Port-au-Prince, city, central Haiti, capital of the country and of Ouest Department, on the Gonâve Gulf. It is the principal seaport and commercial center of Haiti. Major manufactures include processed food, beverages, tobacco products, textiles, and building materials. Tourism and construction are also important to the city's economy. Port-au-Prince is the site of the State University of Haiti (1920), the National Library, the National Museum, the Archaeological Museum, the Art Center, a technical institute, and a polytechnic college. Other points of interest include the National Palace, the Basilica of Notre Dame, and the French-built stone quay (1780). The settlement was laid out by the French in 1749 and served as the capital of the French colony of Saint-Domingue from 1770 to 1804. When Haiti became independent in 1804, the city was chosen as the new nation's capital. The community has periodically suffered from earthquakes and from civil unrest.