Cap-Haïtien

Cap-Haitien is a commune of about 301,506 people on Haiti's north coast, capital of the Nord department. Founded in 1670, it was known during the French colonial period as the "Paris of the Antilles" for its wealth and cultural sophistication, and on November 18, 1803, it was the site of the Battle of Vertieres, the decisive engagement of the Haitian Revolution that led to independence from France in 1804. Since the 2010 earthquake damaged the capital Port-au-Prince, Cap-Haitien has grown in importance as a commercial center, drawing businesses and residents away from the capital.