About Jodline's Country

Haiti occupies the western third of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. A mix of mountains, valleys, lakes, seashores and rivers gives Haiti varied weather conditions. About two-thirds of the t read more...errain is unsuitable for farming. Haiti is one of the most densely populated and poorest countries in the world. Most Haitians are subsistence farmers who cultivate small plots of land around their mud-and-thatch homes. Most speak Creole, but their official language is French. Catholicism is the major religion, but Voodoo, practiced by roughly half the population, was recognized as an official religion in 2003. Compassion works in nearly every region of the country. In 1492, Columbus discovered Hispaniola and the island became the center of Spanish rule in the West Indies. The indigenous people were quickly wiped out and slaves were brought from Africa to populate the island. In 1697, Spain ceded half the island to France and this became Haiti. In 1804, a former slave led a revolt and Haiti gained its independence. Forty years later, the eastern part of the island split off to form the Dominican Republic. Haiti historically has been plagued by political violence. In 1990, Haiti installed its first democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, an ordained Catholic priest. But he was ousted in a bloody military coup and forced to seek asylum in the United States. In 1994 Aristide returned from exile and abolished military rule. He won a second term as president in 2000, but was ousted in 2004 amid allegations of corruption. The current president is René Garcia Préval, elected in May 2006.