Departments of Haiti

In the administrative divisions of Haiti, the department (French: départements, pronounced: [depaʁt(ə)mɑ̃]) is divided administratively into ten departments. The departments are further divided into 42 arrondissements, 145 communes and then into 571 communal sections.

In 2014, there was a proposal by the Chamber of Deputies to increase the number of departments from 10 to 14 —perhaps as high as 16.

Each departement has a departmental council (conseil départemental) compound of three members elected by the departmental assembly for a 4-year term. The departmental council is led by a president (président). The council is the executive organ of the department.

Each department has an departmental assembly who assists the council in its work. The departmental assembly is the deliberative organ of the department. The members of the departmental assembly are also elected for 4 years. The departmental assembly is led by a president.

Three Departments have roots in the former French colony of Saint-Domingue, namely: the Nord, Sud, and Ouest. In 1801, under Governor-General Toussaint Louverture, the "provinces," became known as departments. Sometime during the 19th century, Artibonite and Nord-Ouest were created out of Nord and Ouest departments. In 1962 during the reign of Duvalier, four new departments were created out of a territorial redistribution. These departments were: Centre, Grand'Anse, Nord-Ouest and Sud-Est. In 2003, a tenth department was created out Grand'Anse, called Nippes.

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