Comprehensive information and links about Haiti

Haiti is a country situated on the western third of the Carribean island Hispaniola and also includes the smaller islands of La Gonâve, La Tortue (Tortuga), Les Cayemites, and Ile a Vache. Haiti shares Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. The total land area of Haiti 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 the second country in the Americas, after the United States, to declare its independence. In spite of its longevity, it is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Haiti is currently in a state of transition following a rebellion ( 2004 Haiti Rebellion) which deposed President Jean-Bertrand Aristide on February 29, 2004; he had been re-elected in 2000 in an election which several opposition parties boycotted due to disputes with the vote counting of the parlimentary elections.

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The island of Hispaniola, of which Haiti occupies the western half, was claimed for Spain by Christopher Columbus in 1492, but in 1697 Spain ceded it to France. French settlers imported African slaves whose descendants became most of the population. The colony was ruled by a small minority of Europeans and mulattos. In 1796, stimulated by the ideals of the French revolution, the slaves revolted, and after prolonged fighting Haiti became an independent republic in 1804.

Haiti has always been one of the poorest and worst-governed countries in the Americas. Through the 19th century it was ruled by a series of dictators of varying degrees of incompetence. The outside world took little notice until 1915, when the country's unpayable debt led to American occupation. The US introduced a constitution (written by Franklin D. Roosevelt) and other reforms. The occupation ended in 1934.

The Americans left Haiti in the hands of the mulatto minority, but in 1946 Dumarsais Estimé became the country's first black president. His efforts at reform sparked disorders and a coup in 1950, followed by renewed dictatorship. In 1957 Dr François Duvalier ("Papa Doc") came to power and established a personal dictatorship which lasted until his death in 1971, when he was succeeded by his son Jean-Claude Duvalier ("Baby Doc"). Duvalier junior was deposed in 1986, leading to a further period of upheaval.

The charismatic black leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected President in 1991, but deposed in a coup shortly after. This led to a renewed American occupation, and Aristide returned to power in 1994. He was succeeded by René Préval in 1996, but returned to office in 2001 after elections widely regarded as rigged. In February 2004 he was again overthrown.

In the wake of Aristide's removal, Supreme Court Chief Justice Boniface Alexandre succeeded to the Presidency in accordance with the stipulations of the 1987 constitution). Elections were held in February 2006. See Haitian elections, 2006

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 under the administration of Leslie Manigat 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. Since, and as a result of, the aforementioned coup, the future of the 1987 Constitution has fallen into doubt, even though the planned elections for the Presidency, Parliament, and local governments are being held in accordance with its terms.

See List of Presidents of Haiti, 2006 Haitian Elections, 2000 Haitian Elections, 1995 Haitian Elections, 1990 Haitian Elections, and the Constitution 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.

In 1925, Haiti was a lush island paradise, with 60% of its original forest covering the lands and mountainous regions. Over the years, the population cut down 95% of its trees and in the process destroyed fertile farmland soils. Now the mountains are bare down to the bedrock. Pictures from space glaringly show this stark contrast compared to Haiti's neighbour the Dominican Republic. Charcoal production by low-income labor accounts for the bulk of Haitian logging.

This deforestation led to soil erosion and flooding as seen on September 17, 2004. Tropical storm Jeanne skimmed the north coast of Haiti leaving 3006 people dead in flooding and mudslides, mostly in the city of Gonaïves. [1]

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.

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.

mi²), 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 mulatto, or mixed Caucasian-African ancestry. A few are of European or Levantine heritage. About two thirds of the population live in rural areas. The biggest city is the capital Port-au-Prince with 2 million inhabitants, followed by Cap-Haïtien with 600,000.

French is one of two official languages, but it is spoken by only about 10% of the people. Nearly all Haitians speak Kreyòl (Creole), 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 Vodou, seeing no conflict with their Christian faith. Protestant churches of numerical strength are Assemblées de Dieu, the Convention Baptiste d'Haïti, the Seventh-day Adventists, the Church of God (Cleveland), the Church of the Nazarene, the Église Episcopale d'Haiti and the Mission Evangelique Baptiste du Sud-Haiti.

Bob Corbett's Haitian History Page, for more in-depth information about Haitian History and Literature.1937 Massacres, information about the 1937 Massacre of 18,000 Haitians by Dominican President, Rafael Trujillo.