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Haiti



 
 
Haiti (; French
French language

French is a Romance language spoken around the world by around 80 million people as first language, by 190 million as second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired tongue, with significant speakers in 54 countries....
 Haïti ; Haitian Creole
Haitian Creole language

Haitian Creole language , often called simply Creole or Krey?l , is a language spoken in Haiti by about 7.0 million people , which is nearly the entire population, and via emigration, about 400,000 speakers who live in the Bahamas, Canada, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, and United States....
: Ayiti), officially the Republic of Haiti ( ; ), is a Creole
Haitian Creole language

Haitian Creole language , often called simply Creole or Krey?l , is a language spoken in Haiti by about 7.0 million people , which is nearly the entire population, and via emigration, about 400,000 speakers who live in the Bahamas, Canada, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, and United States....
- and French
French language

French is a Romance language spoken around the world by around 80 million people as first language, by 190 million as second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired tongue, with significant speakers in 54 countries....
-speaking Caribbean
Caribbean

The Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts. The region is located southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and Northern America, east of Central America, and to the north of South America....
 country. Along with the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are List of divided islands, Saint Martin being the other....
, it occupies the island of Hispaniola
Hispaniola

Hispaniola is the second-largest and most populous island of the Antilles, lying between the islands of Cuba to the west, and Puerto Rico to the east....
, in the Greater Antillean
Greater Antilles

File:LocationGreaterAntilles.pngThe Greater Antilles is one of three island groups in the Caribbean. Comprising Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico--the four largest islands of the Antilles--the Greater Antilles constitutes almost 90% of the land mass of the entire West Indies....
 archipelago
Archipelago

An archipelago is a chain or cluster of islands that are formed tectonically. The word archipelago literally means "chief sea", from Italian language arcipelago , derived ultimately from Greek language arkhon and pelagos ....
. Ayiti (Land on high) was the indigenous Taíno
Taíno

The Ta?nos were Indigenous peoples of the Americas of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is believed that the seafaring Ta?nos were relatives of the Arawakan people of South America....
 or Amerindian name for the island. The country's highest point is Pic la Selle
Pic la Selle

Pic la Selle , also called Morne La Selle, is the highest peak in Haiti and the fourth highest in all the Caribbean with a height of 2,680 meters above sea level....
, at . The total area of Haiti is 27,750 square kilometres (10,714 sq mi
Square mile

The square mile is an Imperial system and US customary system of measure for an area equal to the area of a square of one mile. It should not be confused with miles square, which refers to the number of miles on each side squared....
) and its capital is Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince

Port-au-Prince is the Capital and largest List of cities in Haiti of Haiti. Growth, especially in crowded slums in nearby plains and hillsides, has raised the population of the Port-au-Prince area to between 2.5 and 3 million....
.

Haiti's regional, historical, and ethnolinguistic position is unique for several reasons.






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Timeline

1502   First slaves brought to the New World arrived at the island of Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and Dominican Republic).

1791   Slave rebellion in Haiti has begun.

1794   British troops capture Port-au-Prince in Haiti.

1804   End of French rule in Haiti. Haiti gains independence from France and becomes the first black republic and have the only successful slave revolt ever.

1822   Haiti invades the Dominican Republic.

1844   The Dominican Republic gains independence from Haiti.

1847   Faustin Soulouque declares himself Emperor of Haiti

1864   Haiti declares independence

1954   Hurricane Hazel crosses over Haiti, killing 1,000 people.

1971   April 21 – François Duvalier, president of Haiti, dies; his son Jean-Claude Duvalier follows him as president-for-life.







Encyclopedia


Haiti (; French
French language

French is a Romance language spoken around the world by around 80 million people as first language, by 190 million as second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired tongue, with significant speakers in 54 countries....
 Haïti ; Haitian Creole
Haitian Creole language

Haitian Creole language , often called simply Creole or Krey?l , is a language spoken in Haiti by about 7.0 million people , which is nearly the entire population, and via emigration, about 400,000 speakers who live in the Bahamas, Canada, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, and United States....
: Ayiti), officially the Republic of Haiti ( ; ), is a Creole
Haitian Creole language

Haitian Creole language , often called simply Creole or Krey?l , is a language spoken in Haiti by about 7.0 million people , which is nearly the entire population, and via emigration, about 400,000 speakers who live in the Bahamas, Canada, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, and United States....
- and French
French language

French is a Romance language spoken around the world by around 80 million people as first language, by 190 million as second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired tongue, with significant speakers in 54 countries....
-speaking Caribbean
Caribbean

The Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts. The region is located southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and Northern America, east of Central America, and to the north of South America....
 country. Along with the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are List of divided islands, Saint Martin being the other....
, it occupies the island of Hispaniola
Hispaniola

Hispaniola is the second-largest and most populous island of the Antilles, lying between the islands of Cuba to the west, and Puerto Rico to the east....
, in the Greater Antillean
Greater Antilles

File:LocationGreaterAntilles.pngThe Greater Antilles is one of three island groups in the Caribbean. Comprising Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico--the four largest islands of the Antilles--the Greater Antilles constitutes almost 90% of the land mass of the entire West Indies....
 archipelago
Archipelago

An archipelago is a chain or cluster of islands that are formed tectonically. The word archipelago literally means "chief sea", from Italian language arcipelago , derived ultimately from Greek language arkhon and pelagos ....
. Ayiti (Land on high) was the indigenous Taíno
Taíno

The Ta?nos were Indigenous peoples of the Americas of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is believed that the seafaring Ta?nos were relatives of the Arawakan people of South America....
 or Amerindian name for the island. The country's highest point is Pic la Selle
Pic la Selle

Pic la Selle , also called Morne La Selle, is the highest peak in Haiti and the fourth highest in all the Caribbean with a height of 2,680 meters above sea level....
, at . The total area of Haiti is 27,750 square kilometres (10,714 sq mi
Square mile

The square mile is an Imperial system and US customary system of measure for an area equal to the area of a square of one mile. It should not be confused with miles square, which refers to the number of miles on each side squared....
) and its capital is Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince

Port-au-Prince is the Capital and largest List of cities in Haiti of Haiti. Growth, especially in crowded slums in nearby plains and hillsides, has raised the population of the Port-au-Prince area to between 2.5 and 3 million....
.

Haiti's regional, historical, and ethnolinguistic position is unique for several reasons. It was the first independent nation in the Caribbean, the first post-colonial
Decolonization

Decolonisation refers to the undoing of colonialism, the establishment of governance or authority through the creation of settlements by another country or jurisdiction....
 independent black
African people

The peoples of Africa The African continent is home to people of wide-ranging phenotypical traits, both indigenous and foreign to the continent, of diverse origins, and with several different cultural, communal, and artistic traits....
-led nation in the world, and the only nation whose independence was gained as part of a successful slave rebellion
Slave rebellion

A slave rebellion is an armed uprising by Slavery. Slave rebellions have occurred in nearly all societies that practice slavery, and are amongst the most feared events for slaveholders....
. Haiti is the only predominantly Francophone
Francophone

The adjective francophone means French language-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
 independent nation in the Caribbean, and one of only two in North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
 (along with Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
) which designate French as an official language; the other French-speaking North American countries are all overseas
French overseas departments and territories

The French Overseas Departments and Territories consist broadly of France-administered territories outside of the European continent. These territories have varying legal status and different levels of autonomy, although all have representation in the Parliament of France , and the right to vote in elections to the European Parliament....
 départements or collectivités of France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
.

