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World Edition 2013

Republic of

Haiti

BACKGROUND

Land and Climate

Haiti covers 10,714 square miles (27,750 square kilometers)

of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the

Dominican Republic. Haiti is about three times the size of

Cyprus but is slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Maryland.

It is comprised of two peninsulas split by the Gulf of Gonâve.

The mountainous, nearly barren island of Gonâve, which

belongs to Haiti, rests in the center of the gulf.

     Haiti's portion of Hispaniola is significantly more

mountainous than the rest of the island, with successive

mountain chains running east to west on both peninsulas. The

northern Massif du Nord is part of the island's backbone,

which Dominicans call the Cordillera Central. The southern

peninsula boasts the Massif de la Hotte and Massif de la

Selle. The highest peak, Pic la Selle, is located in the Massif

de la Selle and rises to 8,793 feet (2,680 meters). The

mountains are punctuated by hills and valleys, where most

people live and work. The four main plains include the

Central, Northern, Artibonite, and Plaine du Cul-de-Sac

(where the capital, Port-au-Prince, is located). Haiti is crossed

by several large rivers, the longest of which is the Artibonite.

Most of the tree cover that existed prior to European

colonization has been removed due to farming and production

of charcoal fuel for cooking.

     Haiti's climate is warm and only mildly humid. Frost,

snow, and ice do not form anywhere—even at the highest

elevations. The average temperature in the mountains is 66°F

(19°C), while at Port-au-Prince it is 81°F (27°C). Spring and

autumn are rainy, whereas December through February and

June through August are dry. July is the driest summer month.

The hurricane season lasts from June to October.

History

The island of Hispaniola was originally inhabited by the

Taíno and Arawak peoples. After Christopher Columbus

arrived in 1492 and opened Spanish colonization on

Hispaniola, the indigenous peoples were enslaved. Within a

few decades, a million natives died from starvation, European

diseases such as smallpox and measles, and hard labor in

Spanish gold mines. In a belated effort to save the remaining

Indians and to help their sugar plantations prosper, the

Spanish settlers began importing African slaves by 1517. By

1560, few Indians remained. The 2,000 Spanish settlers

controlled the island and some 30,000 African slaves. In

1697, Spain ceded the western third of Hispaniola to France,

which soon enjoyed the coffee, sugar, and cotton riches of its

new colony, Saint Domingue. France was given the entire

island by 1795, although it did not fully control the eastern

half.

     The Haitian Slave Revolt began in 1791. Though slaves

were granted their freedom by 1793, leaders such as

Toussaint L'Ouverture (a freed slave) continued to fight

European powers for control of the island. L'Ouverture was

eventually captured and subsequently died in a French prison,

but his successor Jean-Jacques Dessalines gained victory over

the French in 1803. Haiti declared its independence on 1

January 1804. French settlers who were not killed left the

island. Dessalines became the emperor.

     When Dessalines was killed in 1806, political chaos and

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rivalries led to a split: Henri Christophe eventually became

King Henry I of northern Haiti, and Alexandre Petion ruled

southern Haiti in a more republican style of government.

Christophe committed suicide in 1820. In 1822, north and

south were reunited under President Jean-Pierre Boyer, who

finally established governance over the Dominican Republic;

this era still perpetuates tensions between the two neighbors.

France recognized Haitian independence in 1825 after Boyer

agreed to pay roughly 100 million francs in reparation to

former slaveholders over the next century, a sum that crippled

Haiti's already weak economy. In 1844, the Dominican

Republic declared its independence from Haiti, and Boyer

was overthrown. Power changed hands repeatedly until the

20th century, which found Haiti near anarchy. Under the

United States' Monroe Doctrine, which essentially sought to

maintain U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere, U.S.

troops invaded and occupied Haiti from 1915 to 1934.

     The following years did not bring stability to Haiti, as

people revolted against the government and elites who

controlled it. In 1957, François Duvalier, known as Papa Doc,

won presidential elections despite charges of fraud. He killed

his opponents and ruled with impunity, terrorizing the

populace with his Tontons Macoutes, the secret police. Before

he died in 1971, Duvalier designated his son, Jean-Claude

Duvalier, “Baby Doc,” as his successor. Riots in 1985 forced

Jean-Claude Duvalier to flee Haiti in 1986.

