About Opentopia
Opentopia Directory Encyclopedia Tools

Haiti

Encyclopedia : H : HA : HAI : Haiti

 

Haiti (Haïti in French; Ayiti in Haitian Creole), officially the Republic of Haiti, occupies one third of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola and also includes many smaller islands, such as La Gonâve, La Tortue (Tortuga), Les Cayemites, Île à Vache, La Grande Caye and Navasse. Haiti shares Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. The total area of Haiti is 10,714 square miles (27,750 km²) and its capital is Port-au-Prince.

A former French colony, it became the second independent country in the Americas (after the United States) when it declared its independence in 1804. It was also the first independent black republic in the world. Despite its longevity compared to other countries in the region, it is the most impoverished nation in the Western Hemisphere.

Haiti has recently undergone a state of transition following an uprising which deposed President Jean-Bertrand Aristide on February 29, 2004. He had been re-elected in 2000 in an election which several parties boycotted due to disputes with the vote-counting of a previous parliamentary election. René Préval was elected president in his place on February 7, 2006, and took office in May.

Contents

History

The island of Hispaniola, of which Haiti occupies the western third, was originally inhabited by Taíno and Arawak. On December 25, 1492, the Santa Maria, captained by Christopher Columbus, ran aground on the present site of Môle Saint-Nicolas, Haiti, and claimed the island for Spain.

Enslavement and harsh treatment of the natives caused their population to plummet over the next quarter-century. In response, the Spanish began to import African slaves to search for gold on the island. Spanish interest in Hispaniola waned, however, after the 1520s, when vast reserves of gold and silver were discovered in Mexico and South America.

Fearful of pirate attacks, the king of Spain in 1606 ordered all colonists on Hispaniola to move closer to the capital city, Santo Domingo. However, this resulted in British, Dutch and French pirates establishing bases on the island's abandoned northern and western coasts. French settlement of the island began in 1625, and in 1664 France formally claimed control of the western portion of the island. By the 1697 Treaty of Ryswick, Spain ceded the western third of Hispaniola to France. France named its new colony Saint-Domingue.

While the Spanish side of the island was largely neglected, the French side prospered and became the richest colony in the Western Hemisphere, exporting large amounts of sugar and coffee. French colonial society contained three population groups: Europeans (about 32,000 in 1790) who held political and economic control; the gens de couleur, some 28,000 free people of color (about 1/2 of mulatto background) who faced second-class status; and the slaves, who numbered about 500,000 [link]. (Living outside French society were the maroons, escaped ex-slaves who formed their own settlements in the highlands.) At all times, a majority of slaves in the colony were African-born, as the brutal conditions of slavery prevented the population from experiencing growth through natural increase[link]. African cultures thus remained strong among slaves to the end of French rule.

Inspired by the French Revolution, the gens de couleur pressed the colonial government for expanded rights. In October 1790, 350 revolted against the government. On May 15, 1791, the French National Assembly granted political rights to all blacks and mulattoes who had been born free - but did not change the status quo regarding slavery. On August 22, 1791, slaves in the north rose against their masters near Cap-Français (now Cap-Haïtien). This revolution spread rapidly and came under the leadership of Toussaint L'Ouverture. He soon formed alliances with the gens de couleur and the maroons, whose rights had been revoked by the French government in retailiation for the uprising [link].

Toussaint's armies defeated the French colonial army, but then joined forces with it in 1794, following a decree by the revolutionary French government that abolished slavery. Under Toussaint's command, the Saint-Domingue army then defeated invading Spanish and British forces. This cooperation between Toussaint and French forces ended in 1802, however, when Napoleon sent a new invasion force designed to subdue the colony; many islanders suspected the army would also reimpose slavery. Napoleon's forces initially were successful at fighting their way onto the island, and persuaded Toussaint to a truce. He was then betrayed, captured and died in a French prison. This backfired on the French, as it motivated Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Henri Christophe, leaders of separate military factions, to resume the rebellion. Napoleon's forces were further troubled by a yellow fever epidemic that swept through the island.

