Artibonite (department)

Artibonite is one of the ten departments (French: "départments", singular "départment") of Haiti. It is named Artibonite because the Artibonite river flows across the department from east to west. Its capital is Gonaïves.
The independence of Haiti was proclaimed in the "Place d'Armes" of Gonaïves on 1 January 1804 by Jean Jacques Dessalines.
Geography.
The "Départment de l'Artibonite", with an area of 4,895 km², is the largest department of Haiti.
The main river of the department is the Artibonite. Other rivers are Ennery, de l'Estère, Montrouis, Quinte.
The mountain chains here run from west to east and the most important are the "Chaine de Terre-Neuve" and the "Montagnes Noires" (in English, "Black Mountains"). There is also part of the "Chaine des Mattheux".
It is bordered to the northwest by the Nord-Ouest Department, to the north and northeast by the Nord Department, to the east by the Centre Department and to the south by the Ouest Department. The Gulf of Gonâve is to the west.
Population.
The department had, in the 2003 census, a population of 1,299,398 persons: 625,690 men and 673,708 women, with 422,476 (32.51%) living in cities and towns.
The main cities are Gonaïves (the capital) and Saint-Marc.
Administrative division.
The department is divided into five "arrondissements" (like districts) and 15 "communes" (like municipalities). The "arrondissements" and their "communes" are:
Economy.
Most of the rice of Haiti is grown in the Artibonite department, along the valley of the River Artibonite.