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 Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland. Definitions Upland and lowland are portions of p ...

on the island of Hispaniola. It extends from southeastern Haiti 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 with ...

, 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 The Gulf of Gonâve (french: Golfe de la Gonâve; ht, Gòf Lagonav) is a large gulf of the Caribbean Sea along the western coast of Haiti. Haiti's capital city, Port-au-Prince, is located on the coast of the gulf. Other cities on the gulf coast ...

on edges of which is the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince 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 epoch (geology), 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 mea ...

, 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 Lake Enriquillo ( es, Lago Enriquillo) is a hypersaline lake in the Dominican Republic located in the southwestern region of the country. Its waters are shared between the provinces of Bahoruco and Independencia, the latter of which borders Hait ...

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& ...

, 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 Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus '' Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalk ...

. 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 S ...

, 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 u ...

, 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