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Republic of Haiti
[République d'Haïti] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
[Repiblik d Ayiti] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
Motto: "L'Union Fait La Force"  (French)
"Unity is Strength"
Anthem: La Dessalinienne
Location of Haiti
Capital
and largest city
Port-au-Prince
Official languagesFrench, Haitian Creole
GovernmentRepublic
• President
René Préval
Jacques-Edouard Alexis
Formation
1697
• Independence from France

January 1, 1804
• Water (%)
0.7
Population
• July 2005 estimate
8,528,0001 (88th)
• 1982 census
5,053,792
GDP (PPP)2006 estimate
• Total
$12.94 billion (124th)
• Per capita
$1,800 (148th)
GDP (nominal)2005 estimate
• Total
$4.211 billion (134th)
• Per capita
$528 (151st)
Gini (2001)59.2
high inequality
HDI (2004)Increase 0.482
Error: Invalid HDI value (154th)
CurrencyGourde (HTG)
Time zoneUTC-5
• Summer (DST)
UTC-4
Calling code509
ISO 3166 codeHT
Internet TLD.ht
  1. Note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and gender than would otherwise be expected.

Haiti (IPA: [ˈheɪti]), in Haitian Creole: Ayiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Haiti also includes many smaller islands such as La Gonâve, La Tortue (Tortuga), Les Cayemites, Île de Anacaona, and La Grande Caye. The uninhabited island of Navasse is claimed by both Haiti and the United States. 'Ayiti' (Haiti) was the indigenous Taíno name for the island. Its highest point is Chaine de la Selle, at 2,680 meters. The total area of Haiti is 27,750 km² (10,714 sq mi) and its capital is Port-au-Prince.

A former French colony, Haiti became the first independent black republic and the only nation ever to form from a successful slave rebellion. Haiti became the second non-native country in the Americas (after the United States) to declare its independence, on January 1, 1804.

Haiti has recently undergone a state of transition following the forced ousting of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide on February 29, 2004. The circumstances surrounding his departure from office are disputed, with Aristide stating that he was kidnapped by US government agents who forcibly put him onto a plane and flew him out of the country. He had been re-elected in 2000 by a strong majority, with most of his support coming from Haiti's poor masses, which comprise a large majority of the country's population. René Préval was elected president in his place on February 7, 2006, and took office in May of that year.

History

Main article: History of Haiti

The island of Hispaniola, of which Haiti occupies the western third, was originally inhabited by the Taíno Arawak people. Christopher Columbus landed at Môle Saint-Nicolas on December 5, 1492, and claimed the island for Spain. Nineteen days later, the Santa Maria ran aground near the present site of Cap-Haitien; Columbus was forced to leave 39 men, founding the settlement of La Navidad . Ayiti, which means "mountainous land", is a name used by its early inhabitants, the Taino-Arawak people, who also called some sections of it Bohio, meaning "rich villages". Quisqueya is a third term that has been attributed to the Tainos by Dominican Nationalists[citation needed], but Arawak linquists in Puerto Rico have found that this term was never in existence[citation needed] and was most likely made up by Dominican Nationalists[citation needed] to avoid using the Arawak name of the island; Ayiti.

The Taínos were a seafaring branch of the South American Arawaks. Taíno means "the good" or "noble" in their language. A system of cacicazgos (chiefdoms) existed, called Marien, Maguana, Higuey, Magua and Xaragua, which could be subdivided. The cacicazgos were based on a system of tribute, consisting of the food grown by the Taíno. Among the cultural signs that they left were cave paintings around the country, which have become touristic and nationalistic symbols of Haiti. Xaragua is modern day Leogane, a city in the southwest.

