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Haiti |
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Capital city: Port-au-Prince
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2003 est.) Ethnic groups that make up the population: black 95%, mulatto and white 5% Religions: Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% (1982) note: roughly half of the population also practices Voodoo Languages: French (official), Creole (official) Literacy rate (Definition: age 15 and over can read and write):total population:52.9%;male: 54.8%; female: 51.2% (2003 est.) Legal system: based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Industries & Agriculture: sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, light assembly industries based on imported parts/ coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum; wood GDP: $10.6 billion (2002 est.) GDP per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2002 est.) Currency: gourde (HTG) Misc. interesting facts: the native Arawak Amerindians - who inhabited the island of Hispaniola when it was discovered by Columbus in 1492 - were virtually annihilated by Spanish settlers within 25 years. In the early 17th century, the French established a presence on Hispaniola , and in 1697, Spain ceded 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 the heavy importation of African slaves and considerable environmental degradation. In the late 18th century, Haiti 's nearly half million slaves revolted under Toussaint L'OUVERTURE and after a prolonged struggle, became the first black republic to declare its independence in 1804. Haiti has been plagued by political violence for most of its history since then, and it is now one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere . Over three decades of dictatorship followed by military rule ended in 1990 when Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE was elected president. Most of his term was usurped by a military takeover, but he was able to return to office in 1994 and oversee the installation of a close associate to the presidency in 1996. ARISTIDE won a second term as president in 2000, and took office early in 2001. However, a political crisis stemming from fraudulent legislative elections in 2000 has not yet been resolved. References: CIA Fact book http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html
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