Haiti is a small country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea. It is bordered by the Dominican Republic to the east and Cuba to the north. Haiti covers an area of 27,750 square kilometers (10,714 square miles) and has a population of over 10 million people. The capital city of Haiti is Port-au-Prince, which is also the largest city in the country.
Haiti is a French-speaking country and its official language is Haitian Creole. French is also spoken by many people in Haiti. The currency of Haiti is the Haitian Gourde (HTG).
The economy of Haiti is based mainly on agriculture, with 80% of the population engaged in subsistence farming. The main crops grown in Haiti are sugarcane, rice, corn, beans, coffee, and cocoa. Manufacturing and tourism are also important sectors of the economy.
Haiti has a long history dating back to before Columbus arrived in 1492. The native Taino people were living on the island when Columbus arrived and they were soon enslaved by the Spanish colonists who began settling there. In 1697, Spain ceded control of Hispaniola to France. The French colony of Saint-Domingue was established on Hispaniola with Port-au-Prince as its capital city.
Saint-Domingue became one of the richest colonies in the world due to its large production of sugarcane and other crops. However, conditions for slaves were very bad and they revolted against their masters in 1791. After years of fighting, independence was finally achieved in 1804 under leader Jean-Jacques Dessalines who renamed Saint-Domingue as Haiti – meaning “land of mountains” or “mountainous country” . Following independence, Haiti’s economy collapsed due to mismanagement and political instability . This led to decades of poverty , hunger , and violence . In 2010 , a massive earthquake struck Haiti causing widespread damage and killing over 200 000 people . Reconstruction efforts are still ongoing . Despite all these challenges , Haitians remain a resilient people with a rich culture steeped in music , dance , art ,and literature