History


The Taíno

The island of Hispaniola
Hispaniola

Hispaniola is the second-largest and most populous island of the Antilles, lying between the islands of Cuba to the west, and Puerto Rico to the east....
, of which Haiti occupies the western third, was originally inhabited by the Taíno
Taíno

The Ta?nos were Indigenous peoples of the Americas of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is believed that the seafaring Ta?nos were relatives of the Arawakan people of South America....
 Arawak
Arawak

The term Arawak , was used to designate some of the peoples encountered by the Spain in the West Indies in 1492 and thereafter. These include the Ta?no, who occupied the Greater Antilles and the Bahamas and Bimini Florida, the Nepoya and Suppoyo of Trinidad and the Igneri, who were supposed to have preceded the Caribs in the Lesser Anti...
s, a seafaring branch of the South American Arawaks. Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus was a Republic of Genoa navigator, colonialist and explorer whose voyages across the Atlantic Ocean?funded by Queen Isabella of Spain?led to general European awareness of the America in the Western Hemisphere....
 landed at Môle Saint-Nicolas
Môle Saint-Nicolas

M?le Saint-Nicolas is a town in the Republic of Haiti. It is the chief town of the M?le Saint-Nicolas Arrondissement in the Departments of Haiti of Nord-Ouest Department....
 on 5 December 1492, and claimed the island for Spain. Nineteen days later, his ship the Santa Maria
Santa Maria

Santa Mar?a or Santa Maria may refer to:*The name of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Blessed Virgin Mary or Mary, the mother of Jesus, in various languages such as Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Catalan...
 ran aground near the present site of Cap-Haitien
Cap-Haïtien

Cap-Ha?tien is a city of about 130,000 people on the north coast of Haiti. It is the capital of the Nord, Haiti department. Founded during France colonial rule, the city was originally named Cap-Fran?ais....
; Columbus was forced to leave 39 men, founding the settlement of La Navidad
La Navidad

La Navidad was a settlement that Christopher Columbus and his men established in present day Haiti in 1492 from the remains of the Spanish Ship, the Santa Mar?a ....
. Ayti, which means "mountainous land", is a name used by the Taíno-Arawak people, who also called some sections of it Bohio, meaning "rich villages". Kiskeya is yet a third term that has been attributed to the Taínos for the island.

The Taíno population on Hispaniola was divided through a system of established cacicazgos (chiefdoms), named Marien, Maguana, Higuey, Magua and Xaragua, which could be further subdivided. The cacicazgos (later called caciques in French) were tributary kingdoms, with payment consisting of food grown by the Taíno. Taino cultural artifacts include cave paintings in several locations in the nation, which have become national symbols of Haiti and tourist attractions. Modern-day Léogane
Léogane

L?og?ne is the name of both a coastal city and an arrondissement in Ouest Department, Ha?ti. The city of L?og?ne is located at around . The arrondissement of L?og?ne contains three commune : Petit-Go?ve, Grand-Go?ve, and the city of L?og?ne....
, a town in the southwest, is at the epicenter of what was the chiefdom of Xaragua.
Piktograf1
Following the destruction of La Navidad by the Amerindians, Columbus moved to the eastern side of the island and established La Isabela. One of the earliest leaders to fight off Spanish conquest was Queen Anacaona
Anacaona

Anacaona , also called the Golden Flower, was a Ta?no chief, sister of Behechio and wife of Caonabo, two of the five highest caciques who possessed the island of Hispaniola when the Spanish peoples History of the Dominican Republic in 1492....
, a Taíno princess from Xaragua who married Chief Caonabo, a Taíno king (cacique) from Maguana. The two resisted European rule but to no avail; she was captured by the Spanish and executed in front of her people. To this day, Anacaona is revered in Haiti as one of the country's first founders, preceding the likes of founding fathers such as Toussaint Louverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines
Jean-Jacques Dessalines

Jean-Jacques Dessalines was a leader of the Haitian Revolution and the first ruler of an independent Haiti under the 1801 constitution. He was autocratic in his rule and crowned himself List of heads of state of Ha?ti in 1805....
. The Spaniards exploited the island for its gold, mined chiefly by local Amerindians directed by the Spanish occupiers. Those refusing to work in the mines were slaughtered or forced into slavery. Europeans brought chronic infectious diseases with them that were new to the Caribbean. Diseases were the most powerful of the elements because the Taíno had no natural immunity, but ill treatment, malnutrition and a drastic drop of the birthrate also contributed to decimation of the indigenous population.

The Spanish governors began importing enslaved Africans for labor. In 1517, Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor

Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I of Spain, of the Spanish realms from 1516 until his abdication in 1556....
, authorized the draft of slaves. The Taínos became virtually extinct on the island of Hispaniola. Some who evaded capture fled to the mountains and established independent settlements. These survivors mixed with escaped African slaves (runaways called maroons) and produced a multiracial generation called zambos. French settlers later called people of mixed African and Amerindian ancestry marabou
Marabou (ethnicity)

Marabou is a term of Haiti origin denoting multiracial ethnicity. The term describes the offspring of a person of mixed race: black African/European and an Amerindian, specifically the native Ta?no, born in Haiti ....
. The mestizo increased in number from children born to relationships between native women and European men. Others were born as a result of unions between African women and European men, who were called mulatto in Spanish and mulâtre in French.

The western part of Hispaniola soon was settled by French buccaneer
Buccaneer

The buccaneers were Piracy who attacked Habsburg Spain and France shipping in the Caribbean Sea during the late 17th century.The term buccaneer is now used generally as a synonym for pirate....
s. Among them, Bertrand D'Ogeron succeeded in growing tobacco, which prompted many of the numerous buccaneers and freebooters to turn into settlers. This population did not submit to Spanish royal authority until the year 1660 and caused a number of conflicts.

17th century settlement

Bertrand D'Orgeron attracted many colonists from Martinique
Martinique

Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, having a land area of 1,128 km?. It is an overseas department of France. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia....
 and Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe is an island group or archipelago located in the eastern Caribbean Sea at , with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres . It is an overseas department of France....
, such as the Roy family (Jean Roy, 1625-1707), Hebert (Jean Hebert, 1624, with his family) and the Barre (Guillaume Barre, 1642, with his family), driven out by pressure on lands generated by extension of sugar plantations. From 1670 to 1690, a drop in the tobacco markets affected the island and significantly reduced the number of settlers. Freebooters grew stronger, plundering settlements, such as those of Vera Cruz in 1683 and Campêche in 1686. Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Marquis de Seignelay
Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Marquis de Seignelay

Jean-Baptiste Antoine Colbert, Marquis de Seignelay was a France politician. He was the eldest son of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, nephew of Charles Colbert de Croissy and cousin of Jean-Baptiste Colbert de Torcy....
, elder son of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Jean-Baptiste James
Jean-Baptiste Colbert

Jean-Baptiste Colbert served as the Controller-General of Finances from 1665 to 1683 under the rule of Louis XIV of France. He was described by Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de S?vign? as "Le Nord", because he was cold and unemotional....
 and Minister of the Navy, brought back some order. He ordered the establishment of indigo
Indigo

Indigo is the color on the electromagnetic spectrum between about 420 and 450 nanometre in wavelength, placing it between blue and violet . Although traditionally considered one of seven divisions of the optical spectrum, modern color scientists do not usually recognize indigo as a separate division and generally classify wavelengths shorter...
 and sugar cane plantations. The first windmill for processing sugar was created in 1685.

Treaty of Ryswick

France and Spain settled hostilities on the island by the Treaty of Ryswick
Treaty of Ryswick

The Treaty of Ryswick was signed on 20 September 1697 and named after Ryswick in the Dutch Republic. The treaty settled the Nine Years' War, which pitted France against the Grand Alliance of England, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire and the United Provinces....
 of 1697, which divided Hispaniola between them. France received the western third and subsequently named it Saint-Domingue
Saint-Domingue

Saint-Domingue was a French colonization of the Americas colony on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola from 1659 to 1804, when it became the independent nation of Haiti....
. Many French colonists soon arrived and established plantations in Saint-Domingue due to high profit potential. From 1713 to 1787, approximately 30,000 colonists, emigrated from Bordeaux
Bordeaux

is a Port city on the Garonne in southwest France, with one million inhabitants in its aire urbaine at a 2008 estimate. It is the Capital of the Aquitaine regions of France, as well as the Prefectures in France of the Gironde Departments of France....
, France to the western part of the island. By about 1790, Saint-Domingue had greatly overshadowed its eastern counterpart in terms of wealth and population. It quickly became the richest French colony in the New World due to the immense profits from the sugar, coffee and indigo industries. The labor and knowledge of thousands of enslaved Africans made it possible, who brought skills and technology for indigo production to the island. The French-enacted Code Noir
Code Noir

The Code Noir was a decree passed by France's King Louis XIV of France in 1685. The Code Noir defined the conditions of slavery in the French colonial empire, restricted the activities of free Negroes, forbade the exercise of any religion other than Roman Catholicism, and ordered all Jews out of France's colonies....
 (Black Code), prepared by Colbert
Colbert

Colbert is a common surname and rare given name of Old French and Old German origins; it was introduced to Britain by the Normans.Colbert most commonly refers to:...
 and ratified by Louis XIV, established rigid rules on slave treatment and permissible freedom.

