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About Haiti
Haiti is located in the Caribbean, western one-third of the island of
Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west
of the Dominican Republic
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.
The above information is from the CIA World Fact Book which can be read
in its entirety at:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ha.html
Map of Haiti
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Flag of the Republic of Haiti
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