Dessalines's army defeated the French forces at the Battle of Vertières on November 18, 1803. On January 1, 1804 the nation declared its independence, securing its position as the second independent country in the New World, with Dessalines as its first ruler. The name Haiti was chosen in recognition of the old Arawak name for the island, Ayiti.

The new republic supported the abolitionist cause wherever possible. Haiti aided Simón Bolívar, allowing him refuge and supporting his revolutionary efforts under the condition he free Latin America's slaves. The slaveholding powers surrounding Haiti isolated the new nation under a cordon sanitaire, fearing slave revolutions of their own. The Haitian Revolution is thought to have inspired numerous slave revolts in the Caribbean and United States. The blockade was virtually total. The Vatican withdrew its priests from Haiti and did not return them until 1860. France refused to recognize Haiti's independence until it agreed to pay an indemnity of 150 million francs, to compensate for the losses of French planters in the revolution, in 1833. Payment of this indemnity brought the government deeply in debt and crippled the country's economy.

In 1806, Dessalines was murdered in a power struggle with political rivals. The nation divided into two parts, a southern republic founded by Alexandre Pétion, the world's first independent black republic #redirect [[Template:Fact]], while the north became a kingdom under Henri Christophe. Christophe built for himself eight palaces including his capital Sans Souci and the massive Citadelle Laferrière, the largest fortress in the Western hemisphere.

In August 1820, Christophe suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed. When the news spread of his infirmities, the seeds of rebellion began to grow. On October 2, 1820, the military garrison at St. Marc led a mutiny that sparked a revolt. The mutiny coincided with a conspiracy of Christophe's own generals. Some of his trusted aides took him to the Citadel to await the inevitable confrontation with the rebels. Christophe ordered his attendants to bathe him and dress him in his formal military uniform, place him in his favorite chair in his den and leave him alone. Shortly after the attendants left his side, Christophe committed suicide.

Following Christophe's death the nation was reunited as the Republic of Haiti under Jean-Pierre Boyer, Petion's successor. Boyer invaded the Spanish colony of Santo Domingo and united the entire island of Hispaniola under Haitian rule until 1844 when the Dominican Republic obtained its independence.

Throughout the 19th century, the country was ruled by a series of presidents, most of whom remained in office only briefly. Meanwhile, the country's economy was gradually dominated by foreigners, particularly from Germany. Concerned of German influence, and disturbed by the hanging of President Guillaume Sam by an enraged crowd, the United States invaded and occupied Haiti in 1915. The United States imposed a constitution (written by future president Franklin D. Roosevelt) and applied an old system of compulsory corvée labor to everyone. Previously this system had been applied only to members of the poor, black majority. The occupation had many long-lasting effects on the country. United States forces built schools, roads and hospitals, and launched a campaign that eradicated yellow fever from the island. At the same time, their occupation resulted in the centralization of government and industry from the provinces to the capital, launching an exodus from the countryside. Additionally, the U.S.-controlled government created a National Guard which in future decades would become the Armée d'Haiti and be said to commit many atrocities against its own people. The occupation was 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 since the American occupation began. His efforts at reform sparked disorder, and when he attempted to extend his term of office in 1950 (as most previous presidents had done) there was a coup, followed by the second formal Military Council of Government led by Paul Magloire.

In 1957, Dr. François Duvalier ("Papa Doc") came to power in the country's first universal suffrage election; many believed this outcome was manipulated by army. In 1964, he declared himself president for life. Duvalier maintained control over the population through his secret police organization, the Volunteers for National Security - nicknamed the Tonton Macoutes ("bogeymen") after a folkloric villain. This organization drew international criticism for its harsh treatment of political adversaries, both real and suspected. Upon Duvalier's death in 1971, he was succeeded by his 19-year-old son Jean-Claude Duvalier (nicknamed "Baby Doc") as Haiti's new president for life. The younger Duvalier regime became notorious for corruption, and was deposed in 1986, ushering in a new period of upheaval.

