Haiti History

Haiti has the distinction of being the first black independent republic, who altogether two centuries ago was the wealthinessiest country in the New World and equal much than a quarter of Frances economy. Yet to daytime Haiti has been called un pays tite-en-bas where virtually 80% if Haitians live in unquestioning poverty, and n archeozoic 1/3 of the community is ill or underweight. A long history of political oppression, district erosion, lack of knowledge and population density of 618 people per square inter landal mile has caused modern Haiti to become the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.After al closely 200 years of rule by a series of coercive emperors, eccentric kings, cruel dictators, powerless presidents and tyrannical generals Haiti is living in absolute poverty. Haiti has a GDP of less then $8 billion a year and the per capita income is less then $250 showing how poor Haiti truly is. When half a million slaves revolted against their colonial masters in 1804, Haiti became the first nation to abolish slavery. Haiti saw 22 heads of state in 72 years causing unrest and turmoil between the Haitian people.After tetrad-spot consecutive years of Haitian presidents being murdered or disposed, the coupled States sent marines to Haiti. When the Americans left in 1934, Haiti was again in turmoil, with frequent coups, revolutions, dictatorship, and thoroughfare violence until the election of Franiois Duvalier in 1957. Duvaliers rule soon turned into unrivaled of repression and fear and he soon declared himself president-for-life in 1964. Following his death, his male child Jean-Claude used the same violent methods of his father to keep control of Haiti. point too History QuizzesUnder his poor leadership, Haiti became one of the worlds poorest countries. Most of Haitis stinting problems are the result of economic mismanagement and government corruption. Forests were cleared, which caused soil erosion, devising the land dry and infer tile. Farming employs nearly three-fifths of the workforce (see figure 1). The modal(a) salary is only $70 a month, and yet inflation stand out 14% a year. The growing population has forced many small-scale farmers to concentrate on growing food for themselves, making it impossible to imbibe any income.Nearly 3/4 of the population of Haiti cooks with charcoal, cutting ware so many trees that deforestation of the mountains is a major problem. Only about 4% of the land is forest, compared to 30% of US land (see figure 2 3). Extreme weather conditions further threaten the land, with torrential rains during hurricane season belt along down deforested mountains and destroying fields, roads and homes. This has caused a horrific impact on Haiti. fewer then 13% have access to safe drinking peeing, and most Haitians struggle to find enough food to eat each day (it is estimated that Haiti produces only 40% of the food it needs).Although public genteelness in Haiti is free, textbooks and some other school materials are not, and as a result many children, particularly those in rural areas (the 90% of Haitians that live in absolute poverty, to a fault called peasants) cannot afford to go to school. It is estimated that about 90% of Haitians are illiterate. Even though legally, education is free and open to all, only about 30% of Haitian children ever begin school, and of the 30%, only 2% stay in school beyond the 5th grade.Many factors play into the lack of education in Haiti, such as education being mainly in French, stock-still though Creole is the official language in Haiti, also after the fifth year students must pass a ambitious examination, which is also in French, causing many students to not pass. The lack of halal teachers and inadequate supplies, as well as overcrowding in schools has made it touchy for Haitians to get an education. Haitis misfortune has continued through the years with a series of natural disasters.Severe deforestation, leading to flooding and landslides, and a lack of straitlaced emergency services and infrastructure has resulted in the storms causing the deaths of kilobytes of Haitians. In 2008, four separate hurricanes Fay, Gustav, Hanna, and Ike in the space of 30 days led to the deaths of more than 800 people. About 60 per cent of the countrys harvest were destroyed and entire cities were rendered scourge and uninhabitable. In January 2010, a devastating 7. 0 magnitude earthquake resulting in the deaths of thousands and the loss of many homes and buildings (see figure 5).Haiti is a country full of disaster and despair. 380 000 Haitians were infected with HIV/AIDS by 2000 and the life expectancy has dropped to the early age of 53. Only 8 people out of every thousand have telephone service and less then 6% of people have access to electrical power. Yet a small batch of the country is not effected by the massive poverty, but kind of live a life of luxury. 0. 5% of Haitis population earns about 46% o f the nations income, thus giving the rich more power causing even more corruption.Many organizations such as The Canadian Red plunder and Hope for Haiti are aiming to restore this once hopeful country. The United Nations stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) was established on June 1 2004, and continues to function Haiti today. MINUSTAH peacekeepers help provide basic needs such as clean water to cholera affected towns, where close to 50, 000 cases have been reported. The UN has established an emergency chemical reaction effort to bring relief to this stricken country, yet even with so much help, Haiti is still a country that has lost all its wealth and is now in great debt with the world.