One of the earliest leaders to fight off Spanish conquest was Queen Anacaona, a Taino princess from Xaragua who married Chief Caonabo, a Taino king (cacique) from Maguana. The two fought hard against the Europeans; she was captured by the Spanish and executed in front of her people. Other noted Taino leaders from Haiti are Chief Guacanagari, Chief Guama and Chief Hatuey (who later fled to Cuba and helped fight the Spaniards there). Cacique Henri, another Taino chief, fought victoriously against the Spaniards in the Bahoruco to gain freedom for himself and his people. The town associated with this history is Anse a Pitres, near the south-eastern town of Jacmel. Most of the Taino-Arawak people are extinct, the few survivors having mixed with African slaves and European conquerors.

Colonial rule

Main article: Saint-Domingue

Enslavement, harsh treatment of the natives, and especially epidemic diseases such as smallpox caused the Taino 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 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 1609 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 blacks (about half of which had mulatto background) who faced second-class status; and the slaves, who numbered about 500,000.[1] (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 very brutal conditions of slavery prevented the population from experiencing growth through natural increase.[2] African cultures thus remained strong among slaves until the end of French rule.

Revolution

File:Dessalines.jpg
Jean Jacques Dessalines became Haiti's first emperor in 1804.
Unofficially leading the nation politically during the revolution, Toussaint L'Ouverture is considered the father of Haiti.
Main article: Haitian revolution

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 is commonly referred to as the "Black Napoleon." 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.[3]

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. Toussaint's arrest and the news that the French had reestablished slavery in Guadeloupe, led to the resumption of the rebellion, under the leadership of Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Henri Christophe, two of Toussaint's generals. Napoleon's forces were outsmarted by the combination of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Henri Christophe, and Alexandre Petion, the "Generals of the Revolution."

Independence

Dessalines's armies won their final and decisive victory over the French forces at the Battle of Vertières on November 18, 1803, near Cap-Haitien. On January 1, 1804 the nation declared its independence, securing its position as the second independent country in the New World, and the only successful slave rebellion in world history.[4] Dessalines was its first ruler. The name Haiti was chosen in recognition of the old Arawak name for the island, Ayiti.

The new State of Haiti supported the abolitionist cause wherever possible. Haiti aided Francisco de Miranda and Simón Bolívar, giving them refuge and supporting their 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 revolutions, in 1833. Payment of this indemnity brought the government deeply in debt and crippled the country's economy.

In 1806, Dessalines, by now Emperor, was murdered in a power struggle with political rivals who thought him a tyrant. The nation divided into two parts, a southern republic founded by Alexandre Pétion (mulatto), becoming the first black-led republic in the world,[5] and a northern kingdom under Henri Christophe. The idea of liberty in the southern republic was as license, a fondness for idleness shared by elite and peasant. Christophe believed that liberty was the opportunity to show the world that a black nation might be equal, if not better than the white nations. Consequently, he worked the field hands under the same unrelenting military system that Toussaint had developed and that Dessalines tried to continue. He also built more than 100 schools, eight palaces, including his capital Sans Souci and the massive Citadelle Laferrière, the largest fortress in the Western hemisphere.

In August 1820, King Henri I (Henri Christophe) suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed. When the news spread of his infirmities, the whispers of rebellion, deceit and treachery began. On October 2, 1820, the military garrison at St. Marc led a mutiny that sparked a revolt. The mutiny preempted a conspiracy of some of Christophe's most loyal generals. Some of his trusted aides took him from the palace of Sans-Souci up to his Citadel, to await the inevitable confrontation with the rebels. Christophe ordered his attendants to dress him in his formal military uniform and for two days desperately tried to raise the strength to lead out his troops. Finally, he ordered his doctor to leave the room. Shortly after he left, Christophe raised his pistol and shot himself dead through the heart.[6]

Following Christophe's death, the nation was reunited as the Republic of Haiti under Jean-Pierre Boyer, Petion's successor. Boyer liberated the Spanish colony of Santo Domingo and united the entire island under free Haitian rule, until 1844 when the Dominican Republic was formed as white-Catholic nation separate from Haiti for reasons of race.