The charismatic black leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected president in 1991, but was deposed in a coup shortly after. There followed three years of brutal control by a military junta, before an American invasion in 1994 returned Aristide to power. One of the first acts of the re-installed government of Aristide was to disband the army, to great popular acclaim.

Aristide was succeeded by a close ally and former prime minister, René Préval, in 1996. While Aristide was the first democratically elected president in Haitian history, Préval's administration was most notable for the fact that he was the first person in Haiti's history to be elected president and to serve his complete term, leaving office voluntary at the prescribed time. Every previous president had either died in office, been assassinated, been deposed, overstayed his prescribed term, or been installed by a foreign power.

Aristide returned to office in 2001 after elections that were boycotted by many of his opponents, who accused his party, Fanmi Lavalas, of counting votes improperly in a previous senatorial election, as well as threatening critics. Aristide denied the charges and accused his opponents of accepting U.S. assistance, and plotting to overthrow his government. The opposition mostly denied this, but many of its members continually called for his early resignation.

In February 2004, the Aristide government was overthrown by armed rebels. These rebels were led by disenchanted urban gangs formerly working for Fanmi Lavalas and demobilized soldiers. All of these armed opponents were alleged to be allied with the political opposition. As Aristide departed the country, many members of his government fled or went into hiding, and the United States again sent Marines into Port-au-Prince. After Aristide's departure, Supreme Court Chief Justice Boniface Alexandre succeeded to the presidency appointed by a council of elders and supported by the United States, Canada, and France.

Elections were held in February 2006, and René Préval was again elected president. See Haitian elections, 2006.

Politics

More information on politics and government of Haiti can be found at the Politics and government of Haiti series.
Politics of Haiti takes place in a framework of a presidential republic, whereby the President of Haiti is both head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of the National Assembly of Haïti.

Departments

Haiti is divided into ten departments (provinces):

Geography

Map 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. The highest point in Haiti is Chaine de la Selle at 8,793 feet (2,680 m). The 224-mile (360 km) border is shared with the Dominican Republic.

In 1925, Haiti was a lush tropical paradise, with 60% of its original forest covering the lands and mountainous regions. Since then, the population has cut down all but 2% of its forest cover, and in the process has destroyed fertile farmland soils while contributing to desertification [link]. Erosion has been severe in the mountainous areas. Pictures from space glaringly show the stark difference in forestation between Haiti and the neighboring Dominican Republic. Most Haitian logging is done to produce charcoal, the country's chief source of fuel. The plight of Haiti's forests has attracted international attention and has led to numerous reforestation efforts, but these have met with little success to date.

In addition to soil erosion, the deforestation has also caused periodic flooding, as seen on September 17, 2004. Tropical storm Jeanne skimmed the north coast of Haiti leaving 3,006 people dead in flooding and mudslides, mostly in the city of Gonaïves. [link]

There has been a dispute between the United States and Haiti about Navassa Island (Navasse), which both countries claim. The Haitian claim relies on documentation that Navassa became part of Haiti after a 1697 agreement between France and Spain that gave France the western third of Hispaniola plus nearby islands, including Navassa Island. The United States claims the island pursuant to its own Guano Islands Act of 1856.

Economy

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, ranking the country second-to-last in the world for that metric.

Nearly 70% of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, which consists mainly of small-scale subsistence farming. The country has experienced little formal job creation over the past decade, although the informal economy is growing.

Under the second Aristide administration and the Alexandre-Latortue administration, difficulty in reaching agreements with international sponsors denied Haiti badly needed budget and development assistance. In addition to these geopolitical obstacles, another major impediment to development during the last 20 years has been the repeated episodes of violence that have rocked the country. While there was relative calm under the governments of Fanmi Lavalas, this may not have been sufficiently long-lived to convince foreign investors to commit significant capital to Haiti.

Consequently, the country has experienced shortages, severe trade deficits, and periodic high inflation during this 20-year period. Reports have suggested that most of Haiti's flow of foreign reserves, during at least the last five years, has come from a combination of remittances from the sizeable expatriate community and taxes on incoming phone calls.

