Haiti

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Haiti is a country situated on the western third of the island of Hispaniola and the smaller islands of Gonâve, Tortue (Tortuga), Grande Caye, and Vache in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba; the Dominican Republic shares Hispaniola with Haiti. Its total land area is 10,714 square miles (27,750 square km) and its capital is Port-au-Prince on the main island of Hispaniola.

A former French colony, it was one of the first countries of the Americas, after the United States, to declare its independence. It is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

République d'Haïti

(In Detail)
National motto: L'Union Fait La Force (French, Union Makes Strength)
Official languages	French, Krèyol
Capital	Port-au-Prince
President	Boniface Alexandre (interim)
Prime Minister	Gérard Latortue
Area  - Total  - % water	Ranked 143rd 27,750 km² 0.7%
Population  - Total (Year)  - Density	Ranked 92nd 7.5 million (July 2003) 271/km²
GDP  - Total (Year)  - GDP/head	$10.6 billion (2002) $1,400
Currency	Gourde (HTG)
Time zone	UTC -5 (no DST)
Independence  - Declared  - Recognised	(from France) January 1, 1804 1825 (Fr), 1863 (USA)
National anthem	La Dessalinienne
Internet TLD	.ht
Calling Code	509

History

Main article: History of Haiti

Years following colonization

The Hispaniola's indigenous Arawak (or Taíno) population suffered near-extinction in the decades after Christopher Columbus's arrival in 1492. The island was eventually repopulated by the late 17th century with African slaves to work the sugar plantations.

In 1697 Spain ceded the western third of the Hispaniola - which was then called Saint-Domingue - to France. It became one of the richest colonies in the 18th century French empire. On August 22, 1791, the slave population revolted, which led to a war of attrition against the French. They defeated an army sent by Napoléon Bonaparte and declared independence on January 1, 1804.

The twentieth century

Haiti then established the world's first Black republic, making a commitment to end all slavery everywhere along with helping Venezuela, Peru and Colombia to achieve independence under such revolutionary leaders as Bolívar and Miranda. Toussaint L'Ouverture abolished slavery in the neighboring Dominican republic. Threatened by this attack on slavery and colonialism, the United States and Western Europe instated sanctions against Haiti. In addition to this economic blow, in 1825 France demanded "reparations" to former slaveholders, amounting to 90 million gold francs (equivalent to $21.7 billion today). Haiti continued to make payments to France until the 1950s.

Haiti has since become the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and has been plagued by political violence and corrupt dictators for most of its history.

Aborted freeport

In 1957, François Duvalier, "Papa Doc", ruled the nation, becoming dictator in 1964. He was known for his army of sunglasses-clad volunteers, the Tonton Macoute. In 1967 proposals were made to construct a freeport on the Haitain island of Tortuga by a consortium formed in the United States by Don Pierson of Eastland, Texas.

These plans reached maturity in 1971 when a 99-year contract was entered into by François Duvalier on behalf of the Haitian government. Although construction of infastructure and a new international airport was commenced, two other events brought about the sudden demise of the whole venture. When François Duvalier suddenly died in 1971 his son Jean-Claude Duvalier ("Baby Doc") took over at the age of 19. In 1974 it became known that the freeport had entered into a multimillion dollar contract with the Gulf Oil corporation to advance development on the island. This news prompted "Baby Doc" to expropriate the venture for himself, which in turn caused its sudden collapse.

When Jean-Claude Duvalier was deposed in 1986, the entire country remained in poverty lacking international commercial development.

Over three decades of dictatorship were followed by military rule which ended in 1990 when Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected president. Most of his term was usurped by a military coup d'etat, but he was able to return to office in 1994 and oversee the installation of a close associate to the presidency in 1996.