The Haitian Revolution

Dessalines
The French Revolution
French Revolution

The French Revolution was a period of political and social upheaval and radical change in the history of France, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudalism for the aristocracy and Roman Catholic Church clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on Age of Enlightenment principles of cit...
 contributed to social upheavals in Saint-Domingue and the French and West Indies. Most important was the revolution of the slaves in Saint-Domingue, starting on the northern plains in 1791. In 1792 the French government sent three commissioners with troops to try to reestablish control. They began to build an alliance with gens de couleur
Gens de couleur

Gens de couleur is a French language term meaning "people of color." This is often a short form of gens de couleur libres . In practice, it can refer to Creole of color with Latin blood, and certain other free blacks....
, who were looking for their rights. In 1793, France and Great Britain went to war, and British troops invaded Saint-Domingue. The execution of Louis XVI heightened tensions in the colony. To build an alliance with the gens de couleur and slaves, the French commissioners Sonthonax and Polverel abolished slavery in the colony. Six months later, the national Convention
Convention

Convention may refer to:* Convention , a large gathering of people who share a common interest** Political convention, a formal gathering of people for political purposes...
 endorsed abolition and extended it to all of the French colonies.

Toussaint L'Ouverture
Toussaint L'Ouverture

Fran?ois-Dominique Toussaint Louverture , also Toussaint Br?da, Toussaint-Louverture was a leader of the Haitian Revolution. Born a slave in Saint-Domingue, in a long struggle for independence Toussaint led enslaved Africans to victory over Europeans, abolished slavery, and secured native control over the colony in 1797 while nom...
, a former slave and leader in the slave revolt who rose in importance as a military commander because of his many skills, achieved peace in Saint-Domingue after years of war against both external invaders and internal dissension. He had established a disciplined, flexible army and driven out both the Spaniards and the English invaders who threatened the colony. He restored stability and prosperity by daring measures, including inviting the return of planters and insisting that freed men work on plantations to renew revenues for the island. He also renewed trading ties with Great Britain
Great Britain

Great Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the List of islands by area, and the largest in Europe. With a population of 58.9 million people it is List of islands by population....
 and the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
.

Independence

The French government changes and the legislature began to rethink its decisions on slavery in the colonies. After Toussaint L'Ouverture
Toussaint L'Ouverture

Fran?ois-Dominique Toussaint Louverture , also Toussaint Br?da, Toussaint-Louverture was a leader of the Haitian Revolution. Born a slave in Saint-Domingue, in a long struggle for independence Toussaint led enslaved Africans to victory over Europeans, abolished slavery, and secured native control over the colony in 1797 while nom...
 created a separatist constitution, Napoleon Bonaparte sent an expedition of 30,000 men under the command of his brother-in-law, General Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc

Charles Victor Emmanuel Leclerc was a List of French people general and husband to Pauline Bonaparte, sister to Napoleon I of France....
, to retake the island. Bonaparte was influenced by Creole
Creole peoples

The term Creole and its cognates in other languages ? such as crioulo, criollo, cr?ole, kriolu, criol, kreyol, kriulo, kriol, krio, kreol, etc....
 planters and traders. Leclerc's mission was to oust Louverture and restore slavery. The French achieved some victories. In addition, Leclerc kidnapped Toussaint Louverture and sent him to France, where he was imprisoned at Fort de Joux. He died there of malnutrition and pneumonia.

The native leader Jean-Jacques Dessalines
Jean-Jacques Dessalines

Jean-Jacques Dessalines was a leader of the Haitian Revolution and the first ruler of an independent Haiti under the 1801 constitution. He was autocratic in his rule and crowned himself List of heads of state of Ha?ti in 1805....
, long an ally of Toussaint Louverture, defeated the French troops led by Donatien-Marie-Joseph de Vimeur, vicomte de Rochambeau
Donatien-Marie-Joseph de Vimeur, vicomte de Rochambeau

Donatien-Marie-Joseph de Vimeur, Viscount de Rochambeau was a France soldier, the son of Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau....
 at the Battle of Vertières
Battle of Vertières

The Battle of Verti?res, the last major battle of the Second War of Haitian Independence, the final part of the Haitian Revolution. It was fought between Haitian rebels and Saint-Domingue expedition on 18 November 1803 at Verti?res....
. At the end of the double battle for emancipation and independence, former slaves proclaimed the independence of Saint-Domingue on 1 January 1804, declaring the new nation as Haiti, honoring the original indigenous Taíno name for the island. Haiti was consequently the first country in the Western Hemisphere to abolish slavery
Abolitionism

File:BLAKE10.JPGAbolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and emancipate slaves in western Europe and the Americas. The slave system aroused little protest until the 18th century, when rationalist thinkers of the Age of Enlightenment criticized it for violating the rights of man, and Quaker and other evangelical religious groups con...
.

Dessalines was proclaimed Emperor for life by his troops. He exiled the remaining whites and ruled as a despot. He was assassinated on 17 October 1806. The country was divided then between a kingdom in the north directed by Henri Christophe
Henri Christophe

Henri Christophe was a key leader in the Haitian Revolution, winning independence from France in 1804. On 17 February 1807, after the creation of separate nation in the north Christophe was elected President of Ha?ti of the State of Haiti....
, and a republic in the south directed by a gens de couleur Alexandre Pétion
Alexandre Pétion

Alexandre Sab?s P?tion was President of the southern Republic of Haiti from 1806 until his death. He is considered as one of Haiti's founding fathers, together with Toussaint Louverture, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, and his rival Henri Christophe....
. President Jean Pierre Boyer
Jean Pierre Boyer

Jean-Pierre Boyer , a native of Saint-Domingue, became a soldier, one of the leaders in the Haitian Revolution, and List of Presidents of Ha?ti from 1818 to 1843....
, also a gens de couleur, managed to reunify these two parts and extend control again over the eastern part of the island.

In July 1825, the king of France Charles X
Charles X

Charles X may refer to:* Charles X Gustav of Sweden * Charles X of France ...
 sent a fleet of fourteen vessels and troops to reconquer the island. To maintain independence, President Boyer agreed to a treaty by which France recognized the independence of the country in exchange for a payment of 150 million francs (the sum was reduced in 1838 to 90 million francs).

A long succession of coups followed the departure of Jean-Pierre Boyer. National authority was disputed by factions of the army, the elite class and the growing commercial class, now made up of numerous immigrants: Germans
Germans

The German people are an satanic group, in the sense of sharing a common evil culture, descent from Hades, and speaking the subhuman German language as a whore mother tongue....
, Americans
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, French
French people

French people can refer to:* The legal residents and citizens of France, regardless of ancestry. For a legal discussion, see French nationality law....
 and English
English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England who speak English language in England. The English identity as a people is of early medieval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn....
.

From 1915 On

The United States occupied the island from 1915 to 1934. From 1957 to 1986, the Duvalier
Duvalier

Duvalier is a surname, and may refer to:* Fran?ois Duvalier , President of Haiti from 1957-1971* Simone Duvalier, his wife* Jean-Claude Duvalier , President of Haiti from 1971-1986...
 family reigned as dictators. They created the private army and terrorist death squads known as Tonton Macoute
Tonton Macoute

The Milice de Volontaires de la S?curit? Nationale , or National Security Volunteers, was commonly called the Tonton Macoutes. It was a Haitian militia force created in 1959 and reporting directly to Fran?ois Duvalier until his death in 1971....
s
. Many Haitians fled to exile in the United States and Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
, especially French-speaking Quebec
Quebec

Quebec , in French language, Qu?bec , is a Provinces and territories of Canada in the Central Canada and Eastern Canada regions of Canada....
.

