What is "artibonite"

Artibonite is one of the ten departments of Haiti. With an area of 4,887 km it is Haiti's largest department. Artibonite has a population of 1,727,524 in 2003. The region is the country's main rice-growing area. The main cities are Gonaïves (the capital) and Saint-Marc. In February 2004 an insurgency tried unsuccessfully to declare Artibonite's independence.

The department has been in a state of an economic decline since insurgencies and coups have reduced the nation's stability. Since the election of President René Garcia Préval, the production of rice and other crops has been on an increase.

Deschapelles, in the Artibonite Valley, is the location of the Hôpital Albert Schweitzer. The name L'Artibonite is derived from the Artibonite River.

Artibonite may refer to:

• Artibonite (department), an administrative sub-division of Haiti
• Artibonite River, a river in Haiti and the longest in Hispaniola
• Artibonite Valley, a valley predominately in Haiti but also extends a bit in the Dominican Republic
• Petite Rivière de l'Artibonite, is a commune in the Dessalines Arrondissement, in the Artibonite department of Haiti