Haiti
Geography - People - Economy - Government - Communications - Transportation - Military - Transnational IssuesCountry name - conventional long form : Republic of Haiti
Country name - conventional short form : Haiti
Country name - local long form : Republique d'Haiti/Repiblik d' Ayiti
Country name - local short form : Haiti/Ayiti
Government type : republic
Capital - name : Port-au-Prince
Capital - time difference : UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
National holiday : Independence Day, 1 January (1804)
Nationality - noun : Haitian(s)
Nationality - adjective : Haitian
Languages : French (official), Creole (official)
Currency (code) : gourde (HTG)
Currency code : HTG
Major infectious diseases - degree of risk : high
Haiti is located Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic. The climate is tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds. The terrain is mostly rough and mountainous.
Background
This entry usually highlights major historic events and current issues and may include a statement about one or two key future trends.Background : The native Taino 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, which later became 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. After a prolonged struggle, Haiti became the first black republic to declare its independence in 1804. The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti has been plagued by political violence for most of its history. After an armed rebellion led to the forced resignation and exile of President Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE in February 2004, an interim government took office to organize new elections under the auspices of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). Continued violence and technical delays prompted repeated postponements, but Haiti finally did inaugurate a democratically elected president and parliament in May of 2006.
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