     A succession of military-led governments ruled Haiti until

1990, when Jean-Bertrand Aristide became the nation's first

democratically elected president. Glee over his election was

followed by impatience for reform and violence between

Aristide's supporters and opponents. After just eight months,

the military—led by General Raoul Cédras—led a coup d'état

against Aristide, who subsequently made his way to the

United States and set up a government in exile. His supporters

in Haiti either went into hiding or were killed. The military

dictatorship became increasingly brutal, and the international

community decided to intervene with an embargo, though its

effect was diminished by smuggling through the neighboring

Dominican Republic.

     In September 1994, about 20,000 U.S. soldiers landed in

Haiti to facilitate the removal from power of the Haitian

military junta. A few weeks later, Aristide returned from exile

to rule for nearly a decade. However, he was overthrown

again in 2004. Though UN peacekeepers have been in the

country since 2004 and a democratically elected government

came to power in 2006, Haiti continues to struggle with

violent clashes between government and opposition groups.

High food prices sparked anti-government demonstrations in

April 2008 that led to parliament's dismissal of the prime

minister. Later that year, hurricanes and tropical storms left

hundreds dead and thousands homeless. In 2009, more than

one billion dollars of Haiti's foreign debt was canceled.

     The country's challenges continued in 2010, when a

powerful earthquake struck Port-au-Prince, killing up to

300,000 people and destroying much of Haiti's infrastructure.

International donors pledged billions of dollars to

reconstruction, but the damage incurred from the earthquake

remains an obstacle to Haitians as they try to return to their

normal lives. In early 2012, the Haitian government

announced it was partnering with the private sector to

improve infrastructure, house those displaced by the

earthquake, and fight disease. However, reconstruction efforts

are hampered by government instability and insufficient aid.

Haiti suffered fatalities and damages in 2012 from Tropical

Storm Isaac (August) and Hurricane Sandy (October).

Protests (some of them violent) in response to poor living

conditions occur frequently in Haiti.

THE PEOPLE

Population

Haiti's population of 9.8 million is currently decreasing at

about 0.79 percent. The country has a high birthrate, but

emigration and poor health keep overall growth rates down.

The majority of the population lives in poverty. Up to

300,000 people were killed in January 2010, when an

earthquake struck the Port-au-Prince region. Most Haitians

are descendants of African slaves who came to the island

beginning in the 16th century. A small proportion of Haiti's

people (5 percent) are of mixed heritage or white.

     A large number of Haitians live in Florida, New York, and

Montréal, and there are Haitian communities in other parts of

Canada and the United States as well. Haitians have been

living and working in the Dominican Republic since its

foundation in 1844. Throughout the 1900s, the majority of the

Haitians who traveled to the Dominican side of the island

worked in the agricultural industry, specifically with

sugarcane. As sugarcane profits began to decline, increasing

numbers of Haitians began to migrate to urban areas in the

Dominican Republic; the government there has passed new

laws in an attempt to regulate immigration and has carried out

mass deportations of Haitian immigrants.

Language

According to the 1987 constitution, the official languages of

Haiti are Haitian Creole (Kreyòl) and French. Kreyòl is the

language of daily conversation. French is used in government

and business. Only educated adults or secondary school

students speak French, though with varying levels of fluency

and accuracy. Knowledge of French has become a sign of

social class in Haiti; those who speak French may shun those

who do not. Kreyòl is a unique mixture of French, Taino,

English, Spanish, and various African languages. It is similar

to creole spoken on some other Caribbean islands, such as

Guadeloupe and Martinique. Kreyòl is traditionally an oral

language, though it had a written form as early as the 19th

century. Use of written Kreyòl began to spread after the

1940s with the introduction of adult literacy programs.

Because of the popularity of U.S. American television and

films and because many Haitians have relatives in the United

States, English is used more often than in the past.

Religion

The majority (80 percent) of Haitians are Catholic. While

some people regularly participate in religious services, others

only draw upon their Catholic identity in the case of

marriages, funerals, or other rites of passage. Protestants

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claim 16 percent of the population. The largest denominations

are Baptist, Pentecostal, and Seventh-day Adventist.

     Perhaps as important as organized religion is Vodou

(voodoo), which is practiced to some degree by a majority of

Haitians. It was given legal status equal to other religions in

2003. While official Catholicism opposes its practice, Vodou

includes the worship of Catholic saints and other Catholic

rituals. Vodou ceremonies and rituals, held in temples,

usually are performed at night. Adherents believe that during

the temple ceremonies, a Vodou god inhabits the body of a

believer. Not all Vodou adherents practice the religion

openly. Still, certain Vodou temples are the focus of annual

pilgrimages.

