Jacmel (Kréyòl: Jakmèl) is a city in southeast Haiti, on the Caribbean coast, at the mouth of the river Grande Rivière de Jacmel. It is the capital city of the Sud-Est Département.
The city is in the Baie de Jacmel ("Jacmel Bay") about 86 km south of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. It is also the chief town of an arrondissement (a part of a department) with the same name. The arrondissement has four communes (a commune is like a municipality): Jacmel, Cayes-Jacmel, La Vallée and Marigot.
Name
Jacci was the Taíno name for the region where is located Jacmel. It was changed to the Spanish word Yáquimo (sometimes written as Jáquimo) and then to the French word Jacmel.
History
Christopher Columbus gave the name Puerto de Brasil ("Brazil port") to the place where Jacmel is now because there were many trees called "Brasil" (English: Brazilwood) in the region that were cut and sent to Spain; the tree has a yellow substance (and wood) that was used to give that color to hair, cloths and other objects.
In 1504, Nicolás de Ovando, Spanish governor of the Hispaniola, founded the town of Villanueva de Yáquimo (or Villanova de Yáquimo). But people left the town and French people came to live here; in 1698, the new town of Jacmel was founded.
Jacmel today
There are many beautiful old houses in Jacmel, from the 1880s. Since 2004, the 'Festival Film Jakmèl' is celebrated in Jacmel and, since 2007, the international music festival 'Festival Mizik Jakmèl'.
Many visitors come to Jacmel for its carnival, the Bassins Bleu waterfalls, and the white sand beaches near the city.
Radio
Radio Ambiance FM
Ambiance TV
Radio Anacaona
Radio TéléDiffusion Jacmelienne
Radio Télé-Express Continental
Radio Vibration Inter
Radio Jacmel Inter
Radio Détente
Radio Négritude
Radio SemencesFM de Marbial
Sister cities
Jacmel has sister relationships with: Palm Beach, Florida, USA Strasbourg,France
