Category: Haiti

Haiti is a country in the Antilles, bathed by the Caribbean Sea, and occupies the western third of the Hispaniola Island. The rest of the island is occupied by the Dominican Republic. The Spanish colonization of present-day Haiti began in the first decades of the 16th century. In 1697, Spain passed control of that part of the island to France, which developed sugar cane plantations with slave labor. In 1804, it became the first Caribbean country to achieve independence. In 1957, François Duvalier assumed the government of the country and imposed a dictatorship, which lasted until 1986. The following years were of political turbulence. In 2004, Haiti underwent international intervention through the UN, including with troops sent from Brazil. In 2010, an earthquake devastated Haiti, which was already one of the poorest countries in the world. There are more than 10 million residents (2015). The capital is Port – au – Prince (Port-au-Prince).