General Attitudes

Haitians are warm, friendly, and generous. Their tradition for

hospitality is clear in how they treat guests or go out of their

way to help strangers find an address or something else they

need. Haitians are proud of their culture and history. The

stories of past Haitian heroes are not forgotten by today's

youth. Some claim this is because the present offers no

heroes, but others believe the past gives hope for the future.

     Everyday life is hard for most people, so parents strive to

send their children to school, though it is very expensive,

trusting that an education will give the next generation a

better life. No matter what society's conditions, Haitians

celebrate life with joy, laughter, and dancing.

     There is an extremely large income gap in Haiti. Rural and

middle-class urban people have different perspectives on life,

as their cultural practices and attitudes vary significantly.

Urban elites consider themselves to be more European or

cosmopolitan than people from the countryside. People living

in rural areas value their traditions and slower pace of life.

     Haitians' attitudes toward other countries usually vary

according to social class. Haitians from lower classes often

claim a historical connection to Africa, while upper-class

Haitians may feel closer to France, Canada, or the United

States. Haitians often migrate to other nations, including the

Bahamas, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Mexico, the

United States, Canada, and France, with a few going to

countries in Central and South America.

     Feelings toward Haiti's closest neighbor, the Dominican

Republic, vary according to occupation, class, and geography.

Haitians from the upper classes may have business ties in the

Dominican Republic, and those from the lower classes may

take short-term trips to the Dominican Republic to buy and

sell wares. Haitians living on the border often have friendly

social and economic interactions with Dominicans. A

growing number of Haitian students study at Dominican

universities. After the earthquake in 2010, the Dominican

government, as well as Dominican businesses and private

citizens, contributed goods and money to reconstruction

efforts in Haiti.

Personal Appearance

Whenever possible, people pay great attention to their public

appearance. Urban Haitians prefer to wear Western-style

clothing. Women may wear pants or colorful skirts. Some

wear a headdress to match their outfits. Young people like to

wear shorts. They also follow the latest North American

fashion trends. Sandals are the most popular footwear.

Government officials and businessmen wear suits and ties.

Rural men wear T-shirts and shorts or pants when working.

Rural women wear dresses and head scarves, but they rarely

wear pants. Almost all Haitian women enjoy jewelry (though

it is often unaffordable) and brightly colored clothing. Men

may wear gold jewelry as a status symbol.

CUSTOMS AND COURTESIES

Greetings

Personal greetings are very important to Haitians. When

entering a room or joining a group, a person is expected to

physically greet each individual. Haitians usually shake hands

when meeting a new acquaintance. Everyone else, from

relatives to friends and casual acquaintances, receives a kiss

on each cheek. The most common verbal greeting is Bonjou,

kouman ou ye? (Good day, how are you?). The response

usually is M pa pi mal, e ou menm? (I am not worse, and

yourself?). Haitians address superiors or persons of status by

title (Monsieur, Madame, Doctor, etc.) and last name. Friends

use first names or nicknames, which are usually related to a

person's name, to address each other. An older person might

be called “aunt” or “uncle” even if not related to the speaker.

Gestures

Haitians are an animated people who enjoy impromptu

gatherings wherever they may be—at the market, in the street,

or at the movie theater. At such gatherings, people engage in

loud conversation and laughter. Hand gestures usually

accompany discussion or storytelling. If one is too busy to

talk, one will greet a passerby by nodding the head up. To get

someone's attention, Haitians often say “pssst.” Clicking the

tongue, called a chipe, is a sign of protest or disgust and

considered impolite.

Visiting

Visiting is a national pastime. Friends, neighbors, and

relatives are welcome in the home at any time of day until

about 8 p.m. It is not necessary to call ahead. Visitors arriving

during a meal may be asked to wait in another room until the

family finishes eating. Close friends might be invited to share

the meal, and they may accept or decline. It is also acceptable

for guests to decline refreshments. Hosts typically offer fruit

juice or soda.

     In addition to impromptu visits, Haitians enjoy inviting

friends over for an evening of socializing or for dinner. When

a visit ends, hosts accompany guests to the door. Rather than

leaving, however, Haitians frequently extend their visit for a

while by standing and talking with their hosts. Special

occasions also call for visits. Guests take gifts to hosts

celebrating a communion, baptism, graduation, or

wedding—occasions for which many organize elaborate

parties.

Eating

Haitians eat three meals a day if they can afford it. People in

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rural areas may eat cassave (bread made from manioc) and

coffee for breakfast, and they may not eat again until evening.

