Haiti - History, Politics, Administrative Divisions, Geography, Economy, Demographics, Culture

Official name Republic of Haiti, Fr République d'Haiti

Local name Haïti Timezone GMT -5 Area 27 750 km²/10 712 sq mi population total (2002e) 7 064 000 Status Republic Date of independence 1804 Capital Port-au-Prince Languages French (official), with Creole French widely spoken Ethnic groups African descent (95%), European (mulatto) (5%) Religions Roman Catholic (80%), voodoo Physical features Consists of two mountainous peninsulas, Massif du Nord (N) and Massif de la Hotte (S), separated by a deep structural depression, the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac; highest peak, La Selle, 2680 m/8793 ft; includes islands of Gonâve (W) and Tortue (N). Climate Tropical climate; average annual temperatures 25°C (Jan) 29°C (Jul) in Port-au-Prince; wet season (May–Sep); average annual rainfall for N coast and mountains 1475–1950 mm/58–77 in, but only 500 mm/20 in on W side; hurricanes common; severe flooding and 2000+ deaths from Hurricane Jeanne (Sep 2004). Currency 1 Gourde (HTG) = 100 centimes Economy Based on agriculture; large plantations grow coffee, sugar, sisal, rice, bananas, corn, sorghum, cocoa; sugar refining, textiles, flour milling; cement, bauxite; tourism; light assembly industries. GDP (2002e) $10·6 bn, per capita $1400 Human Development Index (2002) 0·471 History Visited by Columbus, 1492; created when W third of island ceded to France as Saint-Domingue, 1697; slave rebellion followed by independence as Haiti, 1804; united with Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), 1822–44; under US occupation, 1915–34; Duvalier family had absolute power, 1957–86; after 1986 coup, new constitution provided for a bicameral National Congress consisting of a Senate and National Assembly; military coup in 1992 forced Jean-Bertrand Aristide to flee the country, and a provisional government created; Marc Bazin resigned as head of an army-backed coalition government, 1993; talks between deposed President Aristide and coup leader Cédras reached deadlock, June 1993; peaceful invasion by US forces to restore democratic government, September 1994; Aristide re-elected in 2000 amid claims of fraudulent procedure; conflict escalated early 2004 when international delegation failed to persuade Aristide's political opposition to agree to a US-backed power-sharing plan; rebel uprising forced Aristide into exile, March 2004; René Préval declared president, Feb 2006.

Repiblik d Ayiti République d'Haïti Republic of Haiti
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: L'Union Fait La Force (French for "Unity Makes Strength")
Anthem: La Dessalinienne
Capital (largest city)	Port-au-Prince 18°32′N 72°20′W
Official languages	French and Haitian Creole
Government	Republic
- President	René Préval
- Prime Minister	Jacques-Edouard Alexis
Formation
- as French colony, Saint-Domingue	1697
- as Independent Haiti	January 1, 1804
- From American Occupation	1934
Area
- Total	27,750 km² (147th) 10,714 sq mi
- Water (%)	0.7
Population
- July 2005 estimate	8,528,0001 (88th)
- 1982 census	5,053,792
- Density	292.7/km² (39th) 758.1/sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2005 estimate
- Total	$12.94 billion (124th)
- Per capita	$1,600 (148th)
GDP (nominal)	2005 estimate
- Total	$4.211 billion (134th)
- Per capita	$478 (151st)
HDI  (2003)	0.475 (low) (153rd)
Currency	Gourde (HTG)
Time zone	(UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	(UTC-4)
Internet TLD	.ht
Calling code	+509
1 Note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS;

Haiti (Haïti in French; The uninhabited island of Navasse is claimed both by Haiti and the United States. Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. The total area of Haiti is 27,750 km² (10,714 sq mi) and its capital is Port-au-Prince.

A former French colony, Haiti was to become the first independent black republic, and the only nation ever to have formed from a successful slave revolt. Haiti became the second non-native country in the Americas (after the United States) when it declared its independence on January 1, 1804.

Haiti has recently undergone a state of transition following an uprising, which forced President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to resign on February 29, 2004. René Préval was elected president in his place on February 7, 2006, and took office in May.

History

The island of Hispaniola, of which Haiti occupies the western third, was originally inhabited by Taíno and Arawak. On December 5, 1492, the Santa Maria, captained by Christopher Columbus, ran aground on the present site of Môle Saint-Nicolas, Haiti, and claimed the island for Spain.

Colonial Rule

Enslavement, harsh treatment of the natives, and especially epidemic diseases such as smallpox caused the Arawak and Taino population to plummet over the next quarter-century. Spanish interest in Haiti waned, however, after the 1520s, when vast reserves of gold and silver were discovered in Mexico and South America.

Fearful of pirate attacks, the king of Spain in 1609 ordered all colonists on Haiti to move closer to the capital city, Santo Domingo.

While the Spanish side of the island was largely neglected, the French side prospered and became the richest colony in the Western Hemisphere, exporting large amounts of sugar and coffee.

Independence

Inspired by the French Revolution, the gens de couleur pressed the colonial government for expanded rights.

Toussaint's armies defeated the French colonial army, but then joined forces with it in 1794, following a decree by the revolutionary French government that abolished slavery.

Dessalines's army defeated the French forces at the Battle of Vertières on November 18, 1803.