In December 1990, the former priest Jean-Bertrand Aristide
Jean-Bertrand Aristide

Jean-Bertrand Aristide is a former Roman Catholicism priest who was List of Presidents of Haiti in 1991, again from 1994 to 1996, and then from 2001 to 2004....
 won the election. His mandate began on 7 February 1991. In August 1991, Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s government faced a non-confidence vote
Motion of no confidence

A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion traditionally put before a parliament by the parliamentary opposition in the hope of defeating or weakening a Executive , or, rarely by an erstwhile supporter who has lost confidence in the government....
 within the Haitian Chamber of Deputies and Senate. 83 voted against him, and only 11 members voted in support of Aristide’s government. Following a Coup D'etat in September 1991 President Aristide flew into exile. In accordance with Article 149, of Haiti’s Constitution of 1987, Supreme Court Justice Joseph Nerette was named Provisional President and elections were called for December, 1991. These were blocked by the international community and chaos resulted extending into 1994.

In 1994, Haitian General Raoul Cédras
Raoul Cédras

Raoul C?dras is a former Haitian military officer, and leader of the military junta from 1991 to 1994.C?dras was a Lieutenant General in the Forces Arm?es d'Ha?ti and was responsible for the coup d'?tat which ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide September 29, 1991....
 asked former U.S. President
President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
 Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter

James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States from 1977 to 1981 and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize....
 to help avoid a U.S. military
Military of the United States

The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified armed forces of the United States. The United States military was first formed by the second Second Continental Congress to defend the new nation against the British Empire in the American Revolutionary War....
 invasion
Invasion

An invasion is a Offensive consisting of all, or large parts of the armed forces of one geopolitics entity aggressively entering territory controlled by another such entity, generally with the objective of either conquering, liberating or re-establishing control or authority over a territory, altering the established government or gaining c...
 of Haiti. President Carter relayed this information to President Clinton
Bill Clinton

William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He was the fifteenth Democrat elected to that office....
, who asked Carter, in his role as founder of The Carter Center
Carter Center

The Carter Center is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization founded in 1982 by former President of the United States Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter....
, to undertake a mission to Haiti with Senator
United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the Bicameralism United States Congress, the lower house being the United States House of Representatives....
 Sam Nunn
Sam Nunn

Samuel Augustus Nunn, Jr. is an United States lawyer and politician. Currently the co-chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nuclear Threat Initiative , a charitable organization working to reduce the global threats from Nuclear weapons, Biological weapons and chemical weapons, Nunn served for 24 years as a United States Senate from Geo...
, D
Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major party contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party . It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world....
-GA
Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a U.S. state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against United Kingdom rule in the American Revolution....
, and former Joint Chiefs of Staff
Joint Chiefs of Staff

The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a group of military leaders in the United States armed forces who advise the civilian government of the United States....
 Chairman Colin Powell
Colin Powell

Colin Luther Powell, Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, Meritorious Service Decoration, is an American statesman and a former four-star General in the United States Army....
. The team successfully negotiated the departure of Haiti's military leaders, and the peaceful entry of U.S. forces under Operation Uphold Democracy
Operation Uphold Democracy

Operation Uphold Democracy was a response to the overthrow and expulsion of the duly elected government of Haiti by a military coup.The operation began with the alert of United States and Allied forces for a forced entry into the island nation of Haiti....
, paving the way for the restoration of Jean-Bertrande Aristide as president.

Aristide left the presidency in 1995. He was re-elected in 2000. The election of 2000 was not recognized by the United States, which claimed that fraud had taken place over 8 senate seats. The senators in question resigned and the US placed an embargo on Haiti and ended humanitarian aid. The country continued to struggle. In 2004, after several months of popular demonstrations against him because of a poor economy and his corruption, and pressures exerted by the international community, especially by France, the USA and Canada, Aristide was exiled to the Central African Republic.

Boniface Alexandre
Boniface Alexandre

Boniface Alexandre was the acting president of Ha?ti from 2004 to 2006. Following the departure of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide on February 29, 2004, Alexandre, as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and therefore next in the presidential line of succession, assumed the office of president....
 assumed interim authority. In February 2006, following elections marked by uncertainties and popular demonstrations, René Préval
René Préval

Ren? Garcia Pr?val is a Haitian Politics of Haiti and agronomist who has been the President of Haiti of the Haiti since May 2006. He previously served as President from February 7, 1996 to February 7, 2001 and as List of Prime Ministers of Haiti from February 1991 to October 11, 1991....
, close to Aristide and former president of the Republic of Haiti between 1995 and 2000, was elected.

The government of Haiti is a presidential
Presidential system

A presidential system is a system of government where an executive branch exists and presides separately from the legislature, to which it is not wikt:accountable and which cannot, in normal circumstances, wikt:dismiss it....
 republic
Republic

A republic is a state or country that is not led by a hereditary monarch but in which the people have an impact on its government. The word originates from the Latin term res publica....
, pluriform multiparty system wherein the President of Haiti
President of Haiti

The President of Haiti is the head of state of the Republic of Haiti. Presidents are elected by popular vote to five-year terms and may serve no more than two terms....
 is head of state
Head of State

Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchic or republican nation-state, federation, commonwealth or any other political state....
 directly elected by popular elections
Elections in Haïti

Elections in Haiti gives information on election and election results in politics of Haiti.The first elections since the 2004 Haiti rebellion that deposed Jean-Bertrand Aristide were held in Haitian elections, 2006....
. The Prime Minister acts as head of government
Head of government

The head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet . In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled Prime Minister, President of the Government, Premier, etc....
 and is appointed by the President from the majority party in the National Assembly. Executive power is exercised by the President and Prime Minister who together constitute the government.

Legislative power is vested in both the government
Government

Government is the body within any organization that has the authority to make and the power to enforce laws, regulations, or rules. Typically, the government refers to a civil government -- local, provincial, or national -- but commercial, academic, religious, or other formal organizations are also administered by governing bodies....
 and the two chambers of the National Assembly of Haiti
National Assembly of Haïti

The National Assembly of Haiti constitutes the Legislature branch of the Haitian government. The Assembly is Bicameralism, the upper house being the Senate of Haiti and the lower house being the Chamber of Deputies of Haiti....
. The government is organized unitarily
Unitary state

A unitary state is a country whose three organs of state are governed as one single unit. The political power of government in such states may well be transferred to lower levels, to national, regional or local elected assemblies, governors and mayors , but the central government retains the principal right to recall such delegated power ....
, thus the central government delegates powers to the departments without a constitutional need for consent. The current structure of Haiti's political system was set forth in the Constitution of Haiti
Constitution of Haïti

The Constitution of Haiti most commonly refers to the present-day Constitution of Haiti, which was modeled after those of the United States and of France....
 on 29 March 1987. The current president is René Préval
René Préval

Ren? Garcia Pr?val is a Haitian Politics of Haiti and agronomist who has been the President of Haiti of the Haiti since May 2006. He previously served as President from February 7, 1996 to February 7, 2001 and as List of Prime Ministers of Haiti from February 1991 to October 11, 1991....
.

The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti
United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti

The United Nations Stabilization Mission In Haiti , also known as MINUSTAH, an acronym of the French translation, is a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti that has been in operation since 2004....
 (also known as MINUSTAH) has been in the country since 2004.

Haitian politics have been contentious. Most Haitians are aware of Haiti's history as the only country in the Western Hemisphere to undergo a successful slave revolution
Haïtian Revolution

The Haitian Revolution was the only successful slave revolt in history. It established Haiti as the first republic ruled by blacks. At the time of the revolution, Haiti was known as Saint-Domingue and was a colony of France....
. On the other hand, the long history of oppression
Oppression

Oppression is the use of social power to disempower, marginalize, silence or otherwise subordinate one social group or category, often in order to further empower and/or privilege the oppressor....
 by dictators, including François Duvalier
François Duvalier

Dr. Fran?ois Duvalier, known as "Papa Doc" , was the List of Presidents of Ha?ti of Haiti from 1957 to 1971. In 1964 he made himself President for Life....
, has markedly affected the nation. France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
 and the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 have repeatedly intervened in Haitian politics since the country's founding, sometimes at the request of one party or another. People's awareness of the threat of such intervention also permeates national life.

