Haiti

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République d'Haïti Repiblik d Ayiti Republic of Haiti
Official flag Official Coat of Arms
National information
National motto:	L'Union Fait La Force (French) Unity makes Strength
National anthem:	La Dessalinienne
About the people
Official languages:	French, Haitian Creole
Population: (# of people)
- Total:	8,706,497 (July 2007 estimate)[1] (ranked 91)
- Density:	181.8 per km²
Geography / Places
Here is the country on a map of the world.
Capital city:	Port-au-Prince
Largest city:	Port-au-Prince
Area
- Total:	27,750 (ranked 155)
- Water:	190 km² (0.72%)
Politics / Government
Established:	-Independence from France: January 1, 1804
Leaders:	President: René Préval
Economy / Money
Currency: (Name of money)	Gourde
International information
Time zone:	UTC-4
Telephone dialing code:	509
Internet domain:	.ht

Haiti (French: Haïti; Haitian Creole: Ayiti), officially the Republic of Haiti (French: République d'Haïti; Haitian Creole: Repiblik d Ayiti) is a country on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola; the other country on the island is the Dominican Republic. There are two official language: French and Haitian Creole, or "Kreyol".The capital city of Haiti is Port-au-Prince.

It has a tropical climate, and is called in French "La Perle des Antilles" (The pearl of the Antilles), because of its natural beauty. It is very mountainous, but is no longer covered with forests, as it once was. It is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

Haiti is divided into ten departements. There are two official languages, French and Haitian creole, or "Kreyol". The main religion is Roman Catholic, however Voodoo, derived from African folk beliefs in Benin, is still widely practised also. There are many holidays; the largest and most important is the Mardi Gras.

[change] History

The native Arawak Amerindians - who lived in the island of Hispaniola when it was discovered by Columbus - were brutally killed by Spanish conquistadors within twenty-five years.

In the early 17th century, the French established a colony on Hispaniola, and in 1697, Spain sold to the French the western third of the island, Haiti. The French colony, based on forestry and sugar-related industries, became one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean, but only through bringing many African slaves and destroying much of the environment.

In the late 18th century, Haiti's nearly half million slaves revolted under Toussaint L'Ouverture, and after a hard and bloody struggle, became the first black republic to declare its independence in 1804. Today there are many historic monuments remembering this; one of the largest is La Citadelle Laferriere.

[change] Departments

Main article: Departments of Haiti

Haiti is made of ten regions known as departments (French: départments, singular départment). These departments are further divided into 41 arrondissements, and 133 communes, second and third level units of administration.

The 10 departments, with their capital cities in parentheses, are:

.

1. Artibonite (Gonaïves)
2. Centre (Hinche)
3. Grand'Anse (Jérémie)
4. Nippes (Miragoâne)
5. Nord (Cap-Haïtien)
6. Nord-Est (Fort-Liberté)
7. Nord-Ouest (Port-de-Paix)
8. Ouest (Port-au-Prince) *national capital*
9. Sud-Est (Jacmel)
10. Sud (Les Cayes)

[change] Holidays

Official holidays (on the same day every year)

• 1 January: Jour de l'Indépendance ("Independence Day")
• 2 January: Jour des Aïeux ("Ancestors' Day")
• 1 May: Fête de l'Agriculture et du Travail ("Agriculture and Labor Day")
• 18 May: Fête du Drapeau et de l'Université ("Flag and University Day")
• 17 October: Anniversary of the Death of Jean-Jacques Dessalines
• 1 November: All Saint's Day
• 2 November: All Soul's Day
• 18 November: Battle of Vertières' Day and Armed Forces Day
• 25 December: Christmas Day

Traditional and religious holidays (dates vary according to the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church)

• Carnival (Only Mardi Gras is an official holiday)
• Good Friday
• Corpus Christi

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Antigua and Barbuda · Bahamas¹ · Barbados · Belize · Dominica · Grenada · Guyana · Haiti · Jamaica · Montserrat · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Suriname · Trinidad and Tobago
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¹ Member of the community but not the Caribbean (CARICOM) Single Market and Economy.