The Tiburon Peninsula (french: Péninsule de Tiburon), or The Xaragua Peninsula, simply "the Tiburon" (''le Tiburon''), is a region of

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 ...

encompassing most of Haiti's southern coast. It starts roughly at the southernmost point of the Haiti-

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 ...

border and extends westward near

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

, forming a large

headland A headland, also known as a head, is a coastal landform, a point of land usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends into a body of water. It is a type of promontory. A headland of considerable size often is called a cape.Whittow, John ...

. Three of Haiti's ten departments are located entirely within the region. They are the departments of Grand'Anse,

Nippes Nippes ( French) or Nip (Haitian Creole) is one of the ten departments (the highest-level political subdivisions) of Haiti located in southern Haiti. It is the most recently created department, having been split from Grand'Anse in 2003. The ...

and Sud.

Etymology

The word
Tiburon
and Xaragua are linked to the Taino natives who were the region's first inhabitants. The region is often referred to as the Great South, le Grand-Sud (french), or Nansid (Haitian).

Administrative Division

The Tiburon is 1 of the 4 regions of Haiti, administrated through 4 departments and 1 arrondissement. Half of Sud-Est is also located within the Tiburon Peninsula. A large part of

Ouest Ouest (French for west) may refer to: *Ouest (department), Haiti *Ouest Department (Ivory Coast), defunct administrative subdivision of Ivory Coast * Ouest Province, Cameroon * Ouest Province, Rwanda *Ouest-France, a French newspaper * West France ...

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

is also located in the region, with the capital,

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 ...

serving as the line of demarcation between central Haiti and the south. * Nippes Department * Grand'Anse department * Sud Department * Sud-Est Department * Léoganes Arrondissement

Geography

The region is the southern and westernmost point of Haiti. It is bordered by the Gulf of Gonave to the north and the Caribbean sea to the south making it the region with the longest coastline.

Geology

The region is crossed from west to east by the Enriquillo-Plantain-Garden fault line, one of the longest fault lines in the country and responsible for the 2010 Earthquake in Léoganne and the 2021 Earthquake in Cayes-Jérémi.

Mountain Ranges

Two main mountain ranges form the region, the

Massif de la Hotte The Massif de la Hotte is a mountain range in southwestern Haiti, on the Tiburon Peninsula. About 2.5 million years ago, Massif de la Hotte was separated from the Massif de la Selle by a deep, wide sea channel, and formed a separate island. This r ...

reaching its highest point in

Pic Macaya Pic Macaya (Macaya Peak) is the second-highest mountain in Haiti (after Pic la Selle), rising to an elevation of above sea level. It is located in the Massif de la Hotte, northwest of Les Cayes and west of Port-au-Prince. The mountain is lo ...

, and the

Massif de la Selle In geology, a massif ( or ) is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole. The term also refers to a ...

the highest point in the country in

Pic La Selle Pic la Selle (Kreyòl: ''Pik Lasel''), also called ''Morne La Selle'', is the highest peak in Haiti with a height of above sea level. The mountain is part of the Chaîne de la Selle mountain range. It is located in the Ouest Ouest (French for ...

Coastal Line

The region has the longest coastline in Haiti. Along the coast, multiple bays follow each other in series forming lush green plains and valleys.

Island

The Xaragua counts multiple islands, cays, and reefs, some inhabited seasonally by local fishermen. * Isle-à-Vaches and its cays *

Les Cayemites The Cayemites are a pair of islands located in the Gulf of Gonâve off the coast of southwest Haiti. The two islands, known individually as Grande Cayemite and Petite Cayemite, are a combined in area. Petite Cayemite lies just west of the larger i ...

and its cays * The Flamands Islands * The Baradères Peninsula and its cays * La Navase * Rochelois reefs

River

Multiple rivers flow from the mountains to the coast * Monance * Nippes * Grand'Anse * Voldrogue * Ravine du Sud * Cavaillon * Bainet * Jacmel

Hurricane

This region is often affected by hurricanes.

Demography

Due to its isolation and the large presence of mountains instead of plain, unlike the Marien and Artibonite. The population of this region has always been more diverse with a high concentration of white and mixed-race.

Economy

Agriculture

The Cayes region is the biggest plain in the region. Many farmers grow '' vetivè'' making Haiti the first producer of essential oils. Jérémi is known for its production vivrière, making it the hub of roots-vegetables.

Fishing

Many families in the region fish for local consumption.

Tourism

Due to its coastline, Xaragua is reputated for some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean. Lack of investment there are no resorts but a multitude of family own hotels that accommodate local and international tourists.

Forts

Like much of the country this region has a large collection of forts * Marfranc * Platons * Ogé * Oliviers * Oranger

Mining

The town of Miragoanes has long been exploited by Reynold Co. for bauxite and aluminum. Studies have shown the presence of iridium in the Jacmel area although no exploitation licenses have been issued.

References

Landforms of Haiti Peninsulas of North America Grand'Anse (department) Nippes Sud (department) Sud-Est (department) {{Haiti-stub