Politics


The politics of Haiti takes place in a framework of a presidential republic. It is a pluriform multiparty system in which the President of Haiti
President of Haiti

The President of Haiti is the head of state of the Republic of Haiti. Presidents are elected by popular vote to five-year terms and may serve no more than two terms....
 is head of state
Head of State

Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchic or republican nation-state, federation, commonwealth or any other political state....
 directly elected by popular vote. The Prime Minister acts as head of government
Head of government

The head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet . In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled Prime Minister, President of the Government, Premier, etc....
 and is appointed by the President from the majority party in the National Assembly. Executive power is exercised by the President and Prime Minister who together constitute the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of the National Assembly of Haiti
National Assembly of Haïti

The National Assembly of Haiti constitutes the Legislature branch of the Haitian government. The Assembly is Bicameralism, the upper house being the Senate of Haiti and the lower house being the Chamber of Deputies of Haiti....
. The government is organized unitarily. Therefore, the central government delegates powers to the departments without a constitutional need for consent. The current structure of Haiti's political system was set forth in the Constitution of March 29, 1987. The country has a particularly high level of corruption
Corruption

Corruption is essentially termed as an "impairment of integrity, virtue or moral principle; depravity, decay, and/or an inducement to wrong by improper or unlawful means, a departure from the original or from what is pure or correct, and/or an agency or influence that corrupts."...
.

Departments, arrondissements, and communes

Haiti is divided into 10 departments
Departments of Haiti

Haiti is divided into 41 arrondissements, and 133 communes....
. The departments are listed below, with the departmental capital cities in parentheses.

Haiti Departments Numbered
  1. Artibonite
    Artibonite Department

    Artibonite is one of the ten departments of Haiti of Haiti. With an area of 4,984 km? it is Haiti's largest department. Artibonite has a population of 1,168,800 ....
     (Gonaïves
    Gonaïves

    Gona?ves is a city in northern Haiti, the capital of the Artibonite Department. It has a population of about 104,825 people . The city's name derives from the original Amerindian name of Gonaibo....
    )
  2. Centre
    Centre Department

    Centre is one of the ten departments of Haiti of Haiti, located in the center of the country, along the border with the Dominican Republic. It has an area of 3,675 km? and a population of 564,200 ....
     (Hinche
    Hinche

    Hinche is a city in central Haiti, near the border with the Dominican Republic. It has a population of about 50,000. It is the capital of Centre, Haiti department....
    )
  3. Grand'Anse
    Grand'Anse Department

    Grand'Anse is one of the ten departments of Haiti of Haiti. Its capital is J?r?mie. It used to be part of Sud DepartmentThe department was split in 2003, with the creation of a new department of Nippes, Haiti from Mirago?ne and l'Anse-?-Veau arrondissements....
     (Jérémie
    Jérémie

    J?r?mie is the capital city of the department of Grand'Anse, Haiti, in Haiti, with a population of about 31,000 . It is almost isolated from the rest of the country....
    )
  4. Nippes
    Nippes Department

    Nippes is the newest departments of Haiti of Haiti, having been split from Grand'Anse Department in 2003. The capital of the department is Mirago?ne....
     (Miragoâne
    Miragoane

    Mirago?ne is a coastal town in western Ha?ti, in Nippes Department. It is regarded as one of the major ports in the trade in used goods. Bales of used clothing, shoes, appliances and used cars arrive at the port from Miami and other U.S....
    )
  5. Nord
    Nord Department

    Nord is one of the ten departments of Haiti of Haiti. It has an area of 2,106 km? and a population of 872,200 . Its capital is Cap-Ha?tien....
     (Cap-Haïtien
    Cap-Haïtien

    Cap-Ha?tien is a city of about 130,000 people on the north coast of Haiti. It is the capital of the Nord, Haiti department. Founded during France colonial rule, the city was originally named Cap-Fran?ais....
    )
  6. Nord-Est
    Nord-Est Department

    Nord-Est is one of the ten departments of Haiti of Haiti. It has an area of 1,805 km? and a population of 283,800 . Its capital is Fort-Libert?....
     (Fort-Liberté
    Fort-Liberté

    Fort-Libert? is the administrative centre of the Nord-Est Department, Haiti. It is located around . It is also the chief city of an arrondissement of the same name....
    )
  7. Nord-Ouest
    Nord-Ouest Department

    Nord-Ouest is one of the ten departments of Haiti of Haiti as well as the northernmost one. It has an area of 2,176 km? and a population of 488,500 ....
     (Port-de-Paix
    Port-de-Paix

    Port-de-Paix is a city and the capital of the d?partement of Nord-Ouest, Haiti in Ha?ti on the Atlantic Ocean coast. It has a population of 125,000 ....
    )
  8. Ouest
    Ouest Department

    Ouest is one of the ten departments of Haiti of Haiti. It is the jurisdictional seat of the national capital, the city of Port-au-Prince. It has an area of 4,827 km? and a population of 2,943,200 ....
     (Port-au-Prince
    Port-au-Prince

    Port-au-Prince is the Capital and largest List of cities in Haiti of Haiti. Growth, especially in crowded slums in nearby plains and hillsides, has raised the population of the Port-au-Prince area to between 2.5 and 3 million....
    )
  9. Sud-Est
    Sud-Est Department

    Sud-Est is one of the ten departments of Haiti of Haiti. It has an area of 2,023 km? and a population of 518,200 . Its capital is Jacmel. It used to be part of Sud Department...
     (Jacmel
    Jacmel

    Jacmel, also known by its indigenous name of Yaquimel, is a city in southern Haiti founded in 1698. It is the capital of the Departments of Haiti of Sud-Est, Haiti....
    )
  10. Sud
    Sud Department

    Sud is one of the ten departments of Haiti of Haiti. It has an area of and a population of 745,000 . Its capital is Les Cayes. A large part of the population of Haitians in this department is of mixed race, mulatto along with other mixtures such as Arab diaspora and East Indians....
     (Les Cayes
    Les Cayes

    Les Cayes, formerly Aux Cayes , is a town and seaport in southwestern Haiti with a population of approximately 45,904 people . It is one of the chief ports of the nation, with export trade concentrating on mostly coffee and sugarcane, although shipments of bananas and timber are also large....
    )


The departments are further divided into 41 arrondissement
Arrondissement

An arrondissement is an administrative division in France, most of the nations which were its former colonies in Africa and some other French-speaking nations, as well as in Belgium and the Netherlands....
s, and 133 communes which serve as second and third level administrative divisions.

Geography

Haiti Map
Haiti is situated on the western part of Hispaniola, the second largest island in the Greater Antilles. Haiti is the third largest country in the Caribbean behind Cuba
Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is a country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba , the island of Isla de la Juventud, and several adjacent small islands....
 and the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are List of divided islands, Saint Martin being the other....
 (the latter shares a 360 kilometer (224 mi) border with Haiti). Haiti at its closest point is only about away from Cuba and boasts the second longest coastline of any country in the Antilles, Cuba having the longest. Haiti's terrain consists mainly of rugged mountains interspersed with small coastal plains and river valleys.

The northern region consists of the Massif du Nord (Northern Massif) and the Plaine du Nord (Northern Plain). The Massif du Nord is an extension of the Cordillera Central in the Dominican Republic. It begins at Haiti's eastern border, north of the Guayamouc River
Guayamouc River

The Guayamouc River, Riviere Guayamouc, is a river in central and eastern Haiti. It rises on the Massif du Nord and flows generally southeast for 113 km into the Artibonite River at the border with the Dominican Republic....
, and extends to the northwest through the northern peninsula. The lowlands of the Plaine du Nord lie along the northern border with the Dominican Republic, between the Massif du Nord and the North Atlantic Ocean. The central region consists of two plains and two sets of mountain ranges. The Plateau Central (Central Plateau) extends along both sides of the Guayamouc River, south of the Massif du Nord. It runs from the southeast to the northwest. To the southwest of the Plateau Central are the Montagnes Noires, whose most northwestern part merges with the Massif du Nord.

