Artibonite Department

For other uses of Artibonite, see Artibonite (disambiguation).

Artibonite Latibonit
Department
Artibonite in Haiti
Country	Haiti
Capital	Gonaïves
Area
• Total	4,984 km2 (1,924 sq mi)
Population (2002)
• Total	1,168,800
• Density	230/km2 (610/sq mi)

Artibonite (Haitian Creole: Latibonit) is one of the ten departments (French: départements) of Haiti. With an area of 4,887 km² it is Haiti's largest department. Artibonite has a population of 1,070,397 in 2003. The region is the country's main rice-growing area. The main cities are Gonaïves (the capital) and Saint-Marc. In February 2004 an insurgency tried unsuccessfully to declare Artibonite's independence.

The department has been in a state of an economic decline since insurgencies and coups have reduced the nation's stability. Since the election of President René Garcia Préval, the production of rice and other crops has been on an increase.

Deschapelles, in the Artibonite valley, is the location of the Hôpital Albert Schweitzer. The name L'Artibonite is derived from the Artibonite River.

Arrondissements and communes

• Dessalines Arrondissement
  • Desdunes
  • Dessalines
  • Grande Saline
  • Petite Rivière de l'Artibonite

• Gonaïves Arrondissement
  • Ennery
  • L'Estère
  • Gonaïves

• Gros-Morne Arrondissement
  • Anse-Rouge
  • Gros-Morne
  • Terre-Neuve

• Marmelade Arrondissement
  • Marmelade
  • Saint-Michel-de-l'Atalaye

• Saint-Marc Arrondissement
  • La Chapelle
  • Saint-Marc
  • Verrettes
  • Montrouis