The city’s culture is concentrated mostly in the center, particularly around the National Palace and its environs. The National Museum, which was founded in 1938, is situated on the grounds of the palace. The National Palace was one of the city’s first constructions, but it was damaged and reconstructed in 1918. It was devastated once again by the earthquake on January 12, 2010, which collapsed the domed ceiling of the center.
The Hotel Oloffson, a 19th-century gingerbread palace that was originally the private residence of two past Haitian presidents, is another famous site in the city. It has become a renowned tourist attraction in the city center. The Cathédrale de Port-au-Prince is a well-known cultural monument that draws international tourists due to its Neo-Romantic architectural style.
The Musée d’Art Hatien du Collège Saint-Pierre houses the work of some of the country’s most talented artists, while the Musée National houses historical artifacts such as KingHenri Christophe’s actual suicide pistol and a rusted anchor that museum operators claim was salvaged from Christopher Columbus’ ship, the Santa Mara. The Archives Nationales, the Bibliothèque Nationale (National Library), and the Expressions Art Gallery are among noteworthy cultural institutions. Gesner Abelard, an internationally recognized naive artist who was linked with the Centre d’Art, was born in the city.
The building of a new LDS Temple in Port-au-Prince was announced on April 5, 2015.
The metropolitan region is split into districts (communes). The commune of Port-au-Prince is surrounded by a ring of districts. Pétionville is a wealthy suburban commune to the southeast of the city. Delmas lies immediately south of the airport and north of the inner city, whereas Carrefour, a fairly impoverished commune, is southwest of the city.
The commune is home to various low-income slums beset by poverty and violence, the most infamous of which being Cité Soleil. Cité Soleil, on the other hand, was recently separated from Port-au-Prince proper to become an independent commune. Recently, considerable new infrastructure construction has started in the Champ de Mars region. Several major upgrading projects are planned for the downtown area.
Port-au-Prince is one of the country’s most important economic and financial hubs. The capital now exports its most popular products, coffee and sugar, and has formerly exported other items like as shoes and baseballs. Food processing industries, as well as soap, textile, and cement companies, may be found in Port-au-Prince. Despite political upheaval, the city’s economy is supported by the tourist and construction industries. Port-au-Prince was formerly a prominent cruise port, but it has lost virtually all of its tourism and no longer receives cruise ships.
Port-au-Prince has a high unemployment rate, which is exacerbated by underemployment. Economic activity is still prevalent throughout the city, particularly among those selling products and services on the streets. Informal work is said to be ubiquitous in Port-au-slums, Prince’s since the populace would starve otherwise. Port-au-Prince features some wealthy areas with much lower crime rates than the city center.
There is a tourist business in Port-au-Prince. Toussaint Louverture International Airport (also known as Port-au-Prince International Airport) serves as the country’s primary international gateway for tourism. Tourists often visit the Pétionville neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, where additional attractions include gingerbread homes.
