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Grand'Anse Grandans | |
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 Gommier, Haiti | |
 Grand'Anse in Haiti | |
| Country |  Haiti |
| Capital | Jérémie |
| Région | Tiburon Peninsula |
| Symbole | Lanbi-conch enclosed in mountain range |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,911.97 km2 (738.22 sq mi) |
| Population (2015) | |
• Total | 468,301 |
| • Density | 244.931/km2 (634.369/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-05:00 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-04:00 (EDT) |
| HDI (2017) | 0.454[1] low ·9th |
Grand'Anse (/ɡrɒ̃ˈtɒ̃s/,French:[ɡʁɑ̃tɑ̃s]),Grandans orGrantans (Haitian Creole:[ɡɣãtãs]; both meaning "Big Cove") is one of the tendepartments of Haiti. Its capital isJérémie.
Grand'Anse was part of theXaragua kasika with settlements including Mamey, the modern-day town ofAbricot. Abricot is still known today as "the Indian's Paradise."
It is said by the locals that the capital city of Jérémie is named after a French fisherman who established himself in the area because of its isolation from the rest of the country. Due to its rather mountainous geography, Grand'Anse did not support many plantations, and was therefore populated largely by white and mixed-race communities with some of the best schools in the colony. Some slaveowners sent their children to schools in Grand'Anse instead of sending them back to France for education.
The department was briefly under British control in 1793.
While under the control ofAndré Rigaud, more than 20 slaves died in prison in Jérémie. While their cause of death was not clear,Toussaint Louverture used their deaths as an excuse to portray Rigaud as anti-black and ordered his then-lieutenantJean-Jacques Dessalines to attack the town. The battle was one of the most important scenes of the Haitian Revolution, withLaurent Férou [fr], an officer, becoming known as the "Liberator of the Grand'Anse." Grand'Anse was the first department to come under the control of theArmée Indigène, and was captured from French troops on 4 August 1803.
Férou is a signatory of theAct of Independence of 1 January. The first Haitian Civil War split the country between a monarchy in the north and a republic in the south. Grand'Ansede facto sided with the monarchy under the leadership ofJean-Baptiste Perrier (under the alias Goman) who established a government in theMacaya mountain chain known as the Kongo Kingdom.
Fort Marfranc was constructed under order of Dessalines in order to protect Jérémie. It is the burial place of Férou.
For 20 years the Kongo Kingdom based in Grand-Doco was financed by the self-declared king of the northern monarchyHenri Christophe; Goman was titled duke. The department later fell under the control of the republic under the leadership ofJean-Pierre Boyer.
There were many battles between the national and liberal political parties in Grand'Anse in the 1800s.
The Grand'Anse department used to be part of theSuddepartment until 1962 when it was created. The department was reduced further in 2003, with the creation of a new department ofNippes from theMiragoâne andAnse-à-Veau arrondissements.
Before the 2003 split, it had a population of around 600,000 (2002). Afterward, the population at the 2003 Census was 337,516. The area of the department (after the split) is 1,912 square kilometres (738 sq mi).[2]
The department is bordered in the north by theGulf of Gonave, west by theWinward Passage connecting to Jamaica, south by theSouth Department, and east by theNippes Department. It is one of the smallest departments but it is one of the most pollutant-free due to its isolation. The westernmost point in Haiti at Cap les Irois is located in Grand'Anse. The Macaya mountain chain in theMassif de la Hotte holds the second-highest mountain in Haiti and is one of the most important environmental reserves with multiple endemic animals and plants; thePlaintain Garden-Enriquillo faultline passes through it as well. Because of the mountains, it does not have a major plain or plateau for agriculture; however, the Jeremi Valley is still a major agricultural hub. Rivers in the department include the Grand'Anse and Voldrogue rivers. Grand'Anse features many islands, such asGrande Cayemite, Petite Cayemite, the Cayemite reefs and cayes, andNavaasa Island. Navassa is currently the subject of aterritorial dispute between Haiti and theUnited States, which administers it through theUS Fish and Wildlife Service.
Grand'Anse is one of the most isolated departments in Haiti. Jérémie is the largest port though it is mostly used forcabotage. The Jérémie airport can accommodate national flights fromPort-au-Prince.
TheRN7 of the Haitian national road system connects Jérémie toLes Cayes. A road connecting it to Nippes has been proposed as well.
Grand'Anse has large potential in the agro-industry domain and the tourism sector like leisure tourism, eco-tourism, and historical and cultural tourism.
The most famous beaches in the departement areAnse d'Azur and Anse du Clerc.
The people of Grand'Anse are known for their hospitality and culinary skills, with their most known dish beingTonmtonm-Kalalou. It is a Haitian dish similar to West AfricanFufu. Many farmers use apipirit (Haitian bamboo raft) to transport their crops to the market towns.
The Department of Grand'Anse is subdivided into threearrondissements, which are further subdivided into thirteencommunes.
18°40′00″N74°07′00″W / 18.6667°N 74.1167°W /18.6667; -74.1167
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