View of Citadelle from ramparts |
1492 Christopher Columbus encounters what is today
called Haiti, landing on the north coast of the island, near today’s
city of Cap Haitien
1625 First French settlements on Tortuga Island, off the
northwest coast of the island of Hispaniola, are established
mid-1600s French settlements and plantations are established
in coastal areas on the western third of the island
1697 Under the terms of the Treaty of Ryswick, Spain cedes
the western third of Hispaniola to France
1700s The French colony of Saint Domingue becomes one
of the richest European colonies in the world, with such slave-produced
tropical crops as sugarcane, cotton, tobacco, and indigo generating
great wealth for the French
1791 The Haitian Revolution begins when a group of slaves
gather at a place in the northern part of the colony called Bois-Caiman
1804 Haiti becomes independent on January 1, following
a series of victories by the revolting slaves over the French
1815-1816 Simon Bolivar visits Haiti twice and receives
military assistance for revolts in South America against the Spanish
crown
1822 Haiti invades the Spanish colony of Santo Domingo
(today’s Dominican Republic) and unifies the island under
Haitian rule
1838 France recognizes Haiti’s independence
View of Citadelle from afar |
1844 The Haitian occupation of Santo Domingo ends
1862 The United States, under President Lincoln, grants
Haiti formal diplomatic recognition
1889 Frederick Douglass is appointed as U.S. Minister
and Consul General to Haiti
1915 United States Marines invade Haiti and occupy it.
1934 The nineteen year U.S. occupation ends
1937 Thousands of Haitians living in the Dominican Republic
are forced back into Haiti or massacred by the Dominican armed
forces
1945 Haiti becomes a charter member of the United Nations
1957 Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier becomes
President of Haiti
1958-1964 Duvalier cracks down violently against his opponents,
driving many of them into exile in the United States
1964 Papa Doc declares himself “President-for-Life”
1971 Francois Duvalier dies and is succeeded by his son,
Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier
1970s-1980s Thousands of Haitians flee poverty and repression
in Haiti by boat, often arriving in South Florida
View of Citadelle from above |
1983 Pope John Paul II visits Haiti
1986 Baby Doc flees Haiti on February 7th, taking up exile
in France
1990 In mid-December, Jean-Bertrand Aristide is elected
President of Haiti
1991 A military coup d’etat in late September deposes
Aristide, who goes into exile in the United States
1991-1994 Thousands of Haitians flee violence and repression
in Haiti by boat. Although most are repatriated to Haiti by the
U.S. government, many enter the United States as refugees
1994 The defacto military government is ousted and Aristide
is restored to office following a multi-national military intervention
in September sanctioned by the United Nations and led by the United
States
1995 United Nations Peacekeeping force succeeds the intervening
Multi-national Force (MNF)
1996 Aristide completes his five-year term in office on
February 7th and is succeeded by Rene Preval, elected in December
1995.
1999-2000 Haitian-Americans are elected to state legislatures
in Florida and Massachusetts and to key municipal posts in South
Florida
2000 The last United Nations peacekeeping forces withdrawal
from Haiti
2000 Legislative, municipal and local elections are held
in May. The validity of the results of seven-to-ten of a total
of 19 senatorial races are disputed by the Organization of American
States
2001 Aristide succeeds Preval for a second five-year term,
following his success in elections held in December 2000
2001-2003 Political power struggles emanating from 2000
election controversies give rise to increasing economic and political
instability and uncertainty in the country
2004 Haiti’s 200 anniversary of independence
Note: Because exact statistical data on Haiti is often difficult
to obtain many statistics, as indicated below, are estimates.
Map of Haiti in Creole |
Geography
Location: Western 1/3 of the Island of Hispaniola, bounded
by the Dominican Republic to the east; the Atlantic Ocean to the
north; the Caribbean Sea to the south; the Gulf of la Gonave to
the West
Area: 27,750 Sq. km. (10714 sq. mi.) – about the
size of Maryland
Principal offshore territories: Isle de la Gonave; Isle de la
Tortue
Cities: Port-au-Prince (Capital), Cap Haitien, Gonaives,
Les Cayes, Jacmel, Jeremie, Port-de-Paix
Terrain: Rugged mountains with small coastal plains and
river valleys, and a large east-central elevated plateau
Climate: Warm, semiarid, high humidity in many coastal
areas
People
Nationality: Haitian(s)
Population: 7,750,000 (est.); 2,000,000 in Port-au-Prince
metropolitan area (est. 2001)
Annual Growth Rate: 1.42% (est. 2001)
Ethnic Groups: African descent (95%), African and European Descent
(5%)
Religions: Roman Catholic (80%), Protestant (16%), vodou practices
pervasive
Languages (Official): Creole (100%) and French (about 10%); English
and Spanish also spoken
Education: Six years compulsory; Adult literacy - 47% (est.
2001)
Health: Infant Mortality Rate – 93/1000 (est. 2001)
HIV/AIDS prevalence rate: 5% (est. 2001)
Life Expectancy: 51 years (est. 2001)
Government
Type: Republic
Independence: 1804
Constitution: 1987
Branches: Executive (President and Prime Minister); Legislative
(Senate, 27 seats; Chamber of Deputies, 83 seats); Judicial
Administrative subdivisions: Nine departments
Suffrage: Universal at 18 years of age
National Motto: l’Union Fait La Force (Union Makes Strength)
Embassy of Haiti in the United States: 2311 Massachusetts Ave.
NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202-332-4090)
Economy
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $4.3 billion (est. 2001)
GDP growth rate: -1.2% (est. 2001)
Per capita Gross National Product (GNP): $520 (est. 2001)
GDP by sector: Agriculture (25%); Industry (16%); Services
(52%); Indirect and Import Taxes (7%) – (est. 2001)
Natural Resources: Copper, calcium carbonate, marble
Agriculture: Coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, cacao,
sorghum, beans, other fruits and vegetables
Industries: sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement,
light assembly industries based on imported parts
Services: Commerce, government, tourism
Trade: Major market: U.S. (approx. 75% of exports and 65%
of imports); Secondary markets: the European Union and
the Dominican Republic
Currency: Haitian gourde
Exchange rate: approximately 29 to 1 U.S. dollar (fluctuates)
