Haiti is a country that is often confused with the island of Tahiti due to the consonance of their names. It was in Haiti that one of the most mysterious and closed to uninitiated religions in the world – voodoo, which is still widespread in a number of countries – was born. However, this fact alone, all the interesting things that this ancient land can tell, is by no means exhausted.
The name “Haiti” comes from “Aichi” – “Land of Mountains”. So called the indigenous people of this island country.
About 60% of local residents live in terrible poverty. This country is really very poor, GDP per capita is 1200 dollars, which is almost 50 times less than in the United States. Many Haitians flee to the neighboring Dominican Republic in search of earnings.
Haiti is an extremely corrupt country, according to this indicator it occupies one of the first places in the world ..
Almost the entire territory of Haiti is an uneasy rocky mountain, between which are narrow narrow plains.
In 1802, Jean-Jacques Dessalines proclaimed himself Emperor of Haiti and ordered the destruction of almost all the white population of the country.
French, Haitian and Creole are the state languages of the country, while Creole received state status only in 1987.
Almost half of the population of Haiti does not know how to read, not even knowing how to read and write. Almost all residents of the country who study abroad do not return home after school.
Gambling in Haiti is very common and popular. They, for example, when conducting voodoo rituals, often ask the gods to help them win the lottery.
The island of Tortuga, now part of Haiti, was once a repository first for hunter-bukaniers, and then for pirates).
In Haiti in the XVIII century, genealogical tables were developed. In these tables, the mulattoes were divided into a hundred shades of black and white.
December 6, 1496 Christopher Columbus discovered the island of Haiti, but at first decided that it was India or Asia.
The slave revolt of 1801 under the leadership of the former slave Toussaint Louveture helped to create the first black republic in Haiti. About half a million slaves opposed the French.
Most Haitians are Catholics, but this fact does not prevent Haitians from doing voodoo rites.
Haiti takes the leading place in the world in terms of the number of HIV-infected people, behind only Swaziland.
Haiti has a very poorly developed health system. For 10,000 people there are only 10 hospital beds, a dozen nurses and 8 doctors.