The family gathers at the table for the main meal, which is

usually at midday in cities. However, economic pressures and

varied school and work schedules mean that families are

increasingly eating at staggered times or separately. Diners

take their portions from serving dishes on the table. If guests

are present, they are given first opportunity to serve

themselves. When no guests are present, family members

often wait for the mother to begin eating before they eat.

Usually, only the upper classes go to formal, enclosed

restaurants on a regular basis. There are, however, a large

number of small eateries where workers can go for a

noontime meal, in case they do not have the opportunity to eat

at home. Sunday dinner traditionally is reserved as a family

meal.

LIFESTYLE

Family

Urban families might have three or four children, while rural

families have ten or more. The basic unit of society is the

extended family. Grandparents may act as parents in place of

an absent or working mother or father. Relatives may also fill

the role of godparent, which entails responsibility for a child

if a parent dies. Children from cities may be sent to live with

relatives in the countryside during summer vacations, and

children from the countryside may be sent to live with

relatives in cities to attend school. Adult children are expected

to remain with their parents until marriage, and occasionally,

married children live with one spouse’s parents until they can

afford a home of their own. Married couples usually live

close to their families. This is especially true in the

countryside, where the traditional lakou form of housing (a

common courtyard surrounded by a family compound of

small sleeping rooms) is prevalent.

     In urban areas, the father, if present in the home, is head of

the household and responsible for earning an income.

Mothers are responsible for cooking, cleaning, and teaching

their children religion and morality. Middle-class urban

families may have a servant to cook and do other chores.

Rural men work their fields, while women sell produce in the

market and care for the household and children. Though men

may earn the money and make decisions, it is often the

women who manage the household’s money. Single-mother

households are very common, as men typically have children

by more than one woman. In such households, mothers often

rely on older children to help earn income and to care for

younger children.

     In most families, a child's main concerns are succeeding in

school and completing household chores. In wealthier

families, children may be responsible only for keeping their

rooms clean; in poorer families, chores include cooking,

laundry, and cleaning. Some families can afford to send only

one child, usually the oldest, to school. Educated children are

expected to better the social and financial status of the family,

providing for parents or less fortunate siblings later in life.

Other children are expected to help more around the house or

with the family business, which could simply mean being a

street vendor. In wealthy families, parents establish goals for

their children to become doctors, lawyers, or entrepreneurs

who will expand the family business. After retirement,

parents often move in with one of their married children.

     Domestic violence against women is fairly common, and

some of Haiti's laws tend to discriminate against women. For

example, wives who murder their unfaithful husbands face

harsher punishment than husbands who murder their

unfaithful wives. A growing number of women from all social

classes hold jobs, own their own businesses, and participate in

government, though less than 5 percent of national legislative

seats are held by women.

Housing

Houses are built with whatever materials are available. In

Port-au-Prince, cement buildings are common. In older,

established neighborhoods of the capital, brightly painted

two-storey wood and brick houses are prevalent. Middle-class

families may have land dotted with tropical fruit trees, corn,

or sugarcane. Primitive cinderblock houses are found in

newer parts of the city. These houses often consist of just one

nine-square-foot room with packed-earth flooring and a

corrugated tin roof. Houses are built on top of each other, and

winding narrow footpaths snake down to the local market. A

small minority of Haitians has access to electricity; access to

running water is even less common.

     Outside of the capital, the traditional lakou form of

housing survives. The lakou is a compound built around a

courtyard where the family eats, cooks, braids girls' hair, and

takes bucket baths. Surrounding this courtyard is a ring of

small sleeping rooms made of mud and rock, wood logs,

banana leaves, or cement.

     During the earthquakes of 2010, over a million Haitians

lost their homes. Most of these were cinderblock structures

with insufficient flexibility and internal support. Hundreds of

thousands of people still lack permanent housing. However,

many old buildings in the so-called gingerbread style of

housing (Victorian-era architecture with high ceilings,

porches, narrow windows, and triangular roofs) suffered

almost no damage, given the flexibility of wooden structures.

Dating and Marriage

Although young Haitians socialize in groups, they do not

usually begin dating until their late teens. Teenagers are

increasingly entering into sexual relationships. Young people

often develop friendships that later turn romantic with the

children of their parents’ friends. Others form such

relationships with classmates or acquaintances. Group

activities usually include participating in study groups,

watching soccer games, celebrating birthdays, and attending

school fairs.

