Port-Au-Prince
Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the country's capital, largest city, and chief seaport. It is on the Gulf of Gonâve, 155 miles (250 km) west of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Port-au-Prince is on the Cul de Sac plain, in the southwestern part of the island of Hispaniola. The city is a trade, transportation, and processing center for most of the nation. There are sugar refineries, cotton mills, distilleries, and tanneries. Tobacco, coffee, and rice are also processed. The city has an airport, and is connected by road with other island towns. The University of Haiti is here.
Port-au-Prince was founded by French planters in 1749. It replaced Cap-Haïtien as capital of the colony in 1770 and became the capital of independent Haiti in 1804. The city has suffered several disastrous fires and earthquakes since its founding.
Population: 690,168.
