Sud-Est Department

Sud-Est exists where Haiti's mountains peak. Pic la Selle, at 2,680 meters (8,793 feet), is Haiti's highest point and the eighth-highest in the Caribbean. The Massif de la Selle runs through Sud-Est like a spine, creating a mountainous interior distinct from the coastal capital, Jacmel.

Jacmel, founded in 1698, became a coffee port during French colonial rule. Its Victorian architecture—rare in Haiti—reflects 19th-century wealth when coffee exports funded prosperity. The city avoided the worst of the 2010 earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince 80 kilometers to the west, though the road connecting them collapsed. Jacmel's isolation, like Grand'Anse's, creates distinctiveness: the city hosts Haiti's largest Carnival after Port-au-Prince and maintains a reputation for arts and crafts.

The Massif de la Selle isn't a biodiversity hotspot like Grand'Anse's Massif de la Hotte—it's higher and drier, less isolated by ancient sea channels. But it serves as a watershed: rivers originating here flow west toward Port-au-Prince and south toward the coast. Like Centre Department's control of the Artibonite via Péligre Dam, Sud-Est's mountains regulate water for the capital region.

By 2025, Sud-Est remains relatively untouched by gang violence compared to Ouest and Artibonite, though proximity to the capital makes it vulnerable. Jacmel's economy depends on tourism and remittances, both fragile income sources in a collapsing state.

By 2026, Sud-Est's mountains may become a refuge if Port-au-Prince becomes uninhabitable. Elevation provides distance; distance provides time. Whether that's enough depends on how fast the collapse spreads.