Ile
à Vache is a small island of about 20 square miles
located on the southwest coast of Haiti.
The closest city
on the mainland is Les Cays, situated at about 6.5
miles from the island and approximately one hour by powerboat.
Landscape: Rolling Hills, Small Plateaus, and Marshy Land. Vegetation: Subtropical, Mangroves, Mango Trees, Palm
Trees, shrubs….
The island suffers immensely from deforestation
due to increasing agriculture activity and the cutting down
of trees for fuel purposes. The erosion contributes to the
destruction of the coral reefs off the island.
The
island has no electrical power and no drinking water. All
traffic is done by foot or on mule. In spite of all this,
the island of turquoise blue seas and white sandy beaches
offers a beautiful natural environment.
people & history
In 1492, when the Spaniards arrived on the island of Hispaniola, the area was inhabited by Tanio Indians who become extinct by the 17th century. The island's French given name (Cow Island) is said to have originated from the great number of abandoned cattle left by the Spaniards.
The
population of Ile-à-Vache is made up mainly of
African descendants brought to the island by the Spaniards
and French between the 15th and 19th centuries. Subsequently
African American immigrants who voluntarily settled on the
island.
The
culture on Ile-à-Vache can best be described as
a cross between Western and African civilizations. Their religious
beliefs are a mixture of Christian and Voudou traditions.
The
last migration to Ile-à-Vache took place in 1863
when more than 1500 free African Americans from the US and Canada
settled on the island.
This migration was promoted by Bernard
Cock who was interested in creating a prosperous African American
colony on the island. The failed project was supported by US
President Lincoln and Haitian President Geffrard
quick facts* Languages: Creole and French. Population: Approximately
16,000 Currency: Gourde = 100 centimes. Life Expectancy: 51.8 years; 40% of the population is under 15 years of age. Childhood Mortality Rate: 9.5% Fertility Rate: 5.02 children born per woman. Literacy: Very low; data
not available. Inflation: 22%. Religion: Voudou
and traditional Christian, Catholic, Protestant, Pentecostal,
Adventist, etc. Standard of Living: 80% of the population
lives in absolute poverty. The economic activity is one
of basic survival consisting of fishing, corn cultivation and
selling of fruits and coal. Basic Diet: rice, corn, millet,
wheat, beans, manioc, sweet potatoes, tubers, striped Tunny
(a fish), kasava and plantains.
* There
are no statistics on Ile-à-Vache; the facts listed above
are based on the country of Haiti.
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