At a Glance:

Population:

8 million

Ethnic Groups:

Black (95%),

Mulatto & White (5%)

Religion:

Though Catholicism is the "official" religion,

it is said to be inseparable from
African spiritism and
witchcraft (voodoo),
practiced by an estimated
75% of the people.

Yet 96% consider themselves to be Christians:

Roman Catholic (80%), Protestant (16%) -

incl. Baptist (10%), Pentecostal (4%),
Adventist (1%),

and Other (1%).

Official Languages:

Haitian Creole

(a mix of French and African dialects, infused with
English, Spanish,

and Indian words)

and French, though only 10% speaks
French .

Geography:

Located on the western one-third of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, bordered by the Dominican Republic to the east. Its climate is tropical, but it is semiarid where
mountains in the east cut off trade winds.

Destitution afflicts a majority of Haitians. It is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, due to political corruption, overpopulation, soil erosion, drought, and famine. Unemployment is estimated between 60 and 80 percent, with an annual income of roughly $240 per person.

Originally inhabited by the Taino ("friendly people"), the island of Hispaniola is home to Haiti and the Dominican Republic and was visited and settled by Christopher Columbus, who claimed the island for Spain. In 1731, Spain ceded the western one-third of Hispaniola to France, who began importing African slaves in droves, for the harvesting of sugarcane. In 1791, the slave population revolted, gaining total independence for Haiti in 1804.

Unfortunately, Jean-Jacques Dessalines' victories over the French turned to losses with his own people. He crowned himself emperor, assumed absolute power, and imposed a military decree that forced many blacks back onto plantations. He was ambushed and assassinated, as were many of his successors.

Many regimes have ruled Haiti, the most powerful and notorious being the Duvalier family, from 1957 to1986. "Papa Doc" Duvalier's unofficial troops were cagoulards - later called Tontons Macoutes, after a fairytale bogeyman - hooded thugs from impoverished neighborhoods. He rewrote the constitution and guaranteed his son "Baby Doc" Duvalier would be the next president. Baby Doc brutally oppressed political adversaries. After economic collapse, the Duvalier family was forced into exile in 1986.

In recent years, political instability and intrigue connected with ex-Catholic priest Jean Bertrand Aristide have brought the country to a halt. The social, political, and economic institutions are in shambles. And whether the country will mend or grow worse remains to be seen. A new president was elected in 2006, Rene Praval, with hope of peace, which has been short-lived.