Haiti – geography
A large part of Haiti consists of two peninsulas respectively. north and south of Gonâve Bay; the capital Port-au-Prince is located at the bottom of this. Everywhere the landscape is mountainous; three chains of west-east orientation continue into the neighboring country, the Dominican Republic. Lowlands are found mainly on the north coast and at the mouth of the river Artibonite. The climate is tropical and humid, but is moderated by cool sea winds and in the heights.
Hurricanes regularly hit the country in the hottest time from August. In 2004, more than 3,000 people died as a result of Hurricane Jeannes. Droughts can result in extensive damage to agriculture, and the country has experienced actual famine several times in history; Haiti remains a frequent recipient of international food aid.
In January 2010, Haiti was hit by a powerful earthquake with epicenter near Port-au-Prince, measured at 7.0 on the Richter scale, costing over 220,000 lives and 1.5 million people. homeless people.
Population and occupation
Haiti is densely populated and its population is growing at over 2% per year despite significant emigration; many Haitians are illegal immigrants to the United States and the Dominican Republic.
- Countryaah: Do you know how many people there are in Haiti? Check this site to see population pyramid and resident density about this country.
The vast majority of the population is of pure African descent, while 5% are of mixed African and European descent; whites make up a very small minority. The native Native American population of Hispaniola perished in the 1600’s. after the arrival of the Spaniards.
In the 1900’s. the minority of mixed African and European descent came to constitute the politically and economically dominant elite, and there are striking social differences between the black population and the mixed and white population.
Development aid, from the United States, is an important item in the Haitian economy; the country is considered among the world’s 25 least developed. The persistent political unrest since the days of slavery is only part of the explanation; another is a prolonged and very extensive erosion of the natural basis.
The former forested land is now largely deforested, and erosion in the mountainous terrain with heavy rainfall is a huge problem. Deforestation has taken place partly to include arable land for the growing population, and partly to provide firewood in a country without significant energy raw materials.
Agriculture covers half of the area, and over 70% of the population lives in the countryside. The main crops are corn, rice, bananas and sweet potatoes; for export, coffee, sugar cane, sisal and cocoa are grown.
The industrial sector is characterized by foreign (American) tax-favored light industry, which manufactures electronics, clothing, baseballs and other products that can utilize cheap, unskilled labor. A large part is exported, but the imports of especially fuels, food and consumer goods far exceed the exports, and Haiti has very big debt problems.
Home Extensions from the 1 1/2 million. Haitians working abroad make an important contribution to the balance of payments, and following a setback in the political turmoil since the 1980’s, tourism is on the rise.
All types of infrastructure are only weakly developed. The country has no railways and only 600 km of roads in reasonable condition. In 1982, UNESCO added the Sans Souci Imperial Palace, located in the north of the country, to the World Heritage List. The facility was built shortly after the country’s independence as a residence and fortress for Henri Christophe, who in 1811 proclaimed himself Emperor Henri I of Haiti.
Haiti – language
The official languages are French and since 1987 French Creole, also called Haitian. The Creole language, which is characterized by the fact that the vocabulary is almost exclusively of French origin, while the grammar is very different from the French, is the mother tongue of more than 90% of the population. Haiti is the only Francophone country in which the Creole language is the official language. Radio and television programs are broadcast in both French and Creole, while the press and teaching are French-dominated. For culture and traditions of Haiti, please check calculatorinc.
Haiti – religion
Ca. 90% of the population are baptized as Catholics; approximately 10% are Protestants, especially Baptists. However, the vast majority of the population also belongs to voodoo, a syncretistic religion, ie. mixed with elements of Catholicism and African religions, especially ancestral worship, ecstasy, shamanism, and various magical notions (see African Americans). The official church has taken a somewhat volatile approach to voodoo, but most often regarded it as “satanic”, purely superstitious phenomena.
