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Historical Figures
Makhandal
Boukman
Toussaint Louverture
Jean-Jacques Dessalines
Alexandre P?ion
Capois LaMort
Catherine Flon
Marie-Jeanne
Henry Christophe
Jean-Pierre Boyer
Charlemagne P?alte
Jean-Baptiste Point du Sable
John James Audubon
Background: The native Indians who inhabited
the island of Hispaniola when Christopher Columbus
landed in 1492 were nearly exterminated by Spanish
colonizers, who then began importing slaves from
West and Central Africa. 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 January 1st, 1804. Haiti is now
subdivided into 10 Departments (Artibonite, Centre,
Grand'Anse, Nippes, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest,
Ouest, Sud-Est, Sud) and 133 cities / towns.
What you should know about Haiti:
Location: Caribbean, western one-third of the
island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea
and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican
Republic
Geographic coordinates: 19 00 N, 72 25 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total: 27,750 sq km
land: 27,560 sq km
water: 190 sq km
Land Boundaries: total: 360 km
border countries: Dominican Republic 360 km
Coastline: 1,771 km
Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
Climate: tropical; semiarid where mountains in
east cut off trade winds
Terrain: mostly rough and mountainous
Elevation Extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea
0 m
highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m
Natural Resources: bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate,
gold, marble, hydropower
Land Use: arable land: 28.11%
permanent crops: 11.53%
other: 60.36% (2005)
Irrigated land: 750 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural Hazards: lies in the middle of the hurricane
belt and subject to severe storms from June to
October; occasional flooding and earthquakes;
periodic droughts
Environment & Current 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
Population: About 8,000,000 People
Age Structure: 0-14 years: 42.4% (male 1,770,523/female
1,749,853)
15-64 years: 54.2% (male 2,201,957/female 2,301,886)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 125,298/female 158,987)
(2006 est.)
Infant mortality Rate: total: 71.65 deaths/1,000
live births
male: 78.01 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 65.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life Expectancy at birth: total population: 53.23
years
male: 51.89 years
female: 54.6 years (2006 est.)
Ethic Groups: black 95%, mulatto and white 5%
Religions: Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16%
(Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other
1%), none 1%, other 3%
note: roughly half of the population practices
Voodoo
Languages: French (official), Creole (official)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 52.9%
male: 54.8%
female: 51.2% (2003 est.)
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top)
and red with a centered white rectangle bearing
the coat of arms, which contains a palm tree flanked
by flags and two cannons above a scroll bearing
the motto L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Union Makes trength)
Economy: By 1804 Haiti was the richest island
now because of more than two hundred years of
political instability Haiti remains the poorest
country in the Western Hemisphere, 80% of the
population lives in abject poverty. Two-thirds
of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector,
mainly small-scale subsistence farming, and remain
vulnerable to damage from frequent natural disasters,
exacerbated by the country's widespread deforestation.
The economy grew 1.5% in 2005, the highest growth
rate since 1999. Haiti suffers from rampant inflation,
a lack of investment, and a severe trade deficit.
In early 2005, Haiti paid its arrears to the World
Bank, paving the way for reengagement with the
Bank. The government is reliant on formal international
economic assistance for fiscal sustainability.
Remittances are the primary source of foreign
exchange, equaling nearly a quarter of GDP in
2005.
Dates to Remember:
-December 5, 1492: Columbus discovers Haiti (the
island of Hispaniola)
-1697: The Spaniards cede the western third of
Hispaniola to the French crown at the Treaty of
Ryswick. Haiti is now called "Saint Domingue".
-1697-1791: Saint Domingue becomes the richest
colony in the world. Its capital, Cap Français,
is known as the Paris of the New World. It is
also a regime of extraordinary cruelty; the 500,000
slaves taken by the French are flogged, starved,
and buried alive for minor offenses.
-August 1791: the first major black rebellion
takes place, initiated by Boukman, a voodoo houngan.
This begins the markings of civil war between
the black dominated north and the mulatto dominated
south.
-1796: Toussaint L'Ouverture, an educated herb
doctor and military man, emerges as the leader
of the former slaves in the north. He restored
order, ended the massacres, and restored some
of Saint Domingue's former prosperity.
-1801: Napoleon Bonaparte dispatches an army
of 34,000 to subdue the slave armies and retake
the colony for France; this mission was unsuccessful.
The leader of the army Leclerc ultimately had
Toussaint L'Ouverture seized and deported to France.
He died within a year.
-May 1802: Convention in Paris reintroduces slavery,
which brings on more rebellions and massacres.
-April 7th, 1803: Toussaint Louverture died in
France
-January 1st, 1804: Jean Jacques Dessalines proclaimed
the independent black Republic of Haiti in Gonaives,
the northern half of the island.
-October 17th, 1806: Jean Jacques Dessalines
was killed/ murdered by his political rivals.
His death led the country to a civil war and the
country was politically divided where the southern
portion under the leadership of General Pétion
and the northern portion under the leadership
of Henry Christophe.
-1820: Henry Christophe commits suicide by shooting
himself with a silver bullet; he had been a tyrannical
ruler, crowning himself "king", and
building a palace and citadel (at Cap Haitien
in the north) at great cost to Haitian lives.
At his death Haiti was taken over by General Boyer,
and civil war ceased. Boyer obtained official
Haitian independence from France at the price
of 150 million French francs.
-1843 to 1915: Haiti sees 22 heads of state,
most of whom leave office by violent means. Rivalry
continues among the whites, the mulatto elite,
and the blacks.
-1915: President Guillaume Sam is dismembered
and the Americans invade the country. They remain
for 19 years. Despite improvements made to the
infrastructure by the Americans, the Haitians
opposed their presence.
-1934: The Americans leave Haiti, which is now
prospering once again.
-1957: François Duvalier, a doctor and
union leader, was elected president. Duvalier,
also known as 'Papa Doc', terrorized the country,
rooting out any and all opponents to his administration.
He was a practicing voodooist, his loa being Baron
Samedi, the guardian of cemeteries and a harbinger
of death. He ensured his power through his private
militia, the tontons macoutes (which means in
kreyol, "uncle boogeyman").
-1964: Duvalier changes the constitution so that
he can be elected president for life.
-1971: François Duvalier dies and is succeeded
by his son Jean Claude, age 19 (also known as
'Baby Doc'). By this time Haiti is the poorest
country in the western hemisphere (and remains
so to this day).
-February 1986: The Duvalier regime collapses
under Operation Deschoukay and Baby Doc flees
to France.
-December 1990: Jean-Bertrand Aristide (a religious
priest) is elected in a landslide victory.
-Military coup deposes Aristide's government;
Organization of American states imposes an embargo
lasting three years.
-1994: Aristide returns to Haiti to serve out
his term of office, facilitated by the US military
and UN troops.
-February 1996-February 2001: Presidency of René
Préval, he is the first Haitian president
who ends his term accordingly.
-2000: Jean Bertrand Aristide was re-elected
president and took office February 2001.
-February 29th, 2004: President Aristide was
forced to step down as president and went to exile
in Africa.
-March 2004- May 2006: Transitional Government
led by President Boniface and Primer Minister
La Tortue.
-March 2006: US Marines Arrived in Haiti again
to establish security.
-February 7th, 2006: Réné Préval
was re-elected president and took office May 2006
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