Statistics
| Official Name: | Republic of Haiti |
| Area: | 27,749 square km (10,714 sq. miles) |
| Capital: | Port-au-Prince |
| Nationality: | Haitian |
| Languages: | Haitian Creole and French |
| Population: | 6,785,000 |
| Currency: | Gourde |
| Time Zone: | GMT -5 (no Daylight savings time) |
| Phone Code: | Country code 509 + 7 digit local |
Geography
Haiti is situated some 750 miles Southeast of Miami, FL, and occupies the western third of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Haiti has a land mass of 10,714 square miles (27,749 sq. km) and occupies the western one-third of the island which the capital is Port-au-Prince. Haiti, an Indian word meaning "mountains," is made up of extremely mountainous country of which only 20 percent of the territory lies below 600 feet. The highest mountain in Haiti (Chain de la Sel) is almost 9,000 feet above sea level. Haiti's shoreline is irregular and there are many natural harbors. There are areas of low land containing several lakes and numerous rivers flow from the mountain slopes to the sea.
Haiti's ecology has been damaged since its independence in 1804. Only seven percent of the country's original forest remains unscathed by deforestation. Most of the trees have been cut down and used as firewood for heating and cooking. Some wood has been sold to surrounding island nations to provide much needed income. Massive soil erosion has also occurred due to the vast amount of deforestation. Thus, much of the soil in Haiti has been depleted of vital minerals. Most of the water in Haiti is also polluted. This includes parts of the coastal areas, such as the Bay of Port-au-Prince, and most of the major ports and some coastal towns. The water throughout the country is nonpotable.
History
The Spaniards were the first settlers on the island of Hispaniola which already had a population of more than one million indigenous inhabitants. Most of them eventually died from overwork in the gold mines, European diseases and lack of food. Later, African slaves were brought to cultivate sugar cane after the gold was exhausted from the mines by 1530. In 1697 Spain ceded the western third of Hispaniola to France which became known as Saint-Domingue.
Under French rule Haiti became one of the world's richest colonies producing vast quantities of sugar, cotton and coffee. In 1798 Toussant Louverture, a freed slave led the first massive rebellion but was captured and died in a French prison. His successor, Jean Jacques Dessalines "The Tiger" finally drove out the French in1803 and in 1804 declared Haiti independent. By 1915 revolution and corruption led to United States intervention and the Americans remained there until 1934. The period that followed the US departure was one of turmoil with a succession leaders most of whom were installed through military coups.
In 1957 Francois 'Papa Doc' Duvalier was elected president later emerging as a corrupt dictator and was succeeded by his son Jean Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier who was forced to flee Haiti in February 1986. Haiti then saw the rise and fall of several new military and civilian leaders. Jean Bertrand Aristide became Haiti's first democratically-elected president but was later overthrown by the military. Following some two years in exile in the US, Aristide was reinstalled in the presidency in 1994 through military intervention on the part of an American-led international force. He was succeeded by Rene Preval at elections held in December 1995.
Economy
The Haitian economy has been severely affected over the years by the political and social upheaval which has characterized the country. Haiti is considered the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Since the restoration of the democratic process in Haiti significant assistance has been available to the country from the international community. However, due to a number of internal political developments, including the inability to name a prime minister for a period of almost two years, full advantage has not been taken of the available assistance. Assistance includes financing for a number of infrastructure projects including road construction, water and sanitation improvements and upgrading the public utilities sector including telecommunications and electricity.
Haiti, once home to a vibrant manufacturing sector including a number of international corporations, has seen this sector dramatically decline due to an embargo which was imposed during the era of recent military rule as well as prolonged instability. There are deposits of non-metallic minerals particularly marble and calcium carbonate and some gold in the north of the island. Tourism is also a potential source of foreign exchange and efforts are now underway to foster the growth of this sector including a plan to upgrade existing facilities.
Agriculture continues to be an important sector of the economy with major export crops being coffee, cacao, sisal and mangoes. The mango industry is estimated to employ thousands of small growers and Haiti is today the second largest exporter of mangoes to the US market. Potential areas of future development include pineapples, papayas, winter vegetables, flowers and coffee.
Climate
The climate in Haiti is tropical with average temperatures ranging from 80 degrees in January to 86 degrees in July. There are also two rainy seasons. The first runs from April to June and the second between October and November. Like in all Caribbean countries, hurricanes are prevalent.
People & Culture
Haitian society is divided into black persons of African descent in excess of five million who constitute 95 percent of the population, mulattoes of mixed African and European stock, and a few Europeans. More than 70 percent of the population lives in rural areas. Haitian culture fuses African, French and West Indian elements. Creole language spoken by the masses (Haitian Creole and French are both official languages) and once a social divider is now being used to define a national culture. Creole is used in literature, drama, music and dance. Haitian works of art are enjoying increasing worldwide recognition and the country boasts several outstanding libraries. A high percentage of Haitians are Roman Catholic but Vodou is also practiced by a sizable section of the population. Vodou has its origins in Africa especially in Benin and is taken from the African word Vodun which means "God or Spirit". There are traditions of sorcery and stories about zombies considered to be soulless bodies raised from graves to be slaves. Haiti has become internationally popular for its Vodou mysteries which have been the focus of several publications and even movies including the popular "The Serpent and the Rainbow."
Language
While the official language is French, 90 percent of the people speak Creole exclusively. The adult literacy rate is very low, averaging 23 percent at best.