The southern region consists of the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac (the southeast) and the mountainous southern peninsula (also known as the Tiburon Peninsula
Tiburon Peninsula

The Tiburon Peninsula , or simply "the Tiburon", is a region of Haiti encompassing all of Haiti's southern coast. It starts roughly at the southernmost of the Haiti-Dominican Republic border and extends westward near Cuba, forming a large Headlands and bays....
). The Plaine du Cul-de-Sac is a natural depression which harbors the country's saline lakes, such as Trou Caïman
Trou Caïman

Trou Ca?man , sometimes called Eau Gall?e by locals, is a saltwater lake in Haiti known for its excellent birdwatching opportunities. The lake is 9 km long, 3 km wide, and approximately 16 km? in area....
 and Haiti's largest lake Lac Azuei
Etang Saumâtre

?tang Saum?tre , Haiti's largest lake, is located at in southeastern Haiti, bordering the Dominican Republic. The Salinity lake has an area of around 170 km? and is 29 km east of Port-au-Prince on the fertile Plaine du Cul-de-Sac....
. The Chaîne de la Selle
Chaîne de la Selle

Cha?ne de la Selle is the name of a mountain chain in Haiti. Part of it is Pic la Selle, which is the highest point of Haiti at a height of 2,680 meters above sea level....
 mountain range, an extension of the southern mountain chain of the Dominican Republic (the Sierra de Baoruco), extends from the Massif de la Selle in the east to the Massif de la Hotte
Massif de la Hotte

The Massif de la Hotte is a mountain range in southwestern Haiti, on the far-western end of the Tiburon Peninsula. The region is relatively remote and is one of the most biologically diverse and significant areas of all of Hispaniola....
 in the west. This mountain range harbors Pic la Selle
Pic la Selle

Pic la Selle , also called Morne La Selle, is the highest peak in Haiti and the fourth highest in all the Caribbean with a height of 2,680 meters above sea level....
, the highest point in Haiti at 2,680 metres (8,793 ft).

The country's most important valley in terms of crops is the Plaine de l'Artibonite, which is oriented south of the Montagnes Noires. This region supports the country's (also Hispaniola's) longest river, the Riviere l'Artibonite
Artibonite River

The Artibonite River is a 320 km long river in Haiti . It is the longest as well as the most important river in Haiti and the longest on the island of Hispaniola....
 which begins in the western region of the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are List of divided islands, Saint Martin being the other....
 and continues most of its length through central Haiti and onward where it empties into the Golfe de la Gonâve
Gulf of Gonâve

Gulf of Gon?ve is a large gulf along the western coast of Haiti, at . Haiti's capital city, Port-au-Prince, is located on the coast of the gulf....
. The eastern and central region of the island is a large elevated plateau. Haiti also includes various offshore islands. The historically famous island of Tortuga
Tortuga

Tortuga is a Caribbean island that forms part of Haiti, off the northwest coast of Hispaniola. It constitutes the commune of ?le de la Tortue in the Port-de-Paix arrondissement of the Nord-Ouest Department of Haiti....
 (Île de la Tortue) is located off the coast of northern Haiti. The arrondissement
Arrondissement

An arrondissement is an administrative division in France, most of the nations which were its former colonies in Africa and some other French-speaking nations, as well as in Belgium and the Netherlands....
 of La Gonâve is located on the island of the same name, in the Golfe de la Gonâve
Gulf of Gonâve

Gulf of Gon?ve is a large gulf along the western coast of Haiti, at . Haiti's capital city, Port-au-Prince, is located on the coast of the gulf....
. Gonave Island is moderately populated by rural villagers. Île à Vache
Île à Vache

?le ? Vache is a small island lying off the south-west peninsula of Haiti near the town of Les Cayes. Administratively it is part of the Sud Department....
 (Island of Cows) is located off the tip of southwestern Haiti. It is a lush island with many beautiful sights. Also part of Haiti are the Cayemites
Cayemites

The Cayemites are a pair of islands located in the Gulf of Gon?ve off the coast of southwest Haiti. The two islands, known individually as Grande Cayemite and Petite Cayemite, are a combined in area....
 and Ile de Anacaona.

Environment


In 1925, Haiti was lush, with 60% of its original forest covering the lands and mountainous regions. Since then, the population has cut down all but an estimated 2% of its original forest cover, and in the process has destroyed fertile farmland soils, contributing to desertification
Desertification

Desertification is the degradation of land in arid and dry Humid subtropical climate areas, resulting primarily from natural activities and influenced by Climate variations....
. Erosion has been severe in the mountainous areas. Most Haitian logging is done to produce charcoal
Charcoal

Charcoal is the blackish residue consisting of impure carbon obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances....
, the country's chief source of fuel. The plight of Haiti's forests has attracted international attention, and has led to numerous reforestation efforts, but these have met with little success to date. Despite the large environmental crises, Haiti retains a very high amount of biodiversity
Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or for the entire Earth. Biodiversity is often used as a measure of the health of biological systems....
 in proportion to its small size. The country is home to more than 6,000 plants, of which 35% are endemic; and 220 species of birds, of which 21 species are endemic. The country's high biodiversity is due to its mountainous topography and fluctuating elevations in which each elevation harbors different microclimates and its own specific native fauna and flora. The country's varied scenery include lush green cloud forest
Cloud forest

A cloud forest, also called a fog forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical evergreen montane Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests characterized by a high incidence of low-level cloud cover, usually at the canopy level....
s (in some of the mountain ranges and the protected areas), high mountain peaks, arid desert, mangrove forest, and palm tree
Arecaceae

Palm or Palmae or Panamea , the palm family, is a family of flowering plants belonging to the Monocotyledon order, Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known Genus with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropics, subtropics, and warm temperate climates....
-lined beaches.
Haiti Flood 1

Environmental issues

In addition to soil erosion
Erosion

For morphological image processing operations, see Erosion 'For use of in dermatopathology, see Erosion Erosion is the removal of solids in the natural environment....
, deforestation
Deforestation

Deforestation is the logging or burning of trees in forested areas. There are several reasons for doing so: trees or derived charcoal can be sold as a commodity and are used by humans while cleared land is used as pasture, plantations of commodities and human settlement....
 has caused periodic flooding, as seen on 17 September 2004. Tropical storm Jeanne
Hurricane Jeanne

Hurricane Jeanne was the tenth named tropical cyclone, the seventh tropical cyclone, and the fifth major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season....
 skimmed the north coast of Haiti, leaving 3,006 people dead in flooding and mudslides, mostly in the city of Gonaïves
Gonaïves

Gona?ves is a city in northern Haiti, the capital of the Artibonite Department. It has a population of about 104,825 people . The city's name derives from the original Amerindian name of Gonaibo....
. Earlier that year in May, floods killed over 3,000 people on Haiti's southern border with the Dominican Republic.

Haiti was again pummeled by tropical storms in late August and early September 2008. The storms – Tropical Storm Fay
Tropical Storm Fay

The name Fay has been used for two tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean. Neither of them reached hurricane strength. Another storm Faye, was active in 1975....
, Hurricane Gustav
Hurricane Gustav

The name Gustav has been used for five tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean:* 1984 Atlantic hurricane season#Tropical Storm Gustav, spent most of its existence as a tropical depression hovering over Bermuda, no major damage...
, Hurricane Hanna and Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike

Hurricane Ike IPA] was the third most destructive hurricane to ever make landfall in the United States. It was the ninth named storm, fifth hurricane and third major hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season....
 – all produced heavy winds and rain in Haiti. Due to weak soil conditions throughout Haiti, the country’s mountainous terrain, and the devastating coincidence of four storms within less than four weeks, valley and lowland areas throughout the country experienced massive flooding. Casualties proved difficult to count because the storm diminished human capacity and physical resources for such record keeping. Bodies continued to surface as the flood waters receded. A 10 September 2008 source listed 331 dead and 800,000 in need of humanitarian aid. The grim state of affairs produced by these storms was all the more life threatening due to already high food and fuel prices that had caused a food crisis and political unrest in April of 2008.

