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 4,029,705. It borders the Dominican Republic to the east.
It is the second largest department in Haiti after Artibonite. Gonâve Island is also part of the Ouest department. The department's stretch of coastline lies entirely in the Gulf of Gonâve.

Administrative divisions

The Department of Ouest is subdivided into five arrondissements, which are further subdivided into twenty communes.

2010 7.0 earthquake

On 12 January 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck in the department, the largest in Haiti in two centuries. In the Port-au-Prince Arrondissement, many areas suffered damage. In the Léogâne Arrondissement, the city of Léogâne suffered 80-90% destruction. Other places in Léogâne were also affected.

Economy

Absolute poverty levels in the Ouest department are the lowest in the country.