La Chapelle

La Chapelle, in the Artibonite Department, was formerly called “La Corne” (English: “The Horn”) and was raised to the rank of commune in 1889. This commune comprises two communal sections. Its dominant terrain is the mountains. Its climate varies from normal to cool and by its geographical position, it is considered as interior. The population of La Chapelle was estimated at 24,874 inhabitants and estimates placed it at 28,000 inhabitants in 2004. The town center measures a square mile (2.82 km2) and has a density of 2,276 per km2.

Geography
La Chapelle is situated southward from the Atlantic Ocean, indistinguishable in its aquamarine jewel-toned beauty from the Caribbean Sea, only a few miles west. Gonaïves is the closest city to La Chapelle, while Cap-Haïtien and Port-au-Prince lie further out.

Neighborhoods
LCP La Chapelle 31,553
VLC Ville de la Chapelle 6,419
MAT 1ère Section Martinau 12,262
BOS 2ème Section Bossous 12,872

Economy
With regard to economic and financial establishments, we find only one marketing cooperative. The local economy is based on the cultivation and production of agriculture.
Agriculture is a mainstay of the local economy. Farmers plant crops indigenous to the Caribbean region, among them bananas, mangoes, coffee, sugarcane, and vegetables.

Infrastructure
La Chapelle’s infrastructure needs maintenance attention. Services that need on-going funding include healthcare, schools, sanitation systems, and utility delivery to all parts of the town. Roads also need maintenance and in some cases need to be rebuilt.

Transportation
La Chapelle is on Route 11, which runs between Route Nationale 1 and RN 3.
As a small town with a population of 19,000 residents, La Chapelle does not operate an airport. To fly out of Haiti, the town depends on Cap Haïtien International Airport. Closer, smaller airports are in Dajabon and Monte Cristi.

Education
The Ministry of the National Education for Youth and Sports is not represented in the commune of La Chapelle. For schools, at the primary level there are nine institutions; three public, four private and two congregational. At the secondary level there is a Community School.

Health
The Ministry of Public Health and Population is not represented in the commune of La Chapelle. For health facilities, there is only one health centrer without a bed equipped with a doctor, dentist, auxiliaries and a laboratory technician who provide the health service at the communal level.

Utilities
Nine rivers and seven sources were counted at the communal level. For the other water points, a faucet was recorded for domestic use. The commune of La Chapelle is not electrified.

Security
With regard to administrative and judicial infrastructure, the municipality has a peace court and a Sub-commission. There is no prison, but a police room.

Religion
Nearly twenty-nine temples of all creeds were counted in the commune. Some faiths include Catholic, Baptist, Adventist, Pentecostal, Church of God and Jehovah’s Witness. The number of Catholic churches is more numerous than the others, at eight in total. As Haiti is largely Catholic, it is no surprise Catholicism is the dominant religion in La Chapelle, with a minority of Protestants and Vodun believers. Residents of La Chapelle worship at Saint-John, an Evangelical Roman Catholic Church, the church being the focal point of the religious community. Vodun believers practice their own rites, with aspects of Catholicism incorporated into their rituals.