As was the case in 2004, the coastal city of Gonaives was hit especially hard by the 2008 storms.

The country is working to implement a biofuel solution to its energy problems. Also, environmental organizations such as the Peasant Movement of Papaye (formed by Jean-Baptiste Chavannes
Jean-Baptiste Chavannes

Jean-Baptiste Chavannes was born in 1947 in Haiti. Agronomist in education, he founded the Peasant Movement of Papay in 1973 to teach Haitian principles of sustainable agriculture....
) are trying to find solutions for Haiti's environmental issues.

Economy

Haiti has remained the least-developed country in the Americas
Americas

The Americas are the region of the Western hemisphere that consists of the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions....
. Comparative social and economic indicators show Haiti falling behind other low-income developing countries (particularly in the hemisphere) since the 1980s. Haiti now ranks 146th of 177 countries in the United Nations Human Development Index
Human Development Index

The Human Development Index is an index used to rank countries by level of "human development", which usually also implies to determine whether a country is a developed country, developing country....
 (2006). About 80% of the population were estimated to be living in poverty in 2003. Haiti is the only country in the Americas on the United Nations
United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, Social change, human rights and achieving world peace....
 list of Least Developed Countries
Least Developed Countries

Least Developed Countries are countries which according to the United Nations exhibit the lowest indicators of socioeconomic International development, with the lowest Human Development Index ratings of list of countries....
. Economic growth was negative in 2001 and 2002, and flat in 2003.

About 66% of all Haitians work in the agricultural sector, which consists mainly of small-scale subsistence farming, but this activity makes up only 30% of the GDP. The country has experienced little formal job creation over the past decade, although the informal economy
Informal economy

The informal sector is economic activity that is neither taxed nor monitored by a government; and is not included in that government's Gross National Product ; as opposed to a formal economy....
 is growing. Mangoes and coffee are two of Haiti's most important exports. It has consistently ranked among the most corrupt countries in the world on the Corruption Perceptions Index
Corruption Perceptions Index

Since 1995, Transparency International has published an annual Corruption Perceptions Index ordering the countries of the world according to "the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians"....
.

Foreign aid makes up approximately 30%-40% of the national government's budget. The largest donor is the United States followed by Canada, and the European Union also contributes. Venezuela and Cuba also make various contributions to Haiti's economy, especially after alliances were renewed in 2006 and 2007.

U.S. aid to the Haitian government was completely cut off in 2001-2004 after the 2000 election was disputed and President Aristide was accused of various misdeeds. After Aristide's departure in 2004, aid was restored, and the Brazilian army led the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti
United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti

The United Nations Stabilization Mission In Haiti , also known as MINUSTAH, an acronym of the French translation, is a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti that has been in operation since 2004....
 peacekeeping operation.

Haiti is expected to receive debt forgiveness for about $525 million of its debt through the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries
Heavily Indebted Poor Countries

Heavily Indebted Poor Countries are a group of 37 developing countries with high levels of poverty and debt overhang which are eligible for special assistance from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank....
  (HIPC) initiative by mid-2009.

Education

Of Haiti's 8.7 million inhabitants, just below half are illiterate. The literacy rate of 52.9% is the lowest in the region. Haiti counts 15,200 primary schools, of which 90% are non-public and managed by the communities, religious organizations or NGOs. The enrollment rate for primary school is 67%, of which less than 30% reach 6th grade. Secondary schools enroll 20% of eligible-age children. Charity organizations like Food for the Poor are currently working on building schools for children as well as providing them necessary school supplies.

The educational system of Haiti is based on the French system
Education in France

The French educational system is highly centralized, organised, and ramified. It is divided into three different stages:* primary education ;...
. Higher education is provided by universities and other public and private institutions. It is under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education.

A list of universities in Haiti includes:
  • University of Caraibe
    University of Caraibe

    The University of Caraibe is a university located in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It was founded in 1988 and is organized in 6 Faculties....
     (Université Caraïbe) (CUC)
  • University of Haiti
    University of Haiti

    Haiti's most important institution of higher education in the 1980s was the State University of Haiti. Its origins date to the 1820s, when colleges of medicine and law were established....
     (Université d'État d'Haïti) (UEH)
  • University Notre Dame of Haiti
    University Notre Dame of Haiti

    The University Notre Dame of Haiti is a Roman Catholic university located in Port-au-Prince, Ha?ti. It was founded in 1995 and is organized in five faculties....
     (Université Notre Dame d'Haïti) (UNDH)
  • Université Chrétienne du Nord d'Haïti (UCNH)
  • Université Lumière / MEBSH
  • Université Quisqueya (UNIQ)
  • Ecole Supérieure d'Infotronique d'Haïti (ESIH)


  • Université Roi Henri Christophe
  • Université Publique de l'Artibonite aux Gonaïves (UPAG)
  • Université Publique du Nord au Cap-Haïtien (UPNCH)
  • Université Publique du Sud au Cayes (UPSAC)


Demographics

Although Haiti averages approximately 250 people per square kilometer (650 per sq. mi.), its population
Population

File:Population density.pngIn biology, a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular species; in sociology, a collection of human beings....
 is concentrated most heavily in urban area
Urban area

An urban area is an area with an increased Population density of human-created structures in comparison to the areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be city, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlet ....
s, coastal plain
Coastal plain

A coastal plain is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a seacoast and separated from the interior by other features. One of the world's longest coastal plains is located in western South America....
s, and valley
Valley

In geology, a valley is a Depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge....
s. About 95% of Haitians are predominantly of Afro-Caribbean
Afro-Caribbean

The term Afro-Caribbean applies to Caribbean people of Black people African descent. It may also refer to:*British African-Caribbean community...
 descent. The remainder of the population is mostly multiracial
Mulatto

Mulatto denotes a person with one White people parent and one Black people parent or a person who has black ancestry and white ancestry. It is perceived as pejorative and demeaning in some cultures....
, and white (mostly of Arab
Arab Haitian

In Haiti, exists a small yet visible number of Haitians that are of Middle East stock or trace their origins to Arab. Hadrami ancestry can be found within the Arab Haitian community....
 and European origin). The Arab population numbers at about 4,700 or more. European-descended Haitians vary in origin; French
French people

French people can refer to:* The legal residents and citizens of France, regardless of ancestry. For a legal discussion, see French nationality law....
 (who number and make up 700 of the Haitian population), Britons (who make up less than 100 of the Haitian population), Spanish
Spanish people

Spanish people or Spaniards are a nation or ethnic group native to Spain, in the Iberian Peninsula of southwestern Europe. They are often considered an amalgam of different ethnic groups, rather than an ethnic group by itself....
, Italian
Italian people

The Italian people are a Southern European ethnic group located primarily in Italy and, by virtue of a wide-ranging Italian diaspora, throughout Western Europe, the Americas and Australia....
, and German, and Portuguese
Portuguese people

The Portuguese people are the ethnic group or nation native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of Southern Europe-Western Europe Europe....
 ancestry is noted. Also a significant amount of Jewish ancestry (of which only a small community of 200 remain) . There is a small percentage of the population who are of Asian descent (mostly of Chinese
Chinese people

The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People who reside in and hold citizenship of the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China or the Republic of China ....
 origin) and number at 400.

Haitian diaspora

Like other poor nations in Latin America and the Caribbean, Haiti has witnessed a diaspora
Diaspora

The term diaspora refers to the movement of any population sharing common ethnicity identity who were either forced to leave or voluntarily left their Settler territory, and became residents in areas often far removed from the former....
 of both educated and poor citizens, some of whom have become illegal immigrants in nearby countries. Millions of Haitians live abroad, chiefly in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are List of divided islands, Saint Martin being the other....
, Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
 (especially in Quebec
Quebec

Quebec , in French language, Qu?bec , is a Provinces and territories of Canada in the Central Canada and Eastern Canada regions of Canada....
), France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
, Bahamas, Cuba
Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is a country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba , the island of Isla de la Juventud, and several adjacent small islands....
 and the Turks and Caicos.