American occupation

Throughout the nineteenth 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 about German influence, and disturbed by the lynching 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. Unfortunately, the establishment of these institutions and policies had long-lasting negative effects on Haiti's economy.

As their occupation resulted in the centralization of government and industry from the provinces to the capital, destroying the socio-economic fabric of the country and launching an exodus from the countryside, some nationalist rebels, called the Cacos, waged a strong guerilla warfare, headed by Charlemagne Péralte and later Dominique Batraville. As a consequence, 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 ended in 1934.[7]

The Duvaliers

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 the 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.[8] Upon Duvalier's death in 1971, he was succeeded by his nineteen 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.[9]

Roman Catholic pro-democratic movement

The unravelling of the Duvalier regime began with a popular movement supported by the local church and set in motion by the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1983, who before embarking his plane gave a rousing speech ending with an angry exclamation: "Things must change here!"[10] In 1984, anti-government riots broke out throughout the nation and the Haitian Catholic Bishops' Conference initiated a literacy program designed to prepare the Haitian public for participation in the electoral process.[11]

Aristide

File:J B Aristide AP.jpg
Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a former Roman Catholic priest, first became President of Haiti in 1991. He would remain President for three terms until he was deposed in 2004 in a violent revolt.

The priest Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected president in 1990, but was deposed in a coup shortly after his inauguration in 1991. There followed three years of brutal control by a military junta led by Raoul Cedras, before a second American invasion and occupation 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.[12]

Aristide was succeeded by a one-time 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 constitutionally succeed a president and then serve a complete term, leaving office voluntarily 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.

MINUSTAH in 2006.
(photo by Patrick-André Perron)

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, following months of large-scale protests against what critics charged was an increasingly corrupt and violent rule, violence spread through Haiti, involving conflicts between the government and various rebel groups. Under pressure from both foreign governments and internal sources, Aristide left the country for the Central African Republic on February 29. Aristide claimed that he had been kidnapped by agents of the United States government, while the United States and some of Aristide's own security agents claimed that Aristide had agreed to leave the country willingly and that it had escorted him to Africa for his own protection [13]. 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.

In the months following the February Coup, the country was engulfed in violence between the interim government's forces and Lavalas supporters, and many members of the Lavalas party were sent to jail, exiled, or killed. Much of the violence began after police of the interim force began shooting at peaceful Lavalas demonstrations in mid 2004. Over 10,000 workers in Haitian civil enterprises lost their jobs following the coup. A study published in the British medical journal "The Lancet" found through single spatial sampling that 8,000 murders and 35,000 sexual assaults occurred in the greater Port-au-Prince area during the period of the interim regime. Template:PDFlink

Elections were held in February 2006, and René Préval was again elected president. Preval has promised to bring peace and stability to the country. See Haitian elections, 2006.

See also: Operation Secured Tomorrow

Politics

Main article: Politics of Haiti

The politics of Haiti takes place in the framework of a presidential republic, and of a pluriform multi-party system, whereby the President of Haiti is the head of state, while the Prime Minister is head of government. 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, arrondissements, and communes

Departments of Haiti
Main article: Administrative divisions of Haiti

Haiti is divided into 10 départements:

  1. Artibonite
  2. Centre
  3. Grand'Anse
  4. Nippes
  5. Nord
  6. Nord-Est
  7. Nord-Ouest
  8. Ouest
  9. Sud-Est
  10. Sud

The departments are further divided into 41 arrondissements, and 133 communes.

Geography

Map of Haiti
Main article: Geography 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 2,680 m (8,793 feet). The 360-km (224-mile) border is shared with the Dominican Republic. Haiti also contains several islands. The famous island of Tortuga (Île de la Tortue) is located off the coast of northern Haiti. The arrondissement of La Gonâve is located on the island of the same name, in the Gulf of Gonave. Gonave Island is moderately populated by rural villagers. Île à Vache (Island of The Cow) is located off the tip of southwestern Haiti. It is a rather lush island with many beautiful sights. Also part of Haiti are the Cayemites and Ile de Anacaona.

