1. Not easily generalized
The first characteristic of a SSA city is that they are very hard to generalize. A lot of the structuring of the city depend upon historical factors that vary from country to country. Haitiıs history of political instability and stagnant economic growth greatly affect the way in which Port-au-Prince has developed as the countryıs main city.
2. Less than 1/3 of the population living in cities
With a population density of about 666 persons per square mile (257 per square kilometer), Haiti is one of the most densely populated nations in the world. In spite of this, up until recent times, Port-au-Prince has managed to elude overpopulation to a certain extent. Nearly 80 percent of the Haitian people are still living in the countryside, making it one of the least urbanized countries in the Caribbean. Like the capital cities of most Third World nations, however, Port-au-Prince has grown rapidly and now has about a million inhabitants.
3. Little urbanization
Port-au-Prince as the countryıs largest city has around 1 million habitants. That is almost 10X the size of any other urban area. Haiti has very few mid-sized cities but many small villages. Other urban centers include Cap-Haitien, Gonaives, Les Cays, and Jeremie.
4. Fast urban growth rate
Due to rural-urban migration, and the subsequent expansion of shanty towns, small villages surrounding Port-au-Prince are being swallowed and the city limits are expanding.
5. Large rural-urban migration
The agricultural struggles, including recent droughts, of the rural farmer in Haiti have made migration an unavoidable option for many people. The greatest flows of migrants are coming from the South with Port-au-Prince as the most common destination. However, other significant movements include a movement to the city from the North and one to Port-au-Prince from the Artibonite Region.This constant flow of people migrating from the countryside into the city make city living conditions one of the number one problems in Haiti. Many new migrants living in shanty towns throughout the city. These informal sectors do not have access to clean water, electricity or sewer systems and make living there almost unbearable.
6. Euro-colonists created new centers of administration
Port-au-Prince was laid out in 1749 by the French and called LıHopital. It was damaged by earthquakes in 1751 and 1770. In 1770 it replaced Cap Haitian as capital of the old French colony of St. Domingue. Its port was opened to foreign trade in 1807. The capital was moved by the French for two main reasons. To begin with, the French wanted to take advantage of the port city for its pivotal location for use in trade with other New World Colonies. In addition, the positioning of Port-au-Prince in the inlet of the Gulf of Gonave made it less susceptible to hurricanes than other coastal cities. The bay itself is protected from the open sea by the island of Gonave.
7. Social groups (class and ethnic) segregated
As are many SSA cities highly segregated, so is Port-au-Prince. The most dramatic example of this segregation is the difference between the populations of the rich suburb of Petionville and the poor slum of Cite Sole. Many of the residents of Petionville are mulattos or are of French descent, coming from a long line of wealth and power within Haiti. The people that live in Cite Sole are all of African descent, many of them recently migrating from the countryside.
8. The primate city
The capital, chief port, and commercial center of the West Indian republic of Haiti, Port-au-Prince is also the capital of Haitiıs Ouest department. It attracts the majority of the countryıs tourist dollars. There are several luxury hotels, and air transportation connects the city with the main Caribbean islands, Canada, the United States, and Switzerland. It is also the cultural mecca of Haiti. At the center of Port-au-Prince is the Place du Champ-de-Mars. On it stand the National Palace, the army barracks, and a statue of Jean-Jaques Dessalines, who was the hero of the wars of independence. Other notable landmarks include the Cathedral of Notre Dame (with the adjacent colonial cathedral), the national Archives, National Library, and National Museum. Finally, Port-au-Prince is the center of the political and intellectual life of the nation. The University of Haiti was established there in 1944.
9. Confused land use because of rapid growth and lack of planning
The confusion of land use in Port-au-Prince is partially a result of natural obstacles. These obstacles include mountain ranges and sugar plantation damage resulting from exploitation during the colonial period that has left much of the land nutrient free. The rural shantytowns that have sprung up due to migration have not been monitored by the city government, making city planning an almost free-for-all. With many people walking, donkeys, and carts, in addition to cars, traffic can become very confused on the narrow unpaved streets. 
10. Sharp social and ethnic divisions
Only 10 percent of the country speaks French with the remaining majority, 90 percent, of the people speaking Creole. Most governmental and city business is conducted in French. This division enables the elite to monopolize the happenings within the city.
11. High concentration of wealth
Only 10 percent of the population control the majority of the cityıs wealth. The city has many different types of housing, ranging from ordinary office buildings, Victorian-style ³gingerbread² houses and modern homes to cardboard houses and tin huts. Most of the elite live in the city, where they have access to cultural activities and public utilities. There is almost no middle class. The black urban working class is very poor; they are even worse off than the farmers who barely manage to raise enough to eat.
12. Primary activities in the city are common
A large portion of the cityıs population could be classified as ³urban peasants². They conduct there daily lives as though they were in the countryside. These activities include farming and animal grazing, and are carried-out in the middle of the countryıs largest urban center.