Île à Vache

Île à Vache and the coast of southwestern Haiti
Île à Vache (Haiti)
Geography
Coordinates	18°04′57″N 73°38′23″W / 18.0825°N 73.63972°W / 18.0825; -73.63972Coordinates: 18°04′57″N 73°38′23″W / 18.0825°N 73.63972°W / 18.0825; -73.63972
Area	20 sq mi (50 km2)
Length	9.5 mi (15.3 km)
Width	3 mi (5 km)
Highest elevation	150 m (490 ft)
Country
Haiti
Department	Sud
Arrondissement	Les Cayes
President	Michel Martelly
Demographics
Population	15,000
Density	288.46 /km2 (747.11 /sq mi)

Île à Vache (French, also expressed Île-à-Vaches, former Spanish name Isla Vaca, both translated as Cow Island) is a small island lying off the south-west peninsula of Haiti near the town of Les Cayes. Administratively it is part of the Sud Department. It is about 8 miles (13 km) long, 2 miles (3.2 km) wide, with an area of 20 square miles (52 km²). The western end of the island is up to 150 metres (490 ft) high and rolling with several small swamps in the valleys; while the eastern section is swampy, and has a lagoon with one of the largest mangrove forests in Haiti. ^[1] It is one of the most popular tourist sites in Haiti and it has some of the best island scenery in the Caribbean. The population of the island is somewhere between 10,000-15,000 inhabitants. There are two tourist resorts on the island, the Port Morgan and Abaka Bay.

History[link]

Île à Vache was originally claimed by the Spanish Empire as part of Hispaniola, the first landing site of Christopher Columbus in 1492, and for the next two centuries it was known by its Spanish name, Isla Vaca.

Port Morgan is named for the pirate captain Henry Morgan (c.1635–1688) for whom the little island served as a frequent base of operations.^[2] Morgan planned and staged many of his largest raids from Isla Vaca and in 1676 he narrowly survived a costly shipwreck on its shore: Morgan's ship Jamaica Merchant sank with a full complement of cannon which the pirate had been bringing to bolster his presence at Port Royal.^[3]

In 1697 the island of Hispaniola was formally divided between Spain and France in the Treaty of Ryswick which ended the Nine Years War. France assumed control of the western half of the island, Haiti, and Isla Vaca took on its current name, Île à Vache.

In 1863, during the American Civil War, the island's owner Bernard Kock offered to resettle freed black slaves from the United States. Despite support from President Abraham Lincoln, funding never materialized, and the first attempt to set up the colony failed in a matter of months.^[4][5]

The famous Canadian fishing and racing schooner Bluenose was wrecked on the island in 1946.

References[link]

External links[link]

• http://1804librarymuseum.org/
• Hope for Haiti: Education and grassroots development in rural Haiti
• http://www.kakokfoundation.org/ileavache.htm
• http://www.ile-a-vache.com/
• Numismondo - Bernard Kock Paper Money

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v t e Departments, arrondissements and communes of Haiti Artibonite Department Dessalines Arrondissement Desdunes Dessalines Grande Saline Petite-Rivière-de-l'Artibonite Gonaïves Arrondissement Ennery Estère Gonaïves Gros-Morne Arrondissement Anse-Rouge Gros-Morne Terre-Neuve Marmelade Arrondissement Marmelade Saint-Michel-de-l'Atalaye Saint-Marc Arrondissement La Chapelle Saint-Marc Verrettes Centre Department Cerca La Source Arrondissement Cerca-la-Source Thomassique Hinche Arrondissement Cerca-Cavajal Hinche Maïssade Thomonde Lascahobas Arrondissement Belladère Lascahobas Savanette Mirebalais Arrondissement Boucan-Carré Mirebalais Saut-d'Eau Grand'Anse Department Anse d'Hainault Arrondissement Anse-d'Hainault Dame-Marie Les Irois Corail Arrondissement Beaumont Corail Pestel Roseaux Jérémie Arrondissement Abricots Bonbon Chambellan Jérémie Moron Nippes Department Anse-à-Veau Arrondissement Anse-à-Veau L'Asile Baradères Petit-Trou-de-Nippes Miragoâne Arrondissement Miragoâne Petite-Rivière-de-Nippes Nord Department Acul du Nord Arrondissement Acul-du-Nord Milot Plaine-du-Nord Borgne Arrondissement Borgne Port-Margot Cap-Haïtien Arrondissement Cap-Haïtien Limonade Quartier-Morin Grande-Rivière-du-Nord Arrondissement Bahon Grande-Rivière-du-Nord Limbé Arrondissement Bas-Limbé Limbé Plaissance Arrondissement Pilate Plaisance Saint-Raphaël Arrondissement Dondon La Victoire Pignon Ranquitte Saint-Raphaël Nord-Est Department Fort-Liberté Arrondissement Fort-Liberté Perches Ferrier Ouanaminthe Arrondissement Capotille Mont-Organisé Ouanaminthe Trou-du-Nord Arrondissement Caracol Sainte-Suzanne Terrier-Rouge Trou-du-Nord Vallières Arrondissement Carice Mombin-Crochu Vallières Nord-Ouest Department Môle-Saint-Nicolas Arrondissement Baie-de-Henne Bombardopolis Jean-Rabel Môle-Saint-Nicolas Port-de-Paix Arrondissement Bassin-Bleu Chansolme La Tortue Port-de-Paix Saint-Louis du Nord Arrondissement Anse-à-Foleur Saint-Louis-du-Nord Ouest Department Arcahaie Arrondissement Arcahaie Cabaret Croix-des-Bouquets Arrondissement Cornillon Croix-des-Bouquets Fonds-Verrettes Ganthier Thomazeau La Gonâve Arrondissement Anse-à-Galets Pointe-à-Raquette Léogâne Arrondissement Grand-Goâve Léogâne Petit-Goâve Port-au-Prince Arrondissement Carrefour Delmas Gressier Kenscoff Pétionville Tabarre Cité Soleil Port-au-Prince Sud-Est Department Bainet Arrondissement Bainet Côtes-de-Fer Belle-Anse Arrondissement Anse-à-Pitres Belle-Anse Grand-Gosier Thiotte Jacmel Arrondissement Cayes-Jacmel Jacmel La Vallée Marigot Sud Department Aquin Arrondissement Aquin Cavaellon Saint-Louis-du-Sud Les Cayes Arrondissement Camp-Perrin Les Cayes Chantal Île à Vache Maniche Torbeck Chardonnières Arrondissement Les Anglais Chardonnières Tiburon Côteaux Arrondissement Côteaux Port-à-Piment Roche-à-Bateaux Port-Salut Arrondissement Arniquet Port-Salut Saint-Jean-du-Sud