2/13/2013. Jessica Gallant Mr. Coffin

Transcription

1 Jessica Gallant Mr. Coffin 1

2 19 00 N, W With a total area of 27, 750 square kilometers, Haiti is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The capital is Porte-au- Prince, located in the central area of the country. Port-au-Prince has a very tropical climate with an average temperature of 26.7 C along the coast. The average precipitation annually in Port-au-Prince is 1,346 mm, but only 508 mm in the north-west. Summer is the rainy season, where December to January is the dry winter. June to October are the main storm months with occasional flooding, periodic droughts and earthquakes, but Haiti lies in the middle of the hurricane belt creating tough living conditions. 2

3 Christopher Columbus lands and names the island Hispaniola, or Little Spain Haiti becomes independent; former slave Jean-Jacques Dessalines declares himself emperor US invades Haiti following black-mulatto friction, which it thought endangered its property and investments in the country January-February years of independence are marred by violent uprising against President Aristide. Rebels seize towns and cities; dozens are killed. Mr Aristide is forced into exile; an interim government takes over April - Food riots. Government announces emergency plan to cut price of rice in bid to halt unrest. Parliament dismisses Prime Minister Alexis January - Tens of thousands of people are killed when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hits the capital Port-au-Prince and its wider region - the worst in Haiti in 200 years. Haiti has suffered deforestation for ages but has a tropical flora. Occurring in the higher mountain area are pine forests, while in the lower levels contain cedar, mahogany, and oak. A myriad of crocodiles and iguanas can be found in Haiti, but no large wild animals or poisonous snakes are native to the area. 3

4 F r e n c h They are conducted by a director who blows a whistle and wields a whip. Some other known festivals are Independence Day (January 1), Bois Cayman Day, celebrating when slaves plotted the revolution in 1791(August 14), Flag Day (May 18), and the assassination of Dessalines, the first ruler of independent Haiti on October 17. C r e o l e Under the 1987 constitution, executive power is vested in a president, who is directly elected for a 5-year term. The prime minister, who is appointed by the president, represents the majority party or coalition in parliament. Rene Garcia Preval Jean-Max Bellerive 4

5 Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere (second poorest in the world) with 80% of the population living in poverty, and the other 20% in abject poverty. More than half of Haitian workers consists of peasant farmers. Major problems are caused by overcrowded, overworked farms, and soil erosion. Many family-owned farms raise their own food and other crops to sell for. Some factories in Haiti produce cement, plastics, paints, footwear, and soap. Dominican Republic There s really no season for visiting Haiti. April to November are generally months with the most rain, and hurricane season can cause mudslides, leading to transport problems. It s neighbor, Dominican Republic, is largely known for it s fantastic resorts and magical beaches. Today the reasoning for visiting Haiti is to assist the country due to the devastation caused by the 7.0 earthquake. Hundreds of people have taken time to provide food, shelter and medical attention to the Hatians. 5

6 "Central America and Caribbean: Haiti." The World Fact Book Central Intelligence Agency, Web. 14 Feb 2010.< "Haiti." History Made Everyday World Almanac EducationGroup, Web. 15 Feb < "Timeline: Haiti." News. 19 Jan BBC, Web. 15 Feb < "History." History: Haiti Lonely Planet, Web. 15 Feb < "Weather and Climate in Haiti." South Travels South Travels, Web. 16 Feb < 6