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.[4]
Administration
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 a 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.
History
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.[5][6]
The departement of l'Artibonite was known as departement of Louverture.
In 1821, Artibonite was created and in 1844, Nord-Ouest, both derived out of the Nord and Ouest departments.[7][8] In 1962 during the reign of "Papa Doc" 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 of Grand'Anse, called Nippes.[8]
In the 1990s, before the creation of Nippes, the dixième département was a phrase commonly used in regards to the Haitian diaspora. Since then, the phrase onzième département was soon adopted to describe the diaspora.[8]
Demographics
Data based on 2015 estimates from the Haitian government.[9]