     Once adulthood is attained and education is completed, a

young Haitian’s focus is generally on marriage. Men usually

initiate dates. When dating, the man will visit the woman at

her home to become familiar with her parents and family

members. Couples also go out to dance clubs, to movies, or to

other social events. Once a couple has been dating for a few

years, a proposal is expected. A man traditionally asked a

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woman’s father for permission to marry her, but where there

is little relationship between the woman and her biological

father, a man may ask the mother or the mother’s husband.

Today, asking permission is less common, especially in urban

areas. Most parents do not greatly influence dating or

marriage, but they expect their children to choose spouses

from respectable families with a social status similar to their

own. The minimum legal age for marriage is 15 for women

and 18 for men. Early marriage is more common in rural

areas than in urban areas.

     In rural areas, a couple will not officially marry until they

can afford a big wedding. Weddings are usually paid for by

the groom or his family, but the bride’s family may also

contribute money. Couples often live together and have

children as if married until they save enough money for the

wedding and wedding reception. Typically, urban couples

have a church wedding followed by an evening reception

where rice, beans, meat, salads, cake, champagne, and soft

drinks are served. Receptions are usually held in private

homes, where guests eat, dance, and socialize until late in the

evening.

     Formal polygamy does not exist, but married men usually

have many girlfriends and children out of wedlock. This is

often attributed to the desire for a son to continue the family

line. Women are expected to remain faithful to their husbands

and are chastised if they are not. In rural areas, a man's

partners acknowledge each other and may even cohabitate.

     Divorce is rare but separation is common, especially after

a couple's children are raised and have families of their own.

Usually, children live with their mother after separation, but

they may also move in with grandparents or other relatives.

Life Cycle

Celebrations of births are joyful, but Haitians are careful not

to be seen as boastful in a country where so many children die

before the age of five. Motherhood is extremely valued.

Women do not usually announce pregnancies until they begin

to look pregnant out of a belief that doing so could bring bad

luck on the baby. The gender of the child is not commonly

announced before birth. Due to a preference for traditional

practices, most births take place without formal medical

assistance. Once the baby is born, the maternal grandmother

traditionally comes to care for the baby and mother.

     Names are given just after the baby is born, though

consideration may be given to a name prior to birth. Deciding

on a name is an important event. It is common for children to

be named after respected family elders or ancestors. Firstborn

sons are usually named after their fathers. Children carry their

father's surname unless the father is unknown or denies

paternity. In rural areas, a child's name reflects the

circumstances of his or her birth. For example, a couple who

has had difficulty becoming pregnant may name the child

Jesula (Jesus is here), Dieula (God is here), or Dieufel (God

created him) to show their gratitude. Children who survive

their first years are given a nickname that everyone outside of

official institutions will call them by.

     Baptism and First Communion are significant rituals.

Children dress in nice clothes, and family, friends, and

neighbors gather to celebrate with a large meal, including

some meat if the family can afford it. Because people often

live with their parents into their adult years, young people are

not seen as adults until they have children of their own.

     Because of Haiti’s low life expectancy, elders—especially

those who reach the age of 50 or above—are revered. When a

person dies, family and friends gather to reminisce and

provide emotional support to the deceased's immediate family

members. Given the respect for ancestors in Haitian culture,

even poor families make an effort to have a proper funeral. A

viewing of the body is followed by a religious ceremony.

Funeral processions in rural areas include a single car and

mourners dressed in black led by a marching band. Urban

funeral processions consist of cars and fewer pedestrians.

Burial is traditional, although cremation is becoming more

common. Traditional cemeteries contain brightly colored

aboveground tombs. Food and other offerings—such as

kleren (an alcoholic drink made from cane juice)—are often

placed on the tombs. People sometimes pour kleren and rum

onto the ground as offerings to ancestors. Families of the

deceased have masses in their honor on the anniversary of

their passing.

Diet

Most Haitians eat rice and beans every day, although a main

meal, when affordable, usually also includes meat, salad, and

a vegetable. Rice and corn are staple grains. Spicy foods are

most popular. Piman zwazo (small, hot pimentos) and garlic

are often added to dishes. Meat is marinated in sauces with

ingredients such as sour orange juice, lemon juice, and hot

peppers. Pork is the most commonly eaten meat, but Haitians

also eat goat, chicken, guinea pig, and seafood (fish, shrimp,

conch, and crab). Eggplant, yams, sweet potatoes, and a

variety of fruits round out the diet. For breakfast, one might

eat the traditional urban fare of coffee, herring with plantains

and avocados, corn with codfish, or liver with plantains. A

lighter breakfast consists of jam on buttered bread and coffee.