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.[14] 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.[15] Earlier that year in May, floods killed over 3,000 people on Haiti's southern border with the Dominican Republic. [16]

Jared Diamond attributes many of Haiti's political problems to its mismanagement of its ecosystems, particularly deforestation; see Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed.

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

Main article: Economy of Haiti

Haiti remains one of the least-developed countries in the Western Hemisphere (along with Bolivia), 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 154th of 177 countries in the UN’s Human Development Index (2006). About 80% of the population lives in abject poverty, ranking the country second-to-last in the world for that metric. However, since the recent presidential seating, Haiti's economy has been increasing, and may be on the upsurge.

Nearly 70.5% of all Haitians depend on the agricultural 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. It has consistently ranked among the most corrupt countries in the world on the Corruption Perceptions Index.

Under the second Aristide administration and the Alexandre-Latortue administration, difficulty in reaching agreements with international sponsors denied Haiti badly needed budget and developmental assistance. In addition to these geopolitical obstacles, another major impediment to development during the last twenty 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.

However, Haiti has benefited in a rather solid economic partnership with Venezuela. This recently-forged friendship between Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez and Haitian president Rene Preval has resulted in various economic agreements. After a visit by Chavez in March 2007, Venezuela and Cuba announced that they have created a $1 Billion fund to develop energy, health, and infrastructure in Haiti. As part of this deal, 4 power plants will be constructed in Port-au-Prince, Cap-Hatien, and Gonaives,increasing the country's power production by 160 MW by the end of 2007. An oil refinery will also be constructed in Haiti, with a production capacity of 10,000 barrels of oil per day. In the meantime, Venezuela has increased the amount of petroleum it provides Haiti to 14,000 barrels per day, at the same terms afforded to ALBA member countries - these terms are more favorable than the Petrocaribe terms. Venezuela's assistance to Haiti is founded upon a historic act where the newly-independent Haiti welcomed and tended to first Francisco de Miranda, then to Simón Bolívar and provided both with military assistance in the liberation of much of South America. Haiti's Latin American alliance provides the country with much of its needed aid. Cuba has thanked Haiti for consistently voting in the United Nations General Assembly against the embargo put upon Cuba by the United States. Since Preval's induction, the economy has been on a sizeable increase.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Haiti

95% of Haitians are of predominantly African descent. The rest are White or of Mulatto descent, with some of Levantine, Spanish or mestizo heritage. A significant number of Haitians are believed to possess African and Taino/Arawak heritage due to the history of the island, however the number of native-descended Haitians is not known. There is a very small percentage within the minority who are of Japanese or Chinese origin.

Haitian diaspora

As with many other poor Caribbean nations, there is a large diaspora, which includes a lot of illegal immigration to nearby countries. Millions of Haitians live abroad, chiefly in the Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Canada, France, and the United States.

In the United States

There are large numbers of Haitians who inhabit the "Little Haiti" section of Miami. In New York City, the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Flatbush, Crown Heights, and Canarsie are home to many Haitians. In the Borough of Queens, Jamaica, Queens Village and Cambria Heights have large Haitian populations. Many successful Haitians move east to Long Island, where Elmont and other towns have seen many new residents. Other enclaves that contain Haitians include Boston, Cambridge, Malden and Brockton Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois, and Newark, New Jersey and its surrounding areas.

