cane. The
Rivière Blanche (Ouest)
Rivière Blanche is a river in Haiti in the Ouest department. Downstream, one arm is channeled towards the Étang Saumâtre, another joined the Canal Boucanbrou and the Trou Caïman.
Geography
Rivière Blanche has its source around the Pic la Sel ...
, through its irrigation system and channeling of part of its journey to the
Canal Boucanbrou
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow und ...
, trickles down this vast plain. In its southern part, the Plain of Cul-de-Sac is crossed by the
Rivière Grise
The Rivière Grise is a river of Haiti.
See also
*List of rivers of Haiti
This is a list of rivers of Haiti, arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries indented under each larger stream's name.
Atlantic Ocean
*Dajabón River (Ma ...
.
References
External links
Plaine du Cul-de-Sac coordinates
Landforms of Haiti
Landforms of the Dominican Republic
Plains of North America
{{DominicanRepublic-geo-stub