Haiti

Haiti Background

The native Arawak Amerindians - who inhabited the island of Hispaniola when it was discovered by Columbus in 1492 - were virtually annihilated by Spanish settlers within 25 years. In the early 17th century, the French established a presence on Hispaniola, and in 1697, Spain ceded to the French the western third of the island - Haiti. The French colony, based on forestry and sugar-related industries, became one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean, but only through the heavy importation of African slaves and considerable environmental degradation. In the late 18th century, Haiti's nearly half million slaves revolted under Toussaint L'OUVERTURE and after a prolonged struggle, became the first black republic to declare its independence in 1804. Haiti has been plagued by political violence for most of its history. It is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

Haiti Information

• Population: 7,656,166 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the d
• Nationality: noun: Haitian(s) adjective: Haitian
• Location:: Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic
• Religions:: Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% (1982) note: roughly half of the population practices Voodoo
• Ethnic Groups:: black 95%, mulatto and white 5%
• Land Boundaries:: total: 360 km border countries: Dominican Republic 360 km
• Area: total: 27,750 sq km land: 27,560 sq km water: 190 sq km
• Coast Line: 1,771 km
• Climate: tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds
• Terrain: mostly rough and mountainous
• Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: to depth of exploitation contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
• Land Use: arable land: 28.3% permanent crops: 11.61% other: 60.09% (2001)
• Environmental Issues: extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and used as fuel); soil erosion; inadequate supplies of potable water
• Natural Resources: bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower
• Highways: total: 4,160 km paved: 1,011 km unpaved: 3,149 km (1999 est.)
• Railways:
• Ports & Harbours: Cap-Haitien, Gonaives, Jacmel, Jeremie, Les Cayes, Miragoane, Port-au-Prince, Port-de-Paix, Saint-Marc
• Airports: 12 (2003 est.)