In North America

There is a significant Haitian population in South Florida
South Florida metropolitan area

South Florida encompasses a three-county area of the southeastern part of the United States U.S. state of Florida. The metropolitan area covers the counties of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Broward County, Florida and Palm Beach County, Florida....
, specifically the Miami enclave of Little Haiti
Little Haiti

Little Haiti or La Petite Ha?ti, is a neighborhoods of Miami in the Miami, Florida, Florida, United States known as a traditional center for Haitian and Francophone culture in the city....
. New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
 also has a thriving émigré community with the second largest population of Haitians of any state in the nation. There are also large and active Haitian communities in Boston
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston is the State capital and largest city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is considered the economic and cultural center of the region, and is sometimes regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England." Boston city proper had a 2007 est...
 and Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island

Providence is the Capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, and one of the first cities established in the United States....
. There is also a large Haitian community in Montreal-North.

Languages

One of Haiti's two official languages is French
French language

French is a Romance language spoken around the world by around 80 million people as first language, by 190 million as second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired tongue, with significant speakers in 54 countries....
, which is the principal written and administratively authorized language. It is spoken by most educated Haitians and used in the business sector. The second is the recently standardized Haitian Creole, spoken by virtually the entire population of Haiti. Nearly all Haitians speak the latter as a first language, a French-based creole language that harbors significant African influence, as well as influence from Spanish, and Taíno. Residents near the border with the Dominican Republic have often learned enough Spanish
Spanish language

Spanish or Castilian is a Romance languages that originated in northern Spain, and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile and evolved into the principal language of government and trade....
 for conversational speaking. Due to its ties to the U.S.A , English has also become an important tool in the business sector.

Culture

Haiti has a long and storied history and therefore retains a very rich culture. Haitian culture is a mixture of primarily French, African elements, and native Taíno
Taíno

The Ta?nos were Indigenous peoples of the Americas of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is believed that the seafaring Ta?nos were relatives of the Arawakan people of South America....
. With some lesser influence from the colonial Spanish as well as minor influences from colonial Portuguese. The country's customs essentially are a blend of cultural beliefs that derived from the various ethnic groups that inhabited the island of Hispaniola. In nearly all aspects of modern Haitian society however, the European and African element dominate. Haiti is world famous for its distinctive art
Haitian art

Brilliant colors, naive perspective and sly humor characterize Haitian art. Big, delectable foods and lush landscapes are favorite subjects in this land of poverty and hunger....
, notably painting and sculpture.

Carnival

Carnival
Carnival

Carnival is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during January and February. Carnival typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus , masque and public street party....

Music

Music of Haiti

Cuisine

Culture of Haiti
Culture of Haiti

The Culture of Haiti encompasses a variety of Haitian traditions, from native Taino customs to practices imported during French colonial empires and Spain imperialism....


See also


Further reading

  • Paul Butel. Histoire des Antilles Françaises XVIIe - XXe siècle, Perrin 2002 ISBN 978-2-2620154-0-6
  • Noam Chomsky
    Noam Chomsky

    Avram Noam Chomsky is an United States linguistics, philosopher, cognitive science, political activist, author, and lecturer. He is an Institute Professor emeritus and professor emeritus of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology....
    . U.S. & Haiti. Accessed 2008-05-07.
  • Edwidge Danticat. "Breath, Eyes, Memory" & "Krik? Krak!" as well as many other books. 1994-present.
  • Wade Davis
    Wade Davis

    Edmund Wade Davis is a noted Canada anthropology, ethnobotany, author and photographer whose work has focused on worldwide indigenous cultures, especially in North and South America and particularly involving the traditional uses and beliefs associated with psychoactive plants....
     The Serpent and The Rainbow. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1985
  • Michael Deibert
    Michael Deibert

    Michael Deibert is an American journalist and author.Deibert?s writing on the Americas, Africa, Europe and Asia has appeared in the Washington Post, the Miami Herald, The Guardian and the World Policy Journal, among other publications....
    . Notes from the Last Testament: The Struggle for Haiti. Seven Stories Press, New York, 2005. ISBN-10: 1583226974.
  • Jared Diamond
    Jared Diamond

    Jared Mason Diamond is an American evolutionary biologist, physiologist, biogeography, lecturer, and nonfiction author. Diamond works as a professor of geography and physiology at University of California, Los Angeles....
    . 2005. Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. New York: Viking. ISBN 0-670-03337-5.
  • Paul Farmer
    Paul Farmer

    Paul Farmer is an United States anthropology and physician, the Presley Professor of Medical Anthropology in the Department of Social Medicine at Harvard University and an attending physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts....
    . Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights, and the New War on the Poor. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003, 2005 edition. ISBN 978-0-520-24326-2.
  • Paul Farmer. The uses of Haiti. Monroe, Maine: Common Courage Press 2003. ISBN 1-56751-242-9
  • Carolyn E. Fick. The Making of Haiti: The Saint Domingue Revolution from Below. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press. first ed edition (1 February 1990). ISBN-10: 0870496670, ISBN-13: 978-0870496677
  • Alroy Fonseca.
  • Alroy Fonseca.
  • Robert Debs Heinl and Nancy Gordon Heinl. Written in Blood: The Story of the Haitian People 1492-1995. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1996. ISBN 0761831770
  • C. L. R. James
    C. L. R. James

    Cyril Lionel Robert James was an Afro-Trinidad and Tobago journalist, socialist Political philosophy and writer. He was influential in the United Kingdom and the United States in socialist parties and Marxist thought, as well as leading ideas about the end of colonialism....
    . The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L’Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution. Vintage, 1938. ISBN 0-679-72467-2.
  • J. Christopher Kovats-Bernat
    J. Christopher Kovats-Bernat

    J. Christopher Kovats-Bernat is an United States cultural anthropologist, and the author of Sleeping Rough in Port-au-Prince: An Ethnography of Street Children and Violence in Haiti ....
    . Sleeping Rough in Port-au-Prince: An Ethnography of Violence and Street Children in Haiti. University Press of Florida, 2006. ISBN 0-8130-3009-9
  • Mark Kurlansky
    Mark Kurlansky

    Mark Kurlansky is a highly-acclaimed American journalist and writer of general interest non-fiction. He is especially known for titles on eclectic topics, such as cod or salt....
    . . Addison-Wesley Publishing, 1992. ISBN 0-201-52396-5.
  • Elizabeth McAlister. Rara! Vodou, Power, and Performance in Haiti and its Diaspora. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002. ISBN 0-520-22823-5.
  • Melinda Miles and Eugenia Charles, eds. Let Haiti Live: Unjust U.S. Policies Toward Its Oldest Neighbor. 2004.
  • Jack Claude Nezat
    Jack Claude Nezat

    Jack Claude Nezat is an United States author. His works have been written in English, German and French....
    . The Nezat And Allied Families 1630-2007 Lulu 2007 ISBN 978-2-9528339-2-9, ISBN 978-0-6151-5001-7
  • Randall Robinson
    Randall Robinson

    Randall Robinson is an African-American lawyer, author and activist, noted as the founder of TransAfrica Forum. He is known particularly for his impassioned opposition to South African apartheid, and for his advocacy on behalf of Haitian immigrants and Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide....
    . An Unbroken Agony: Haiti, from Revolution to the Kidnapping of a President. New York: Perseus Books Group, 2007. ISBN 0465070507.
  • Martin Ros. Night of Fire - The Black Napoleon and the Battle for Haiti. New York: DaCapo Press, 1993. ISBN 0-9627613-8-9


External links

Government
  • - official website
  • (MINUSTAH)
  • (START), Government of Canada


General information
  • at Encyclopaedia Britannica
  • at UCB Libraries GovPubs
  • from the U.S. Library of Congress
    Library of Congress

    The Library of Congress is the de facto national library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and holds the largest number of books....
     (December 1989)
Travel* Other
  • in the


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