The new State of Haiti supported the abolitionist cause wherever possible. Haiti aided Simón Bolívar, allowing him refuge and supporting his revolutionary efforts under the condition he free Latin America's slaves. The slaveholding powers surrounding Haiti isolated the new nation under a cordon sanitaire, fearing slave revolutions of their own. France refused to recognize Haiti's independence until it agreed to pay an indemnity of 150 million francs, to compensate for the losses of French planters in the revolutions, in 1833.

Following Christophe's death the nation was reunited as the Republic of Haiti under Jean-Pierre Boyer, Petion's successor.

American occupation

Throughout the nineteenth century, the country was ruled by a series of presidents, most of whom remained in office only briefly. Concerned about German influence, and disturbed by the hanging of President Guillaume Sam by an enraged crowd, the United States invaded and occupied Haiti in 1915.

The Duvaliers

The Americans left Haiti in the hands of the mulatto minority, but in 1946 Dumarsais Estimé became the country's first black president since the American occupation began.

In 1957, Dr. François Duvalier ("Papa Doc") came to power in the country's first universal suffrage election; Upon Duvalier's death in 1971, he was succeeded by his 19-year-old son Jean-Claude Duvalier (nicknamed "Baby Doc") as Haiti's new president for life.

Catholic pro-democratic movement

The unravelling of the Duvalier regime began with a popular movement supported by the local church and set in motion by the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1983, who before embarking his plane gave a rousing speech ending with an angry exclamation: "Things must change here!"

Aristide

The charismatic black leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected president in 1991, but was deposed in a coup shortly after. While Aristide was the first democratically elected president in Haitian history, Préval's administration was most notable for the fact that he was the first person in Haiti's history to constitutionally succeed a president and then serve a complete term, leaving office voluntarily at the prescribed time.

Aristide returned to office in 2001 after elections that were boycotted by many of his opponents, who accused his party, Fanmi Lavalas, of counting votes improperly in a previous senatorial election, as well as threatening critics.

In February 2004, the Aristide government was overthrown by armed rebels, consisting mostly of paramilitary groups led by ex-U.S. Special Forces agent Guy Philippe.

Elections were held in February 2006, and René Préval was again elected president.

Politics

Politics of Haiti takes place in a framework of a presidential republic, and of a pluriform multi-party system, whereby the President of Haiti is the head of state, while the Prime Minister is head of government.

Administrative Divisions

Administratively, Haiti is divided into ten départements:

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

Each department is divided into from three to seven arrondissements, and the arrondissements are further divided into communes.

Geography

Haiti's terrain consists mainly of rugged mountains with small coastal plains and river valleys. The highest point in Haiti is Chaine de la Selle at 2,680 m (8,793 feet).

In 1925, Haiti was a lush tropical paradise, with 60% of its original forest covering the lands and mountainous regions. Pictures from space glaringly show the stark difference in forestation between Haiti and the neighboring Dominican Republic. 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.

There has been a dispute between the United States and Haiti about Navassa Island (Navasse), which both countries claim. The Haitian claim relies on documentation that Navassa became part of Haiti after a 1697 agreement between France and Spain that gave France the western third of Hispaniola plus nearby islands, including Navassa Island.

Economy

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 153rd of 177 countries in the UN’s Human Development Index.

Nearly 70% of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, which consists mainly of small-scale subsistence farming.

Under the second Aristide administration and the Alexandre-Latortue administration, difficulty in reaching agreements with international sponsors denied Haiti badly needed budget and development assistance. While there was relative calm under the governments of Fanmi Lavalas, this may not have been sufficiently long-lived to convince foreign investors to commit significant capital to Haiti.

Demographics

Although Haiti averages about 293 people per km² (758 people/sq mi), its population is concentrated most heavily in urban areas, coastal plains, and valleys. Despite the predominance of African ancestry, Taino bloodlines are argued to be present in a rather modest percentage of the population, with mixed-raced Haitians also claiming this. Haiti's official languages are French and Haitian Creole, however, Spanish is spoken near the border due to the proximity of the Dominican Republic and is increasingly being spoken westward from the border as Dominican and Cuban trade influence Haitian affairs.

Culture

Nearly all Haitians speak Kreyòl Ayisyen (Haitian Creole), one of the country's official languages.

Religion

Roman Catholicism is the state religion, which the majority of the population professes.

Many Haitians also practice the religion of Vodou or Voodoo, whether exclusively or alongside their Catholic observances. Many Haitians however deny the statistic of Vodou being practiced in the majority of the population and claim it is a false religion.

Music

Main article: Music of Haiti

The music of Haiti is easily distinguished from other styles. It includes kompa and kadans, and Haitians have also imported zouk from the lesser Antilles and merengue from the Dominican Republic.

Cuisine

The cuisine of Haiti is influenced in a large part by French cuisine as well as some native staples such as cassava (kasav), yam, and maize (mayi). Some popular dishes are:

Diri ak Pwa: Rice and Beans Griyo: Fried Pork Kabrit: Goat Sòs poul: Chicken in sauce Mayi moulen: Cornmeal Sòs pwa: a sweet bean sauce Legume: Vegetables (okra, eggplant, tomatoes, and more ingredients) Pwason: Fish Diri ak Let: A dessert composed of sweetened milk and rice Banann Fri/Peze: (Fried Plantains, also popular in the Dominican Republic)

A preferred season known as Epis in Haiti is commonly referred to as Sofrito by the rest of the region, a basic recipe goes as following:

Celery Red peppers Green peppers Cilantro Onion Garlic Vegetable Oil Tomatoes (optional, but used in some provinces)

All of the ingredients are blended together and a dash of sugar or Adobo is added.