Republic of Haiti (Geography, Caribbean)

Haiti Geography Facts:

• Haiti - officially the Republic of Haiti.
• Occupies the island of Hispanola along with the Dominican Republic.
• Part of the Greater Antillean archipelago.
• Capital of Haiti is Port-au-Prince.
• Haiti's terrain consists mainly of rugged mountains connected with small coastal plains and river valleys.
• The country's highest point is Pic la Selle (2,680 metres or 8,793 ft).
• The total area of Haiti is 27,750 square kilometres (10,714 sq mi).
• Haiti has been rocked by a huge earthquake (7.0 on Richter scale) on January 12, 2010, at 4:53 p.m. EST.
  

Haiti Culture:

• Creole- and French-speaking Caribbean country.
• Haiti is the only predominantly Francophone independent nation in the Americas.

Haiti History:

• Originally inhabited by the Taíno Arawak Indians (were seafaring South American Arawaks).
• Ayiti (meaning - land of high mountains) was the indigenous Taíno name for this mountainous western (Haiti) side of the island.
• Christopher Columbus landed at Môle Saint-Nicolas (5 December 1492) claiming the whole island for Spain.
• The spanish subsequently exploited the island for its gold.
• The spanish were also responsible for introducing new diseases to the indigenous population, including smallpox, which decimated their numbers.
• As a result, the spanish then started importing African slaves to the island.
• French buccaneers, including Bertrand D'Ogeron, settled in the area & started growing tobacco during the 1600s.
• France & Spain settled hostilities on the island of Hispanola with the Treaty of Ryswick of 1697.
• France obtained the western third of Hispanola island & named it Saint-Domingue.
• The French Revolution in France also contributed to the onset of the Haitian Revolution.

Haiti Politics:

• The government of Haiti is a semi-presidential republic.
• Haiti was the first independent nation in Latin America.
• Interestingly, Haiti is also the only nation whose independence was attained following a successful slave rebellion.

Image - Presidential Palace (prior to earthquake) by Garrett Crawford (cc)

Posted by ALCHEssMIST.
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