Demographics

Although Haiti averages about 758 people per square mile (293/km²), its population is concentrated most heavily in urban areas, coastal plains, and valleys. About 95% of Haitians are of predominant African descent. The rest of the population is mostly mulatto, or mixed Caucasian-African, ancestry. A few are of European or Levantine heritage. Haiti's official languages are French and Haitian Creole.

While the Taino culture suffered complete genocide in Haiti, some of the Haitian population is believed to have Arawak bloodlines as results of the natives of the island having relations with the Spaniards and eventually assimilated with the first shipments of African slaves, before they died out.

Culture

Nearly all Haitians speak Kreyòl Ayisyen (Haitian Creole), one of the country's official languages. French is the other official language, spoken by educated people. Many also speak English and Spanish, particularly due to the proximity of the Spanish-speaking Dominican Republic and Cuba as well as the high amount of trade between the nations. There is a popular saying in Haiti: "Aprè Bondye se doktè Kiben-yo" ("After God There are Cuban Doctors.")

Religion

Roman Catholicism is the state religion, which the majority of the population professes. An estimated 20 percent of the population practices Protestantism. 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'Haïti and the Mission Evangelique Baptiste du Sud-Haïti.

Many Haitians also practice the religion of Vodoun or Voodoo, whether exclusively or alongside their Christian observances. While Vodoun has origins in Africa, many Haitian traditions and artistic styles reflect a unique syncretism, or combination, of Catholicism and Vodoun. But not all practice Voodoo. Some think Voodoo is fake and misused by Haitians to scare people off.

Music

Main article: Music of Haiti

The music of Haiti is easily distinguished from other styles. It includes konpa and kadans, and Haitians have also imported zouk from the lesser Antilles and merengue from the Dominican Republic. Some Haitian popular musicians such as T-Vice and Carimi perform regularly in the United States and Québec. Sweet Micky is unarguably one of the greatest legends of Kompa music. The most successful and well known Haitian artist of this epoc is Wyclef Jean, who is internationally recognized for putting Haiti on the map where music is concerned.

Cuisine

The cuisine of Haiti is influenced in a large part by French cuisine as well as some native staples such as cassava (kasav), yam, and maize (mayi). Haitian food, though unique in its own right, shares much in common with the rest of Latin America. Some popular dishes are:

A preferred season known as Epis in Haiti is commonly referred to as Sofrito by the rest of the region, a basic recipe goes as following: Blend it all together, throw in just a dash of sugar, even Adobo, but never salt. It's mainly used to prepare meats, cook rice and stews.

Famous Haitians

There are many Haitians that have made themselves known in their own country and abroad. The country in which these people made their impact are listed in bold, capital letters.

See List of Haitians.

See also

External links

News

History Other

Countries in the Caribbean
Independent nations: Antigua and Barbuda | Bahamas | Barbados | Cuba | Dominica | Dominican Republic | Grenada | Haiti | Jamaica | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Saint Lucia | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Trinidad and Tobago
Dependencies: -British: Anguilla | British Virgin Islands | Cayman Islands | Montserrat | Turks and Caicos Islands | -Dutch: Aruba & Netherlands Antilles | -French: Guadeloupe & Martinique | -U.S.: Navassa Island | Puerto Rico | U.S. Virgin Islands


 
Caribbean Community (CARICOM)

Antigua and Barbuda | Bahamas¹ | Barbados | Belize | Dominica | Grenada | Guyana | Haiti¹ | Jamaica | Montserrat² | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Saint Lucia | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Suriname | Trinidad and Tobago
Associate members: Anguilla | Bermuda | Cayman Islands | British Virgin Islands | Turks and Caicos Islands
Observer status: Aruba | Colombia | Dominican Republic | Mexico | Netherlands Antilles | Puerto Rico | Venezuela
¹ member of the community but not the CARICOM (Caribbean) Single Market and Economy.
² territory of the United Kingdom just awaiting British instruments of entrustment to join the (CSME)

[[zh-min-nan:Haiti]]

 

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.

Search Titles
0123456789
ABCDEFGHIJ
KLMNOPQRST
UVWXYZ?

E-mail this article to:

Personal Message: