Artibonite River

The Artibonite River (French: Fleuve Artibonite; Spanish: Río Artibonito; Haitian Creole: Latibonit) is the longest river in Haiti, and the longest on the island of Hispaniola. It is also the second-longest river in the Caribbean, behind the Cauto River in Cuba. Forming part of the international border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the river's sources are in the Cordillera Central in the Dominican Republic (68 km); however, most of its length lies in Haiti (253 km).^[1]

Artibonite
Mouth of the Artibonite River in Haiti
Location
Countries	Dominican Republic,  Haiti
Provinces	Elías Piña, Artibonite, Centre
Major cities	Pedro Santana, Bánica, Mirebalais
Physical characteristics
Mouth
• coordinates	19.25°N 72.783333°W / 19.25; -72.783333
Length	321 km (199 mi)
Basin size	9,013 km2 (3,480 sq mi)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Vallecito, Joca, Tocino, Macasía, Rivière de Fer à Cheval, Gascogne, Guayamouc, La Thème, La Tombe
• right	Rivière Blanche, Libón, Victorine, Thomonde, Boucan Carré, Rivière l'Estère, Rivière Lociane

Etymology

The name is derived from the Taíno name of the river, Hatibonico.^[2]

Course

The source of the Artibonite is to the northeast of Río Limpio, in the Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic. The mouth of the Artibonite is in Haiti, south of La Grand Saline. It flows into the Gulf of Gonâve.

The river is the border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti for several kilometres, from the town of Pedro Santana to the point where it is joined by the River Macasía, and then turns west into Haiti.

Its watershed has an area of 9,013 km² (2,614 km² in the Dominican Republic, 6,399 km² in Haiti). Its discharge is 16.6 cubic metres per second at Pedro Santana.

Tributaries

The Artibonite has several tributaries, most of them in Haiti. The most important tributaries are the Libón and Macasía in the Dominican Republic, and the Rivière de Fer à Cheval in Haiti.

Environment

Deforestation and pollution has negatively affected the quality and amount of water in the Artibonite in the Dominican Republic, and even more so in Haiti. Very little fish remain in the river. American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) once inhabited the Artibonite and other rivers of Hispaniola,^[3] but now they are found only in the large lakes of the island (Lago Enriquillo and Etang Saumâtre).

Uses

The water of the river is used for irrigation in Haiti, but not in the Dominican Republic, because it flows here through high mountains. The river is used for irrigation, and the Peligre Hydroelectric Dam situated on it produces Haiti's supply of hydroelectricity.

Health

In October 2010, following a fatal cholera outbreak (the first in generations) in the Haitian headwaters of the river, locals were alerted that drinking untreated water from this river may spread the disease.^[4]

References

1. De la Fuente, Santiago (1976). Geografía Dominicana. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: Editora Colegial Quisqueyana. p. 144.
2. Las Casas, Bartolomé de (1967). Apología Histórica Sumaria, Chapter V (in Spanish). Mexico: UNAM.
3. de Saint-Méry, M.L.E. Moreau (1797–1798). Description topographique, physique, civile, politique et historique de la partie française de l'isle Saint-Domingue (in French). Philadelphia, Paris, Hamburg.
4. The Australian Staff (October 29, 2010). "UN base focus of Haiti cholera epidemic". News Limited. Retrieved October 28, 2010.

Further reading

• "Artibonite". Nowa Encyklopedia Powszechna PWN. Vol. I. Warszawa: PWN. 1995. ISBN 83-01-11096-1.