Jean-Baptiste Pointe du Sable is a Haitian man who in 1779 built the first permanent settlement at the mouth of the river just east of the present Michigan Avenue Bridge on the north bank of Chicago. Other notable Americans of Haitian descent include: W.E.B. DuBois the famous civil rights activist, whose father was Haitian born; Wyclef Jean, the rapper/producer; Josmer Altidore, striker for the New York Red Bulls; Jimmy Jean-Louis, actor and model; Garcelle Beauvais, actress; DJ Whoo Kid, official DJ for G-Unit;Tony Yayo, rapper for G-Unit; David Jolicoeur, better known as Trugoy the Dove of the Rap Group, De La Soul; Edwidge Danticat, author; Jean Jean-Pierre, journalist, composer, musician and producer; Jean-Michel Basquiat, artist; CEO of Czar Entertainment, Jimmy "Henchmen" Rosemond.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Haiti

Language

Haiti's official languages are French and Haitian Creole (Kreyòl Ayisyen). Nearly all Haitians speak the latter, a creole based primarily on French and African languages, with some English, Taíno, Portuguese and Spanish influences. Spanish is spoken near the border with the Dominican Republic, and is increasingly being spoken in more westward areas, as Venezuelan, Cuban, and Dominican trade influence Haitian affairs, and Haiti becomes increasingly involved in Latin American transactions.

Tourism

Due to recent political instability, tourism - once a significant industry - has suffered in Haiti, with the exception of Labadee, a port located on the country's northern coast. Labadee is a resort owned by Royal Caribbean International. Although sometimes described in advertisements as an island in its own right, it is actually contiguous with the rest of Hispanola. Labadee is fenced off from the surrounding area. The cruise ships anchor offshore, and passengers are tendered to the resort, often without being told they are in Haiti. Attractions include a Haitian Flea Market, traditional Haitian dance performances, numerous beaches, watersports, and a waterpark.

Religion

File:56732430 Wycleff2AffichageWebgrandformat.jpg
Wyclef Jean

Roman Catholicism is the state religion, which the majority of the population professes. An estimated 20 percent of the population practices Protestantism. A large percentage of the population in Haiti also practices the religion of Vodou (Voodoo), almost always alongside Roman Catholic observances (in most sects, it is required to become Roman Catholic first). Many Haitians deny the recognition of Vodou as a stand alone religion and some claim it is a false religion.

Music

The music of Haiti includes kompa, Haitian Méringue, twobadou, rasin and kadans. Other musical genres popular in Haiti include Trinidadian Soca, merengue (originating in the Dominican Republic), and zouk (a combination of kompa and music from the French Antilles). Musicians such as T-Vice Djakout Mizik,Zenglen,NuLook,K-dans, Carimi perform regularly in the United States and Québec. Sweet Micky is one of the greatest legends of Kompa music; he is called the President of Kompa. The most celebrated Haitian musical artist of today is the Haitian-born Wyclef Jean, American rapper and member of the hip hop trio The Fugees. Another successful artist is Jean Jean-Pierre, a journalist (The Village Voice, the Gannett Newspapers, among others), composer, and producer who has produced several sold-out shows at Carnegie Hall with his Kiskeya Orchestra since 2001.

Art

Haiti is also famous for its distinctive art, notably painting and sculpture. See Haitian art, Category:Haitian painters and Category:Haitian artists

Cuisine

Haitian cuisine.

Haitian Cuisine is influenced in large part by the methods and foods involved in French cuisine as well as by some native staples originating from African and Taíno cuisine, such as cassava (kasav), yam, and maize (mayi). Haitian food, though unique in its own right, shares much in common with that of the rest of Latin America.