A favorite daytime snack might be bread and butter or

pastries. Meat-filled pastries are also popular snacks. Haiti is

especially known for its fresh-pressed juices made from

passion fruit, oranges, chadèk (grapefruit), cherries, papaya,

zikak (a small, pulpy fruit), and other fruits.

Recreation

Most Haitians have access to radios, and people generally

listen to music and news throughout the day. A growing

number of middle-class families are able to afford televisions

in their homes. Few people own DVD players, but they can

watch videos at television stores. Haitian music videos are

favored.

     The most popular sport is soccer. Streets are empty if an

important regional or world match is being televised.

Children—both boys and girls—begin to play soccer at an

early age. Leagues are organized throughout the country.

Adult soccer stars are extremely popular among people of all

ages. Many Haitians of all classes cheer for soccer teams,

with a special affinity for Brazil’s and Argentina's teams due

to their repeated successes in the World Cup.

     Children like to play games like patty-cake, marbles,

oscelet (jacks generally made of cow or goat bones), jump

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rope, and various versions of lago (tag). Children often invent

their own games as well. In rural areas, the tradition of tirer

conte (storytelling) continues. Children gather around an adult

who begins the storytelling with the greeting Krik, to which

the audience responds Krak. Popular stories include tales of

Booki and Timalice (famous Haitian fable characters), stories

of old times, and lougawou (ghost) stories. Young adults in

urban areas spend their time with friends at fairs, bals

(concerts), parties, or nightclubs.

     Important events such as baptism, communion, graduation,

and weddings provide families and friends the opportunity to

get together and enjoy each other's company. These events

include much banbach (partying and having a good time),

catching up with old friends, joke telling, drinking, eating,

political discussion, and dancing. Haitians enjoy dancing and

will often dance whenever they hear a catchy tune.

     Men enjoy cockfights, usually held on Sunday afternoons.

They also spend hours playing dominoes and card games such

as kasino, a complex game involving counting. Recreation for

lower-class women often occurs in the form of jokes and

storytelling while washing clothes, gathering water, or selling

at the market.

     Vacations are a luxury enjoyed by wealthy families.

Though vacationers usually visit foreign countries, there is a

growing interest in visiting other areas of Haiti.

The Arts

Music and dancing are integral to everyday life. For over one

hundred years, Haitians have composed and performed

classical music. Older still is the traditional music of the

Haitian peasantry and lower classes. These include music

performed in Vodou ceremonies, music played before Lent

(called rara), and other music associated with a particular

rhythm (merengue, etc). Contemporary music in Haiti

includes rap Kreyòl (Haitian hip-hop), rasin (traditional

music fused with rock, jazz, or reggae), chanson française

(traditional French songs), or konpa (dance music). Urban

residents enjoy a variety of North American music.

     Haitian artists and sculptors are known for their unique

images and striking colors. One popular art form is sculpture

made from cut, pounded, and painted scrap metal. Tap-taps,

brightly painted pickup trucks fitted with benches and

covered tops, are both a means of transportation and traveling

art. Many artists choose Haitian history or daily life for their

subjects. Nature is also an important theme. Painted screens,

papier-mâché art, wood carvings, basketwork, pottery, and

painted wooden boxes are prominent crafts.

     Oral literature is abundant and includes songs, proverbs,

and riddles. Storytellers carefully craft their performance,

acting out the story with their voices. There is also a vibrant

tradition of Haitian literature, mostly written in French,

although Kreyòl is now commonly used as well.

Holidays

Haiti's national holidays include New Year's, which is also

Independence Day; National Heroes Day (2 Jan.);

Constitution Day (29 Mar.); Labor and Agriculture Day (1

May); Easter; Flag Day (18 May); Fête Dieu, which marks

the institution of the sacrament, or communion (first

Thursday in June); All Saints’ Day (1 Nov.); Day of the Dead,

or Fèt Gede (2 Nov.); Battle of Vertiers Day (18 Nov.); and

Christmas. Freedom from the Duvalier dictatorship is

celebrated on 7 February. Haiti also celebrates Catholic

holidays, such as Kanaval (Carnival), held before Catholic

Lent; Good Friday (the Friday before Easter); Ascension

Thursday, celebrated 40 days after Easter; and the Feast of the

Assumption (15 Aug.).

