Sud-Est Department facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sud-Est |
|
| (Kréyòl: Sidès) | |
| Department | |
| Country |  Haiti |
|---|---|
| Capital | Jacmel |
| - coordinates | 18°14′N 72°32′W / 18.233°N 72.533°W |
| Area | 2,023 km² (781 sq mi) |
| Population | 484,675 (2003) |
| Density | 239.6 /km² (621 /sq mi) |
| Subdivisions | 3 Arrondissements 10 Communes |
| Timezone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - summer (DST) | DST (UTC-4) |
| Area code | +509 |
| ISO 3166-2 | HT-SE |
Sud-Est (which means "South-East" in English) is one of Haiti's ten main areas, called "departments". Its capital city is Jacmel.
After the Haitian Revolution, Haiti was first divided into three departments. The Sud-Est department was once part of the larger Sud Department.
Geography of Sud-Est
The Sud-Est department covers an area of 2,023 square kilometers. It is located on the southern part of Haiti, on a large piece of land called the Tiburon Peninsula.
To the north, it shares a border with the Ouest Department. To the west, it borders the Sud Department. The Caribbean Sea is to its south. To the east, Sud-Est borders the Dominican Republic.
Mountains and Rivers
The Massif de la Selle is the main mountain range in this department. It covers almost the entire area, except for some small valleys near the coast, like the Jacmel valley. Haiti's highest mountain, Pic la Selle, is found here. It stands tall at 2,680 metres.
The rivers in Sud-Est are usually short and flow into the Caribbean Sea. The most important river is La Grande Rivière de Jacmel. Other rivers include Bainet, Belle-Anse, des Côtes-de-Fer, Gauche, de la Gosseline, Marigot, and Pedernales. The Pedernales River forms part of the border with the Dominican Republic.
Population
According to the 2003 census, the Sud-Est department had a population of 484,675 people. This included 235,187 men and 249,488 women. About 12.31% of these people lived in cities and towns. At that time, there were about 240 people living in each square kilometer.
How Sud-Est is Divided
The department is split into smaller areas for easier management. These are called arrondissements (which are like districts) and communes (which are like municipalities or towns).
There are three arrondissements in Sud-Est, and they include a total of 10 communes:
- Bainet
- Bainet
- Côtes-de-Fer
- Belle-Anse
- Anse-à-Pitres
- Belle-Anse
- Grand-Gosier
- Thiotte
- Jacmel
- Cayes Jacmel
- Jacmel
- La Vallée
- Marigot
Economy
The main way people make a living in Sud-Est is through agriculture. There are many small farms where different crops are grown. In the mountains, farmers grow coffee.
Fishing is also an important activity for people living along the coast.
