Republic of Haiti

Haiti, Republic of, independent country occupying the western third of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea. The Dominican Republic occupies the rest of the island. The capital is Port-au-Prince.

Land and Climate

Haiti is mountainous, dominated by two peninsulas extending westward into the Windward Passage, which separates Hispaniola from Cuba. Between the peninsulas is the Gulf of Gonaïves, with Gonâve Island in the center. The coastline consists of beaches, coral reefs, mangrove swamps, and steep cliffs. Vegetation includes cedar, pine, and mahogany, as well as scrub forests.

People

The great majority of Haitians are descendants of African slaves. The official language is French, but most Haitians speak Creole, a mixture of French and African languages, with some English and Spanish words. The official religion is Roman Catholicism, but large numbers practice voodoo, a religion that mixes African beliefs with some elements of Catholicism.

Economy

Haiti is very densely populated and has one of the lowest per capita incomes in the Western Hemisphere. About 90% of the population is engaged in raising corn, rice, fruit, yams, and vegetables, or in fishing. The chief cash crop is coffee. Sisal fiber, sugarcane, cotton, and cocoa are also exported.

History

Officially a Spanish colony from the early 1500s, Hispaniola was settled by the French during the 1600s. Sugar plantations were created; and slaves were imported to work them. In 1697 Spain ceded Haiti to France. During the French Revolution, the ideas of liberty and equality spread to the colony and stimulated slave revolts. Under the leadership of Toussaint L'Ouverture, a freed slave, the slaves obtained their freedom in 1793. Proclaiming independence in 1801, Toussaint became governor-general of Hispaniola but was defeated and captured by Napoleon. In 1803, a black army drove the French out, and independence was declared on January 1, 1804, making Haiti the second country of the Western Hemisphere to win its independence from a European colonizer. But stable rule was not established; and Haitian history has been marked by poverty and dictatorship. From 1915 to 1934 the country was occupied by U.S. marines.

In 1957 François (“Papa Doc”) Duvalier became president and soon established an extremely repressive dictatorship, supported by a personal police force known as the tontons macoutes. In 1971 Duvalier died and was succeeded by his son, Jean-Claude (“Baby Doc.”), who fled the country during a mass rebellion in 1986. In 1991 Father Aristide, was elected president in the first free election. Aristide was ousted by a military coup in 1991, but returned to Haiti in 1994 through the agency of the US.