Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of
Hispaniola in the
Caribbean Sea, east of
Cuba and
Jamaica, and south of
The Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the
Dominican Republic. Haiti is the third largest country in the
Caribbean, and with an estimated population of 11.4 million, is the most populous Caribbean country.0 The capital and largest city is
Port-au-Prince.
The first century of independence was characterized by political instability, international isolation,
crippling debt payments to France, and a
costly war with neighboring Dominican Republic. Political volatility and foreign economic influence prompted a
U.S. occupation from 1915 to 1934. A series of unstable presidencies gave way to nearly three decades of dictatorship under the
Duvalier family (1957–1986), which brought state-sanctioned violence, corruption, and economic stagnation. Following a
coup d'état in 2004, the
United Nations intervened to stabilize the country. In 2010, Haiti suffered a
catastrophic earthquake, followed by a deadly
cholera outbreak. With its deteriorating economic situation, Haiti has experienced
a socioeconomic and political crisis marked by riots and protests, widespread hunger, and increased gang activity. As of May 2024, the country has had no remaining elected government officials and has been described as a
failed state. (Full article...)
Toussaint Louverture was born as a slave in the French colony of
Saint-Domingue, now known as
Haiti. He was a devout Catholic, and was
manumitted as an affranchi (ex-slave) before the
French Revolution, identifying as a
Creole for the greater part of his life. During his time as an affranchi, he became a salaried employee, an overseer of his former master's plantation, and later became a wealthy slave owner himself; Toussaint Louverture owned several
coffee plantations at Petit Cormier, Grande Rivière, and Ennery. At the start of the Haitian revolution he was nearly 50 years old and began his military career as a lieutenant to
Georges Biassou, an early leader of the 1791 War for Freedom in Saint-Domingue. Initially allied with the
Spaniards of neighboring
Santo Domingo, Louverture switched his allegiance to the French when the new
Republican governmentabolished slavery. Louverture gradually established control over the whole island and used his political and military influence to gain dominance over his rivals. (Full article...)
...that in 2004, Hurricane Jeanne hit the coastal city of
Gonaïves, where it affected about 80,000 of the city's 100,000 residents. Official reports counted 3,006 people dead, with 2,826 of those in
Gonaïves alone.
...that former
President of HaitiJean-Claude Duvalier, also known as "Baby Doc" was exiled to France after his disposition in 1986. He lost most of his wealth due to his divorce from his wife Michèle, But died October 4, 2014, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti due to a heart attack at the age of 63.
Image 3Staff of the German legation and the Hamburg-Amerika Line agency at Port-au-Prince, Haiti in 1900. The agency was involved in the staffing and management of the legation. German nationals were comparatively numerous in Haiti and heavily involved in the Haitian economy until World War I. (from History of Haiti)
Image 41"Burning of the Plaine du Cap – Massacre of whites by the blacks". On 22 August 1791, slaves set fire to plantations, torched cities, and massacred the white population. (from History of Haiti)