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Haiti, in the West Indies, occupies the western third of the island of Hispaniola, that it shares with the Dominican Republic.

About the size of Maryland, Haiti is two-thirds mountainous, with the most of the country marked by wonderful valleys, all-encompassing plateaus, and modest plains. Haiti is known to be a compelling country to tourfor those with a feel for rich history.

Notwithstanding the fact that preservation has to this day not been a priority for very the majority of of the numerous Haitien governments, benign neglect has to this day left the countryside covered with remnants of the wars for freedom, the defeat of the Slaver Empire.

Haiti is one of two countries making up the island of Hispaniola. Originally inhabited by the Taino, Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492 and claimed the land for the Kingdom of Spain. One of his ships, the Santa Maria, ran aground and Columbus left men behind, establishing the first Spanish settlement, which was quickly destroyed by the natives. Spain mined the land for gold using natives and imported Africans as slaves. Over the next several years, piracy sprung up, with French buccaneers establishing a foothold in Haiti. France and Spain formally split Hispaniola in 1697 into the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Many colonists from French territories quickly established a rich economy with coffee, indigo, and sugar plantations. Slaves fought for independence and freedom in the early 19th century, succeeding in 1804 through a bloody rebellion and a subsequent mass exodus of French slave owners. Over the next several years, political strife made Haiti a difficult place to live. In the 20th century, the U.S. assisted Haiti by paying off huge debts in exchange for political control. From the mid 1950s until 1986, Haiti was ruled by the dictatorial Duvalier family, until the son sough exile in France and a new Constitution established in 1986. Violent assassination attempts, coups, and revolts occurred frequently during the next twenty years. In 2010, a massive earthquake devastated the country, killing over 310,000 people and leaving the majority of the population homeless. Humanitarian efforts are ongoing to assist Haiti’s people with basic necessities to rebuild.

Haiti enjoys a tropical climate. It is unfortunately, prone to mass flooding due to manmade deforestation and subsequent desertification. Tropical storms are prevalent in the area, and Haiti has been hard hit over the past several years with high winds and heavy rains. On January 12, 2010, a massive earthquake stuck right outside the capital, Port-au-Prince.

According to the latest statistics, Haiti has over 9.7 million citizens, most of which are of mixed race: Taino and African descent. There is a small population of European and East Indians, as well as caucasian Haitians.