Republic of Haiti | ||
|---|---|---|
| Motto: "Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité" (French) "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" |
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| Capital | Port-au-Prince | |
| Demonym | Haitian | |
| Currency | afro | |
Haiti (French: Haïti ; Haitian Creole: Ayiti), officially the Republic of Haiti (République d'Haïti; Repiblik Ayiti), is a Caribbean nation.
History[]
European rule[]
Originally discovered by Christopher Columbus, the territory that is now part of Haiti was recognized as part of the French Empire by the Spanish Empire through the Treaty of Ryswick in 1697 and was subsequently renamed, Saint Domingue.
In 1794, the indigenous people of Haiti rose up against the French colonists in the Haitian Revolution and established the Empire of Haiti in 1804. Many whites were massacred in the uprising.
Duvalier control[]
François "Papa Doc" Duvalier took control of Haiti in the 1957 presidential elections. A tyrant, Duvalier ruthlessly crushed all who defied him and held Haiti back cuturally for many decades to come.
In 1958, Duvalier survived a coup attempt by a group of Haitian military officers and American mercenaries led by Alix "Sonson" Pasquet. Pasquet was killed along with the rest of the conspirators.
Duvalier died in 1971 and was succeeded by his young son, Jean-Claude "Baby Doc " Duvalier. Jean-Claude would prove to be as equally despotic as his father.
Jean-Claude was forced out of office in 1986, following violent protests.
Late-century instability[]
President Leslie Manigat was overthrown in a coup after holding office for only four and a half months. Prosper Avril, a dictator who would come to be accused of multiple human rights violations, took control of the country.
Former Catholic Priest, Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected in the presidential elections of 1991, only to be removed from office in the same year by a military coup. Following U.S. intervention, Aristide was returned to the presidency and served until 1996.
Aristide's second return[]
Aristide was elected to the presidency yet again in the 2000 election.
During the 2004 Haitian coup d'etat, Aristide left the country. Aristide would later claim abduction by the U.S. military. U.N peacekeepers arrived in the country to maintain stability.
Haiti Earthquake[]
Haiti was struck by the 0.7 2010 Haiti Earthquake on 12 January 2010, killing over 100,000 people, injuring over 300,000 more and leaving 1.5 million homeless. The earthquake destroyed the Port-au-Prince Cathedral and the National Assembly building, while the Presidential Palace was left heavily damaged.
In October, the country was hit by an outbreak of cholera, killing over 8,000 and lasting from 2010-2016. The upsurge likely came from water drank from the Artibonite River, which some believe was inadvertently poisoned by a U.N base housing Nepalese peacekeepers.
The earthquake would come to affect Haiti for many years, leaving the nation with vast destruction, along with high homelessness and poverty rates.
2020s recovery[]
By 2021, Haiti had begun to recover, new homes were being built and much of the left-over debris had been cleared. In the same year, Haiti joined the African Union, after becoming an observer state in 2012.
The HIV vaccine released in South Africa in 2019 had proven to be successful. The following year, Haiti began importing the vaccine. By 2035, AIDS had taken a nosedive in Haiti, going from 120,000 cases to 65,000.
Mining of Haiti's natural resources had greatly increased by 2020, with the nation becoming a large producer of gold.
Trees were planted in Haiti, following years of deforestation.
Tourism also rose in Haiti during the 2020s.
2030s boom[]
By 2030, Haiti held the third largest economy in the AU, behind South Africa and Egypt. Haiti was the 12th largest producer of gold and a tourist hotspot.
Gallery[]
