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 the island of 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.
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.
The island of
Hispaniola, of which Haiti occupies the western third, was originally inhabited by
Taíno and
Arawak. On
December 5,
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.
Under 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 Haiti 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 Haiti 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 Haiti 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 [
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 brutal conditions of slavery prevented the population from experiencing growth through natural increase[
2]. African cultures thus remained strong among slaves to the end of French rule.
Independence
|
Jean Jacques Dessalines became Haiti's first emperor in 1804. |
|
Although he unofficially led politically the nation during the revolution, Toussaint L'Ouverture is considered the father of Haiti. |
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 [
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. 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 , 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.
American occupation
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 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.
|
Dr. François Duvalier, also known as Papa Doc, was an ex-doctor who ruled as dictator of Haiti from 1964 to his death in 1971. |
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.
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 his angy exclamation, "Things must change here!" [
4] 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.
Aristide
|
Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a former Roman Catholic priest, first became President of Haiti in 1991. He would lead for three times until he was deposed for good in 2004 in a violent revolution. |
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 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.
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 of Haiti takes place in a 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.
Administratively, Haiti is divided into ten
departments:
*
Artibonite*
Centre*
Grand'Anse*
Nippes*
Nord*
Nord-Est*
Nord-Ouest*
Ouest*
Sud*
Sud-Est |
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 [
5]. 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.[
6]
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.
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.
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.
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.")
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.
Main article: Music of Haiti
The
music of Haiti is easily distinguished from other styles. It includes
kompa 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 being one of the first Haitian artists to find commercial success. Recently making waves in the music industry is Haitian born
Ralph "Wonder" Chevry known for his dancehall infused ragga style.
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:
*Diri ak Pwa: Rice and Beans
*Griyo: Fried Pork
*Kabrit: Goat
*Poule Sos: Chicken in sauce
*Mayi moule: Cornmeal
*Legim: Vegetables (okra, eggplant, tomatoes, and more ingredients)
*Pwason: Fish
*Diri ak Let: A dessert composed of sweetened milk and rice
*Banann Fri/Peze: (Fried Plantains, also popular in the
Dominican Republic)
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:
*Celery
*Red peppers
*Green peppers
*Cilantro
*Onion
*Garlic
*Vegetable Oil
*Tomatoes (optional, but used in some provinces)
All of the ingredients are blended together and a dash of sugar or
Adobo is added. Salt should not be included or subsituted for this. This season is mainly used to condiment or prepare meats, cooked rice and/or stews.
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.
*
Garcelle Beauvais - American model (born November 26, 1966 in St. Marc, Haiti),
USA (Voted one of "The 10 Sexiest Women of 2001" by the readers of Black Men Magazine. Former Ford Agency model).
*
Nicolas Geffrard - Haitian songwriter; composed Haitian national anthem "La Dessalinienne" 1904 (1871-1930),
Haiti*
Michaëlle Jean (born
September 6,
1957, in Port-au-Prince) -
journalist and current
Governor-General of Canada,
Canada*
Wyclef Jean - American rapper (born October 17, 1972 in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti),
USA*
Pras Michel - A member of
The Fugees, along with Wyclef Jean. Also released a song, "
Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)", featuring
Mýa Harrison and
Ol' Dirty Bastard.
See List of Haitians.
*
Freeport Tortuga*
Hispaniola*
Little Haiti*
West Indies*
Caribbean*
Latin America*
Transport in Haiti*
Haiti's external debt*
Haiti PartnershipNews*
Yahoo! News Full Coverage*
Encyclpaedia Britannica - Haiti's country page*
Haiti Progre - Lavalas news in several languages*
Articles and News Focusing in on Canada's Role in Haiti*
Website of Haitian Populat Movement Fanmi Lavalas*
Articles and News Focusing in on Canada's Role in Haiti*
ZMag analysis on current situation in Haiti *
Coalition of Organizations in US for Haiti justice*
AlterPresse news briefs in several languages*
IFEX independent news*
Haiti News*[https://listhost.uchicago.edu/mailman/listinfo/haiti-news Haiti-news list], Haitian news
*
Le Nouvelliste Online, political, social, economics, culture and entertainment, sports news
History*
Key Dates in Haitian History - Embassy of Haiti
*
People in Haitian History - Founders and heroes of Haiti
*
Bob Corbett's Haitian History Page - in-depth information about Haitian history and literature
*
Napolean's secret orders to General Leclerc*
1937 massacre - information about the 1937 massacre of 18,000 Haitians by Dominican President Rafael Trujillo
Health Care*
Meds & Food for Kids - Stop malnutrition in Haiti before it takes another life.
*
International Child Care - Christian health development organization in Haiti & Grace Children's Hospital
*
Konbit Sante A New England based Health Partnership with the people of Cap-Haitien
*
Haiti Help Med Plus - Haitian medical aid organization
*
Zanmi Lasante - Public health NGO Partners in Health
NGOs*
Hope for Haiti - Educational and grassroots development in rural Haiti.
*
Haiti Innovation - Markets sustainable, development projects in Haiti to an active community of Haiti enthusiasts and aid donors
*
Pwof Ansanm - educational iniative in Haiti
*
Lambi Fund of Haiti - sustainable development and reforestation
*
Akolad.com - home of Haitian community online
*
HaitiXchange.com - Haitian people, news, and culture
*
Haiti Action*
Haiti Democracy Project*
Haiti Support Group*
National Coalition for Haitian Rights*
National Palace*
Sakapfet Online*
Second Generation Haitian-American (Interview)*
Autorite Aeroportuaire Nationale d'Haiti (AAN)*
The Louverture Project - Haitian History Wiki
*
Hastings Human Rights Project for Haiti - A student led project which lodged a complaint on behalf of former PM Yvon Neptune
*
Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti - News and human rights activism for Haiti with weekly newsletter