References

  1. ^ "Slavery and the Haitian Revolution, Chapter 8 Page 2". Retrieved 2006-09-15.
  2. ^ "Slavery in the Colonial Era". Retrieved 2006-09-15.
  3. ^ "Slavery and the Haitian Revolution, Chapter 8 Page 2". Retrieved 2006-09-18.
  4. ^ "Chapter 6 - Haiti: Historical Setting". Retrieved 2006-09-18.
  5. ^ "Country profile: Haiti". BBC News. Retrieved 2006-09-15.
  6. ^ "Christophe's Kingdom and Pétion's Republic". U.S. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2006-09-18.
  7. ^ "http://countrystudies.us/haiti/15.htm". Haiti - The U.S. occupation 1915-1934. Retrieved 2006-09-18. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  8. ^ "François Duvalier 1957-1971". Retrieved 2006-09-18.
  9. ^ "Growth and structure of the economy". U.S. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2006-09-18.
  10. ^ "Key Dates in Haiti's History". Embassy of the Republic of Haiti. Retrieved 2006-09-18.
  11. ^ "Key Dates in Haiti's History". Embassy of the Republic of Haiti. Retrieved 2006-09-18.
  12. ^ "Crisis in Haiti". BBC News. Retrieved 2006-09-15.
  13. ^ Steve Miller and Joseph Curl (2004). "Aristide accuses U.S. of forcing his ouster". Washington Times. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ "Forestry". Retrieved 2006-09-18.
  15. ^ "Photo Gallery: Jeanne hits Haiti". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2006-09-18.
  16. ^ http://www.globalexchange.org/countries/americas/haiti/2497.html

Further reading

  • Paul Farmer, The uses of Haiti, Common Courage Press 2003, ISBN 1-56751-242-9
  • C. L. R. James: The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L’Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution (1938, Vintage, ISBN 0-679-72467-2)
  • Martin Ros: Night of Fire - The Black Napoleon and the Battle for Haiti, DaCapo Press, New York 1993, ISBN 0-9627613-8-9
  • Wade Davis: The Serpent and The Rainbow
  • Kurlansky, Mark. 1992. A Continent of Islands: Searching for the Caribbean Destiny. Addison-Wesley Publishing. ISBN 0-201-52396-5.
  • Fick, Carolyn E., The Making of Haiti: The Saint Domingue Revolution from Below, University of Tennessee Press; first ed edition (February 1, 1990), ISBN-10: 0870496670, ISBN-13: 978-0870496677
  • Jared Diamond. 2005. Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. New York: Viking. ISBN 0-670-03337-5.
  • Elizabeth McAlister, Rara! Vodou, Power, and Performance in Haiti and its Diaspora, University of California Press, 2002, ISBN 0-520-22823-5.
  • Deibert, Michael. Notes from the Last Testament: The Struggle for Haiti. Seven Stories Press, New York, 2005. ISBN-10: 1583226974.
  • Heinl, Nancy Gordon and Robert. Written in Blood: The Story of the Haitian People 1492-1995. University Press of America, 1996. ISBN: 0761831770

See also

Column-generating template families

The templates listed here are not interchangeable. For example, using {{col-float}} with {{col-end}} instead of {{col-float-end}} would leave a <div>...</div> open, potentially harming any subsequent formatting.

Column templates
Type Family
Handles wiki
table code?†
 Responsive/
mobile suited 		Start template Column divider End template
Float "col-float" Yes Yes {{col-float}} {{col-float-break}} {{col-float-end}}
"columns-start" Yes Yes {{columns-start}} {{column}} {{columns-end}}
Columns "div col" Yes Yes {{div col}} – {{div col end}}
"columns-list" No Yes {{columns-list}} (wraps div col) – –
Flexbox "flex columns" No Yes {{flex columns}} – –
Table "col" Yes No {{col-begin}},
{{col-begin-fixed}} or
{{col-begin-small}} 		{{col-break}} or
{{col-2}} .. {{col-5}} 		{{col-end}}

† Can template handle the basic wiki markup {| | || |- |} used to create tables? If not, special templates that produce these elements (such as {{(!}}, {{!}}, {{!!}}, {{!-}}, {{!)}})—or HTML tags (<table>...</table>, <tr>...</tr>, etc.)—need to be used instead.

History

Culture

The Flag of Haiti
The flag of Haiti was redesigned after the slave revolution over a colonial France. The flag was changed from black and yellow to blue and red.

News

Films

Books

  • Let Haiti Live (2004)
  • Pathologies of Power (2003)

Haitian events

Advocacy

Health Care

NGOs

Community

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