     On 1 January, Haitian people traditionally visit their

parents and friends to wish them well in the new year. Almost

every household eats joumon, a soup made from a squash

broth with carrots, potatoes, cabbage, pasta, and meat, which

is traditionally understood to be the food of the French

colonists who were driven out of Haiti.

     Haitians celebrate several patriotic holidays. Jour du

Drapeau (Flag Day) is commemorated with a parade held in

front of the palace; students from various schools participate.

Dessalines Day (17 Oct.) honors the assassination of

Jean-Jacques Dessaline, the man who led Haitians out of

slavery and became the nation’s first president. Battle of

Vertiers Day, celebrated on 18 November, is the anniversary

of one of the most important battles in Haiti’s fight for

freedom.

     Kanaval (the Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday before Ash

Wednesday) is a festive time of dancing and parades. People

prepare for the holiday for weeks in advance, beginning just

after New Year's. On the holiday itself, people awaiting the

main parade dance to music they play on their own portable

stereos. The parade includes dancers dressed in traditional

clothing, raras (musical bands on foot), chaloska (people

dressed as monsters), and chars (floats from which popular

music groups entertain the crowd). The partying continues all

night and into the early-morning hours for two or three days.

Stores are open only in the morning on these days.

     Rara, another holiday closely linked to Lent, contains a

mixture of African and Haitian voodoo traditions. It is usually

celebrated in rural areas but occurs also in Port-au-Prince.

Every Sunday during Lent, and occasionally on weeknights, a

number of rara bands take to the streets, playing music on

Haitian-made instruments and collecting people into a crowd,

who follows them as they go. The instruments include the

banbou (a bamboo pipe), tambou (a hand drum with a

wooden base, topped with leather), lanbi (a conch shell horn),

and graj (a grater that is rubbed with a metal stick).

     Fèt Gede (2 Nov.) honors the dead, who are highly

venerated in Haitian culture. On this day, offerings such as

coffee and kleren (an alcoholic beverage made from

sugarcane) may be brought to the Bawon Samdi (the first man

buried in a cemetery) or Gran Brijit (the first woman buried

in a cemetery). Each village or town has a holiday for the

local patron saint, celebrated with a morning mass, daytime

festival, and evening ball. Some of these festivals are very

large, such as the Fête de Notre Dame.

SOCIETY

Government

The Republic of Haiti is divided into 10 departments

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(provinces), but the central government has most control over

political affairs. The president (currently Michel Martelly) is

head of state, and the prime minister (currently Laurent

Lamothe) is head of government. Haiti has a bicameral

parliament, with a 30-seat Senate and a 99-seat Chamber of

Deputies. The voting age is 18.

Economy

Haiti's economy is based on agriculture, which employs about

two-thirds of the workforce. Large farms are rare, so

production quantities are small. The most important cash

crops include coffee, cacao, and sugar. However, little is

actually exported, and international aid is necessary to

develop future agricultural potential. Around 80 percent of all

Haitians live in poverty. Real wages have not risen in a

generation. Industrial activity is minimal, geared mostly for

domestic needs (cement, sugar refining, etc.). A few

industries make toys and clothing for export. The economy

experienced a severe setback when the 2010 earthquake

struck Port-au-Prince. Corruption, high unemployment,

political instability, and inefficient state enterprises are

additional barriers to development. The government is

pressured to privatize some state companies, but the process

is slow and unpopular. Haiti's currency is the gourde (HTG).

Transportation and Communications

For short distances, most Haitians travel by foot. In cities,

they may also ride buses, taxis, or colorful tap-taps, which

travel fixed routes but not on a fixed schedule. Intercity

transportation is made by bus, boat, or plane. Few people own

private cars.

     Most people use cell phones; landlines are increasingly

hard to find. About 10 percent of the population uses the

internet. The postal system is generally reliable but not

protected against theft. In the past, people often posted

messages on certain radio stations or sent a written message

via truck drivers, who would drop the messages at a store on

their way where recipients could retrieve them. Haiti has two

daily newspapers, about two hundred radio stations, and

several television stations.

Education

Haiti's school system is patterned after the French model,

with kindergarten, six years of primary school, and seven

years of secondary school. It is common for students from

poorer families to end their education after primary school

and begin working. Children usually enter primary school at

age six, and at the completion of their last year, they take a

national exam called Examen de Certificat. Passing the exam

allows students to move on to secondary school, while failing

means they must repeat the last year of primary school until

they pass the exam.

