*Official Language(s): Haitian Creloe, French
*Capital: Port-au-Prince
*Water%: 0.7%
*Total Area: 27,750 Square km
*Independence Declared: January 1, 1804
*Population 2009 Estimate: 9,035,536
*Ethnic Groups: 95.0% Black, 5% Multiracial, and White
*Haiti was the first nation in Latin America to gain its sovereignty
*The term 'Haiti' is derived from 'Ayti', a Taino word that means 'mountainous land.
*Haiti follows the system of 'Presidential Republic'.
*The highest point in Haiti is formed by Pic la Selle, at 2,680 meters. Haiti gained independence from France on 1st January 1804, when it was declared a Republic.
*Around 95 percent of the population of Haiti comprises of Blacks, while Multiracial, Arabs and Europeans make up the rest 5 percent.
*Haiti was the first post-colonial independent black-led nation in the world.
*The main industries of Haiti are sugar refining, flour milling, textiles and cement.
*The highest point in Haiti is formed by Pic la Selle, at 2,680 meters.
*Decades of violence and instability in Haiti has made it the poorest country in the Americas.
On January 12th, 2010. A 7.0 magnitude earthquake lasted about 35 seconds. The worst one, in two hundred years. The earthquake struck less then ten miles from the Caribbean City of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Later the quake was followed by twelve aftershocks greater than magnitude 5.0 structures of all kinds were damaged or collapsed, from Shantytown homes to national land marks. It is still very early in the recovery effort , but millions are displaced, and thousands are feared dead as rescue teams from all over the world willing to help. They are all descending on Haiti to help where they are able. The quake struck just about 5 pm. Destroying office buildings and killing the young professionals that were going the extra mile to make Haiti work, many were crushed at their desks. Haiti is an economic, it will have to be completely rebuilt from the ground up.
My opinion on Haiti is that there should be a lot more people from the U.S that should be going down there to help out, before going we should be raising money and getting all of the supplies we need to help out as much as we can, with all churches taking groups down there and doing all they can to help. Bringing clothes, shoes, jackets that they would not wear and could put into good use. A lot of people in Haiti right now are hurting really bad. Ones that lost loved ones, have no place to live, no food to eat, no water to drink, ones that are very sick and need to get healthy again. Little kids without there family that need homes. Click here to see some pictures of the devastation, or to help out here is a link.