Gonâve Island

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Revision as of 04:56, 18 November 2006 by 190.41.81.180 (Talk)

(diff) ← Older revision | Current revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)

Gonâve Island (French: Île de la Gonâve) is an island of Haiti located to the west-northwest of Port-au-Prince in the Gulf of Gonâve (18°50′N 73°05′W). The island is an arrondissement in the Ouest Department and includes the communes of Anse-à-Galets and Pointe-à-Raquette. Made up of mostly limestone, the reef-fringed island of Gonâve is 60 km (37 miles) long and 15 km (9 miles) wide and covers an area of 743 km² (287 sq. miles). The island is mostly barren and hilly with the highest point reaching 300 meters (984 feet). The rugged, barren, dry landscape prevents the cultivation of the land for agriculture and human population on the island is scarce. The island was once used as a base for pirates.^[1]