     Students also must pass exams at the end of the third,

sixth, and seventh years of secondary school. However, the

education system often does not adequately prepare students

to pass these difficult exams. In some schools, known as lekòl

bòlèt, or lottery schools, students are said to have as much

chance of graduating as they do of winning the lottery. In

general, schools lack qualified teachers and necessary

materials, and the school year is often interrupted by political

unrest. In Port-au-Prince especially, daily schooling is

sometimes interrupted by street demonstrations focused on

elections. Because these events can be violent, parents tend to

keep children home whenever a protest is announced or

anticipated.

     Education is highly valued but unaffordable to most. Only

a small fraction of schools are public, with private institutions

making up roughly 80 percent of all schools. Private schools

include Catholic schools, écoles nationales (national schools,

which are funded by foreign countries), and international

schools. Most urban dwellers send their children to private

schools, even though tuition can be a burden. Even in public

schools, parents are responsible for enrollment fees, books,

uniforms, and school supplies,

     School curriculum consists of math, grammar, history, and

geography classes. Courses such as literature and foreign

languages, and occasionally extracurricular activities such as

sewing, are introduced at later levels. Learning by

memorization is common. Students in higher levels of

primary school and secondary school spend their afternoons

studying and completing homework assignments. Most only

study until sunset because of numerous power outages and the

prohibitive expense of generators. Parents are generally

involved in their children's study habits; involvement

decreases as students age. Cheating may result in expulsion,

possible rejection from other schools, and severe reprimands

at home.

     Students who complete secondary school may pursue

higher education at a university or other institution. Wealthier

students are more likely to attend universities in foreign

countries, while middle-class ones usually attend universities

in Haiti. The country's main university is the State University

of Haiti. The majority of less-wealthy students often search

for employment immediately after secondary school. A

growing number of vocational schools, which have no

entrance exams and are less expensive than universities,

provide career-specific skills to students who can afford

tuition.

Health

Many Haitians live in one-room houses with outhouses and

no running water. The earthquake of 2010 destroyed many

buildings and forced many Haitians to live in tents. Such

living conditions foster the spread of diseases such as malaria,

typhoid, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. In 2010, a mass

outbreak of cholera afflicted the country, killing more than

seven thousand people in a year and a half. These diseases,

combined with malnutrition and the lack of health care, lead

to numerous deaths—life expectancy rates are low and infant

mortality rates are high. Hospitals provide minimal assistance

to new mothers and infants, and a large number of women

give birth at home without medical assistance. Infants do not

usually receive vaccinations; most children receive

vaccinations in school.

     Haiti's national health system is unable to meet the needs

of most people due to the lack of funds, staff, modern

equipment, and sometimes even basic supplies. The majority

of hospitals are concentrated in the capital. A small number of

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clinics and hospitals service rural areas but are not accessible

to everyone they are intended to serve. There is no reliable

ambulance system in Haiti. Sick people must be able to afford

both the trip to receive the treatment and the care itself, which

is often lacking in quality.

     There is no public health care in Haiti; most have to pay

their medical expenses out of pocket, if they can afford to do

so. Since the 2010 earthquake, there has been a visible

presence of foreign medical aid; however, aid organizations

can often only treat the most urgent cases.

     Traditional beliefs strongly influence the way that many

Haitians view their health, especially in poor and rural areas.

When confronted with a condition, some might try plant- or

food-based remedies or traditional remedies prepared by a

family member or friend. If money is available, one might try

to purchase products at a pharmacy to relieve symptoms.

Illnesses are often characterized as “sent” sicknesses,

magically placed on a person by a traditional religious

practitioner. If an illness is understood to be mysterious in

origin, one may visit a doktè fèy (a healer who mainly relies

on herbal remedies), an oungan (a male Vodou priest), or a

manbo (a female Vodou priest). Payments are usually made in

cash, but some patients exchange cattle or land for services.

Usually there is at least one such traditional healer in each

area.

AT A GLANCE

Contact Information

Embassy of the Republic of Haiti, 2311 Massachusetts

Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; phone (202) 332-4090;

web site www.haiti.org.

POPULATION & AREA

Population 9,801,664 (rank=88)

Area, sq. mi. 10,714 (rank=146)

Area, sq. km. 27,750

DEVELOPMENT DATA

Human Dev. Index* rank 158 of 182 countries

   Gender inequality rank 123 of 155 countries

Adult literacy rate 55% (male); 51% (female)

Life expectancy 61 (male); 63 (female)

*UN Development Programme, Human Development Report 2012 (New York: Palgrave

Macmillan, 2012).

CultureGrams TM

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