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HAITI
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. It is the poorest country in the
Western Hemisphere.
Population
The estimated population of Haiti in 1989 was 6.1 million, with an average
population density of 182 people per square kilometer. Some 75 percent of the
population lived in rural areas, while only 25 percent remained in urban areas;
this was one of the lowest urban-to-rural population ratios in Latin America and
the Caribbean. The estimated annual population growth rate between 1971 and 1982
was 1.4 percent. The crude mortality rate in 1982 was estimated to be 16.5
percent, with a crude birth rate of 36 percent. A profile of the population
reveals that the majority of Haitians are young. Haiti has conducted only a few
censuses throughout its history. A survey taken during 1918 and 1919 indicated
that there were about 1.9 million people in the country. The first formal
census, taken in 1950, showed that the population had reached 3.1 million. The
second census, in 1971, indicated a population of 4.2 million. Critics have
argued that these censuses, along with one taken in 1982 (the final results of
which were still unavailable as of 1989), were deficient and that they seriously
undercounted the population. Urban areas, particularly Port-au-Prince, grew
significantly in the 1970s and the 1980s. The annual population growth rate of
metropolitan Port-au-Prince was estimated to be 3.5 percent between 1971 and
1982, substantially above the 1.4 percent national rate for that period. The
growth rate for other urban areas was estimated at 2.4 percent. Metropolitan
Port-au-Prince, which includes the capital and the suburbs of Delmas and
Carrefour, was by far the largest urban area, in 1982, with a population of
763,188, or about 61 percent of the total urban population. The population of
the second largest city, CapHaïtien, was estimated to be 64,400 in 1982. The
next two largest towns, Gonaïves and Les Cayes, had estimated populations of
slightly more than 34,000. Six other towns had populations greater than 10,000.
The rural population, which grew about 1 percent a year between 1971 and 1982,
was estimated to be 3.8 million in 1982, 3.4 million in 1971, and 2.7 million in
1950. In 1982 there were about 464 people per square kilometer in rural areas,
one of the highest population densities in the Western Hemisphere.
Economy
In this poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, 80% of the population lives
in abject poverty, and natural disasters frequently sweep the nation. Two-thirds
of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, which consists mainly of
small-scale subsistence farming. Following legislative elections in May 2000,
fraught with irregularities, international donors - including the US and EU -
suspended almost all aid to Haiti. The economy shrank an estimated 1.2% in 2001,
0.9% in 2002, grew 0.4% in 2003, and shrank by 3.5% in 2004. Suspended aid and
loan disbursements totaled more than $500 million at the start of 2003. Haiti
also suffers from rampant inflation, a lack of investment, and a severe trade
deficit. In early 2005 Haiti paid its arrears to the World Bank, paving the way
to reengagement with the Bank. The resumption of aid flows from all donors is
alleviating but not ending the nation's bitter economic problems. Civil strife
in 2004 combined with extensive damage from flooding in southern Haiti in May
2004 and Tropical Storm Jeanne in northwestern Haiti in September 2004 further
impoverished Haiti. Farming and agriculture (coffee beans, sugar and fruits are
grown there) are a big part of Haiti’s economy as well as mining.
Currency
Haiti’s currency is called the gourde. It takes fourty gourdes to equal one
Canadian dollar.
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