Looking Back

1492- Christopher Columbus lands, naming the land Hispaniola

1697- Spain gives the western part of the lands to France, which then becomes "Haiti"

1801- Toussaint Louverture, former slave, conquers all of Haiti and abolishes slavery.

1802-Charles Leclerc fails to penetrate and conquer Haiti.

1804- Haiti declares independence, Jean-Jacques Dessalines becomes emperor.

1806- Deaaslines is assassinated. Subsequently the nation is divided into a Black North and Mulatto South

1818-43- Under Pierre Boyer Haiti is united, but all Blacks excluded from power.

1915- US invades after racial friction to defend investments in the country

1934- Troops withdrawn, maintains control until 1947

1956- Military coup brings Francios "Papa Doc" Duvalier, a Voodoo physcian, becomes president a year later.

1964- With the help of Tontons Macoute militia, "Papa Doc" declares himself "President-for-Life and a dictatorship.

1971- "Papa Doc" dies. His 19 year old son comes to power, Jean-Claude "Baby Doc", declares himself "President-for-Life

1986- risies discontent forces "Baby Doc" to flee Haiti. Lieutenant-General Henri Namphy as head of governing council

1988- Leslie Manigat becomes president and is overturned shortly there after by Brigadier-General Prosper Avril. Who installs a civilian government under military control.

1990- Jean-Bertrand Aristide is elected president in the nations first free and peaceful polls.

1991- Aristide ousted in a coup

1994- With rising option of US invasion military forces relinquish power and return to a civilian government with Aristide's return.

1997-99 government deadlock. Rene Preval declares the parliament's expiration and rules by decree.

2000- even with rumors of voting irregularities, Aristide returns for another term.

2001- attempted coup by 30 armed men, leaves 12 dead

2003- Voodoo recognized as a nation religion

2004- the celebration for 200 years of independence turns into an uprising, forcing Aristide into exile. An interim government takes over.

2004- Floods leave 2000 dead. UN peacekeepers arrive and US aids in flood relief with more that $1 Billion in aid.

Late 2004- gang loyals of former President Aristide are said to be responsible for killings in the capital.

2005- April: Rebel leader Raviz Remissainthe killed by police.

July: Hurricane Dennis kills 45 people.

2006- February: After spoiled ballots, Peval is elected President.

June: headed by Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard Alexis, a democrtically elelcted government takes over.

September- UN launches a scheme to disarm gang members in exchange for grants and job training.

October: US partially lifts an arms embargo, imposed in 1991

2007- UN launches tough offenses against armed gangs in Cite Soleil, one of the nation's largest and most violent shantytowns

2008- Food riots. Parliament relieves Prime Minister Alexis. US announces extra food. Preval pleas for more troops to combat kidnapping for randsom, Bravil supplies peace keeping troops.

August/September: hundreds of people are killed and injured after Haiti is battered by hurricanes and storms. Michele Pierre-Louis becomes Prime Minister.

November: a school in Port-au-Prince collapses on 500 students and teachers.

2009- World Bank dismisses 1.2 Billion of Haiti's debts.

2010- Earthquake leaves Haiti devastated.

March: international plege totals $5.3 billion in post quake reconstruction.

October: Cholera outbreak claims 1,000 lives and ensues violent protests.

November: Presidential and Parliamentary elections

December: inconclusive result, run off in January.

information accumulated from

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1202857.stm

accessed 12/2/2010

POWER AND THE MIGHTY DOLLAR

Haiti has a semi-presidential republic in which the President is elected by popular vote. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President, who service as head of government. Together they exercise Executive Power and constitute the government. While this is the ideal framework of the government, set in place in 1987, the Haitian government in reality is often viewed as Authoritarian.

Haiti's economy is far less economically developed than other nations in the western hemisphere. Currently ranking 146 of the 177. While there are several factors contributing to the decline of progress, a few major issues are the lack of national savings, a large portion of the educated and skilled population leave the country, the lack of good agricultural lands, and an unstable judicial and final economical faculties. The most common issue arises in the coups and changes in authority of nation from colonial rule and domestic rule.

stats and info are compiled and collected on this site http://www.traveldocs.com/resources.htm

PEOPLE LIFE AND RELIGION

Present day Haiti, according to the CIA Fact Book, has population of 9,648,924. Breakdown as follows:

95% Black

5% White or Mullato

Nation Language:

French (official) Creole (official)

Age Structure:

0-14 -38.1%

15-64 -58.5%

only 3% of the population will age over 65

--Life Expectancy: 29 Males; 30 Females. This is due in large part to the HIGH rish of infectious disease, including HIV/AIDS (120,000 living with AIDS/HIV) as well as water and food borne diesease such as bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever. Also vectoreborne, meaning transferred by insect bites and the like, disease such as dengue fever and malaria. Lastly the introduction and increase of leptospirosis after the earthquake left citizen drinking from stagnant waters and lakes.

Religion:

80% Catholic

16% Protestant (10% Baptist, 4% Pentocostal. 1% Adventist)

Roughly HALF of the population still practices the indigenous Voodoo

Barrientos, Miguel. "index mundi." Jan 01,2010.http://www.indexmundi.com/haiti/demographics_profile.html (accessed 10/31/2010