Crisis and the post-Aristide era

In 2000, Aristide was elected president in a process some claim was rigged, though there has been some confusion between the scandal within the senate election (where the senators in question resigned) and the election of Aristide. Resentment over this and widespread corruption boiled over on February 5, 2004, 200 years after the Haitian Revolution, when an armed rebel group calling itself the Revolutionary Artibonite Resistance Front took control of the Gonaïves police station. This rebellion then spread throughout the central Artibonite province by February 17 and was joined by opponents of the government who had been in exile in the Dominican Republic.

On February 29, 2004, President Aristide left Haiti. He alleges he was kidnapped from Haiti by a group of Haitians and unidentified Americans; the US alleges that he requested rescue. The State department of the United States subsequently provided a chartered plane to the Central African Republic, where Aristide left with his own bodyguards and entourage. Pursuant to Haiti's constitution, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Boniface Alexandre, took over as interim president.

Hurricane Jeanne

In mid-September 2004, Haiti was soaked by the flooding rains of Hurricane Jeanne. While Jeanne was only a tropical storm at the time with weak winds, the rains caused large mudslides and coastal flooding which killed more than 1,500 people and left 200,000 starving and homeless.

The UN and other nations dispatched several hundred troops in addition to those already stationed in Haiti to provide disaster relief assistance. Looting and desperation caused by hunger resulted in turmoil at food distribution centers. Since September 30th,2004,at the 13th anniversary of the coup d'etat against Aristide,his supporters mainly located at the slum of Bel-Air have launched Operation Baghdad against the interim government and caused the death of more than 70 civilians ,on both sides.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Haiti

Haiti is a presidential republic with an elected president and National Assembly. However, some claim it to be an authoritarian government in practice. On 29 February 2004, a rebellion culminated in the defacto resignation of president Jean-Bertrand Aristide and it is unknown if the current political structure will remain.

The constitution was introduced in 1987 and is modeled on those of the United States and France. Having been either completely or partially suspended for some years, it was fully reinstated in 1994.

Departments

Main article: Departments of Haiti

Haiti is divided into nine departments (subdivisions):

• Artibonite
• Centre
• Grand'Anse
• Nord
• Nord-Est
• Nord-Ouest
• Ouest
• Sud
• Sud-Est

Geography

Main article: Geography of Haiti

Haiti's terrain consists mainly of rugged mountains with small coastal plains and river valleys. The east and central part is a large elevated plateau.

The biggest city is the capital Port-au-Prince with 2 million inhabitants, followed by Cap-Haïtien with 600,000.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Haiti

Haiti remains the least-developed country in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest in the world. Comparative social and economic indicators show Haiti falling behind other low-income developing countries (particularly in the hemisphere) since the 1980s. Haiti now ranks 150th of 175 countries in the UN’s Human Development Index.

About 80% of the population lives in abject poverty, making it the second poorest country in the world. Nearly 70% of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, which consists mainly of small-scale subsistence farming and employs about two-thirds of the economically active work force. The country has experienced little job creation since President René Préval took office in February 1996, although the informal economy is growing. Failure to reach agreements with international sponsors have denied Haiti badly needed budget and development assistance.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Haiti

Although Haiti averages about 270 people per square kilometer, its population is concentrated most heavily in urban areas, coastal plains, and valleys. About 95% of Haitians are of African descent. The rest of the population is mostly of mixed Caucasian-African ancestry. A few are of European or Levantine heritage. About two thirds of the population live in rural areas.

French is one of two official languages, but it is spoken by only about 10% of the people. Nearly all Haitians speak Krèyol, the country's other official language. English is increasingly spoken among the young and in the business sector.

Roman Catholicism is the state religion, which the majority professes. Some have converted to Protestantism. Many Haitians also practice voodoo traditions, seeing no conflict with their Christian faith.

Culture

Main articles: Culture of Haiti, Music of Haiti

Miscellaneous topics

• Communications in Haiti
• Transportation in Haiti
• Military of Haiti
• Foreign relations of Haiti

External links

• National Palace
• Port Haiti
• Haiti News
• CIA World Fact Book - Haiti
• FAU Haitian Student Association
• US Senate Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs - Haiti

Organization of American States (OAS)

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