Departments of Haiti

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Updates: 

ISO 3166-2 has come out in a second edition, dated 2007-12-15. This contains the ISO code for Nippes, as shown below.

FIPS 10-4 Change Notice 11, dated 2006-07-11, has assigned new FIPS codes corresponding to the separation of Nippes department from Grand' Anse, as shown below.

This profile  (in French) of Haiti's agricultural zones includes maps showing Nippes department, and population data by commune from the 2003 census. This map  of the communes of Haiti as of 2004 includes a table of populations by department, but doesn't include Nippes in the list. When reconciling the two sources, one finds a discrepancy: the profile shows one person moved from Ouest department to Nippes. The populations shown below are derived from the profile.

Risto Nykänen informed me that Haiti is observing daylight saving time. A press release from the Haitian Consulate in Chicago  confirms the news.

The electoral decree of 2005-02-03  says that the department of Nippes was created by a law of 2003-09-04. One PDF report  on the 1995-06-25 elections says, "According to Haiti's electoral system, the country is divided into ten departments: the nine ordinary departments and the department of Nippes, the eastern part of the department of Grand' Anse" (my translation), suggesting that Nippes previously existed in some intermediate status.

Country overview: 

Haiti has been an independent country for the whole of the 20th century, in theory. In actuality, it was under the control of U.S. marines from 1915 to 1934.

Other names of country: 

1. Danish: Haiti
2. Dutch: Haïti, Republiek Haïti (formal)
3. English: Republic of Haiti (formal), Hayti (obsolete)
4. Finnish: Haiti
5. French: Haïti, République f d'Haïti m (formal)
6. German: Haïti, Haiti n
7. Icelandic: Haítí
8. Italian: Haiti f
9. Norwegian: Haiti, Republikken Haiti (formal)
10. Portuguese: Haiti, República f do Haiti m (formal)
11. Spanish: Haití, República f de Haití (formal)
12. Swedish: Haiti
13. Turkish: Haiti, Haiti Cumhuriyeti (formal)

Origin of name: 

Carib, either haiti: mountainous land, or jhaiti: nest

Primary subdivisions: 

Haiti is divided into ten départements (departments).

Postal codes: 

Haiti uses four-digit postal codes, always prefixed with "HT". The first digit represents the department; the first two, the arrondissement; the first three, the commune.

Further subdivisions:

See the Arrondissements of Haiti page.

The departments are subdivided into arrondissements, which are further subdivided into communes, which in turn are divided into sections communales (communal sections). The communes are shown on this PDF map .

Territorial extent:  

1. Grand' Anse includes Île Grande Cayemite.
2. Nord-Ouest includes Île de la Tortue (Tortuga Island).
3. Ouest includes Île de la Gonâve.
4. Sud includes Île à Vache.

Origins of names: 

1. L'Artibonite: for the Artibonite River
2. Grand' Anse: = big cove

Change history: 

1962: Haiti reorganized from five departments to nine. Apparently this reorganization was passed into law in 1962, but not implemented until around 1980. Here are data for the old departments:

2003-09-04: Nippes department split from Grand' Anse (former FIPS code HA08, HASC code HT.GA). It consists of the arrondissements of Miragoâne and l'Anse-à-Veau, and the new arrondissement of Baradères.

Other names of subdivisions: 

1. Centre: Département du Plateau Central (formal)
2. Grand' Anse: Grande Anse (variant)
3. L'Artibonite: Artibonite (variant)