Interesting Facts About Haiti
Haiti is a Caribbean country located on the western portion of the Island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antillean archipelago. Haiti is a tiny country with an area of only 27,750 square kilometres (10,714 sq mi). Despite its tiny size it is home to 9,719,932 people with approximately 897,859 of those living in its capital city of Port-au-Prince. Haiti has only one land border with the Dominican Republic to the east, and these countries share the island of Hispaniola. It is bordered to the west and the south by the Caribbean Sea and to the north by the North Atlantic Ocean.
Interesting facts about Haiti
The country of Haiti is officially known as the Republic of Haiti.
Haiti became a French colony on October 30, 1697. They declared independence on January 1, 1804 and it was formally recognized by France in 17 April 1825.
Haiti is a very mountainous country and the highest point in Haiti is Pic la Selle, at 2,680 meters (8,793 ft).
The official languages of Haiti are Haitian Creole and French, making it one of only two independent nations to declare French as an official language.
French is the language that is used in business and education. Haitian Creole is spoken by the entire population of Haiti.
The currency of Haiti is the Gourde.
Haiti was the first independent nation of Latin America. It was also the first black-led republic in the world and it was also the second republic in the Americans after gaining independence.
Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas with many of its citizens living well below the poverty line.
Haiti is the third largest country in the Caribbean behind Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
Haiti has had many destructive earthquakes in the past with the most recent being the earthquake in January 2010 measuring 7.0. Over 200,000 people died as a result.
Due to its location Haiti also experiences floods and hurricanes.
The average winter temperatures in Haiti range from 23 °C (73.4 °F) to 31 °C (87.8 °F). In the summer months temperatures average 25–35 °C (77–95 °F). Haiti has two wet seasons from April–June and October–November.
Haiti is mostly a catholic country with 80% of the population professing to be Catholic. 16% of the population are protestant and many of the inhabitants practice indigenous religions and voodoo.
Half the children that live in Haiti are unvaccinated and over 90% of them suffer from infections with waterborne diseases and parasites.
Less than 30% of the population are educated above the 6 year of schooling and only half the country is literate.
Haiti has a rich culture that incorporates French, African and Spanish elements. It is well known for its distinctive paintings and sculptures.
Haitian food is often spicy with the use of peppers and chillies. The staple foods of the country are rice and beans. A common dish in Haiti is mais moulu (mayi moulin) and sauce aux pois (sòs pwa), a dish that consists of cornmeal and a mix of beans.
The most popular sport in Haiti is football (soccer). There are many small football leagues that compete with each other regularly.
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