Gonâve Island
Encyclopedia
Gonâve Island is an island of Haiti
located to the west-northwest of Port-au-Prince
in the Gulf of Gonâve
. It is the largest of the Hispaniola
n satellite islands, situated off the mainland. The island is an arrondissement
(La Gonâve Arrondissement) in the Ouest Department
and includes the communes of Anse-à-Galets
and Pointe-à-Raquette
.
, the reef
-fringed island of Gonâve is 60 km (37.3 mi) long and 15 km (9.3 mi) wide and covers an area of 743 km² (286.9 sq mi). The island is mostly barren and hilly with the highest point reaching 778 meters (2,552 ft). The island gets anywhere from 800 mm to 1600 mm of rain a year, higher areas representing the latter figure. Issues of overgrazing
and water resource over-exploitation affect the island's approximately 80,000 residents (the 2003 Census showed 75,548 inhabitants). The island was once used as a base for pirates.
s have been drilled on the island as an effort to bring water relief to the poor residents of the island.
As of 2007, there were two non-profit groups actively drilling water wells on the island: Haiti Outreach, which has financed and drilled water wells in 25 communities; and Guts Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma
. The Tougher Than Hell Motorcycle Rally, organized by Guts Church, has sponsored 10 water wells drilled on the island.
The drilling of more wells on the island has been planned for the near future.
Sergeant Faustin E. Wirkus
(1897-1948) was proclaimed by the residents of the island as King Faustin II. His reign lasted until 1929, when he returned to the United States.
In the mid 1980s, British singer Cliff Richard
recorded a song "La Gonave" for relief aid for the people of the island.
The docks of the island were damaged by the 2010 Haiti earthquake
of 12 January 2010. In the wake of the damage, supplies have been airlifted in to the 1,800-foot dirt strip.
de La Gonave is the island most famous football club. Very loved by gonavians living outside La Gonave, the Club has won the Ligue Haïtienne
on 2 Occasions: 2002 and 2003. The club plays at the Parc Savil Dessaint, a modern stadium with a capacity for 5000 people. Notable players include James Marcelin
, Johnny Descolines
, Jean Rebert Menelas.
Knowing the potential of the island for tourism development, investors created the « La Gonâve Economic Development Group », in order to convert the Island into a Paradise in the Caribbean. The project, which would cost 48 billion dollars, has been subject to discussions among Haitians, but nothing concrete has been done to make it reality.
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
located to the west-northwest of Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
in the Gulf of Gonâve
Gulf of Gonâve
The Gulf of Gonâve is a large gulf 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 include Gonaïves, Saint-Marc, Miragoâne, and Jérémie. Several islands are located in the gulf, the largest being Gonâve...
. It is the largest of the Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
n satellite islands, situated off the mainland. The island is an arrondissement
Arrondissement
Arrondissement is any of various administrative divisions of France, certain other Francophone countries, and the Netherlands.-France:The 101 French departments are divided into 342 arrondissements, which may be translated into English as districts. The capital of an arrondissement is called a...
(La Gonâve Arrondissement) in the Ouest Department
Ouest Department
Ouest is one of the ten departments of Haiti. It is the jurisdictional seat of the national capital, the city of Port-au-Prince. It has an area of and a population of 3,093,698 . It borders the Dominican Republic to the east.It is the second largest department in Haiti after the Artibonite...
and includes the communes of Anse-à-Galets
Anse-à-Galets
Anse-à-Galets is a municipality in the La Gonâve Arrondissement, in the Ouest Department of Haiti.It has 52,662 inhabitants....
and Pointe-à-Raquette
Pointe-à-Raquette
Pointe-à-Raquette is a municipality in the La Gonâve Arrondissement, in the Ouest Department of Haiti.It has 22,886 inhabitants....
.
Geography
Made up of mostly limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, the reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
-fringed island of Gonâve is 60 km (37.3 mi) long and 15 km (9.3 mi) wide and covers an area of 743 km² (286.9 sq mi). The island is mostly barren and hilly with the highest point reaching 778 meters (2,552 ft). The island gets anywhere from 800 mm to 1600 mm of rain a year, higher areas representing the latter figure. Issues of overgrazing
Overgrazing
Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, or by overpopulations of native or non-native wild animals.Overgrazing reduces the...
and water resource over-exploitation affect the island's approximately 80,000 residents (the 2003 Census showed 75,548 inhabitants). The island was once used as a base for pirates.
Water scarcity
In 2005, following a particularly drastic drought, the Mayor of Anse-à-Galets formed the Water Platform, composed of service groups working on the island. Current participants include the Mayors of Anse-à-Galets and Pointes a Racquette, the Deputy, Justice of the Peace, World Vision, Concern WorldWide, Sevis Kretyen, the Matenwa Learning Center, the Alleghany Weslyen Church, the Methodist Church, Haiti Outreach and many others. The Water Platform acts as a focal point for activities on the island, providing a coordination point for the multitude of groups working on La Gonâve.Assistance efforts
The members of the Water Platform have been working to address the water needs of the island by capping springs, building rainwater catchment cisterns, building water systems and drilling wells. Dozens of rainwater catchment cisterns and wellWater well
A water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by an electric submersible pump, a trash pump, a vertical turbine pump, a handpump or a mechanical pump...
s have been drilled on the island as an effort to bring water relief to the poor residents of the island.
As of 2007, there were two non-profit groups actively drilling water wells on the island: Haiti Outreach, which has financed and drilled water wells in 25 communities; and Guts Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
. The Tougher Than Hell Motorcycle Rally, organized by Guts Church, has sponsored 10 water wells drilled on the island.
The drilling of more wells on the island has been planned for the near future.
History
In 1925, U.S. Marine CorpsUnited States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
Sergeant Faustin E. Wirkus
Faustin E. Wirkus
Faustin E. Wirkus was a U.S. Marine stationed in Haiti during the U.S. Occupation . After rescuing a young woman in trouble he found out that she was Queen Timemenne of La Gonave....
(1897-1948) was proclaimed by the residents of the island as King Faustin II. His reign lasted until 1929, when he returned to the United States.
In the mid 1980s, British singer Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
recorded a song "La Gonave" for relief aid for the people of the island.
The docks of the island were damaged by the 2010 Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
of 12 January 2010. In the wake of the damage, supplies have been airlifted in to the 1,800-foot dirt strip.
"Fierte gonavienne" Disaster
On September 8th 1997 a ferry from La Gonave to Haiti mainland with hundreds of passengers abroad sinks. It is considered the major disaster in Haitian maritime transport since the "Neptune" Accident in 1993.Curiosities
RouladoRoulado (Gônaïves)
Roulado is a Haitian football club located in la Gonave, Haiti.-Performance in CONCACAF competitions:*CFU Club Championship: 1 appearance-Notable Players: James Marcelin Johnny Descolines...
de La Gonave is the island most famous football club. Very loved by gonavians living outside La Gonave, the Club has won the Ligue Haïtienne
Ligue Haïtienne
The Division 1 Ligue Haïtienne, also recently referred to as the Digicel D1, is the premier and highest division football league in Haiti. It was created in 1937 and is headed by the Fédération Haïtienne de Football, the official governing body of football in the country...
on 2 Occasions: 2002 and 2003. The club plays at the Parc Savil Dessaint, a modern stadium with a capacity for 5000 people. Notable players include James Marcelin
James Marcelin
James Marcelin is a Haitian footballer who currently plays for Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer.-Professional:...
, Johnny Descolines
Johnny Descolines
Johnny Descolines is a Haitian professional footballer who currently plays for Violette AC.-Club career:Descolines played for Violette and Roulado in the Haitian League before moving abroad to play for Salvadoran league side A.D. Isidro Metapán...
, Jean Rebert Menelas.
Knowing the potential of the island for tourism development, investors created the « La Gonâve Economic Development Group », in order to convert the Island into a Paradise in the Caribbean. The project, which would cost 48 billion dollars, has been subject to discussions among Haitians, but nothing concrete has been done to make it reality.