In 1954 Haiti experienced the Duvalier dictatorship, which fell in 1986 following an uprising. In 2004 Haiti went through another period of popular revolt that led to the resignation of Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who had already been ousted in 1991 following another civil war and then fled the country. Most of the population of Haiti is Black and lives in poverty. Haiti is indeed one of the poorest countries on the planet. In 2004 and 2010 the island tragically experienced two environmental disasters. In the summer of 2004, Hurricane Jeanne hit Haiti, causing destruction on an already precarious socio-economic situation. On January 12, 2010, Haiti faced one of the worst disasters in recent centuries, a destructive earthquake that leveled many homes, especially in the capital Port-au-Prince, causing an extremely high number of victims. The official language of Haiti is French, but Haitian Creole is also spoken on the island. The majority religion is Catholicism, with a Protestant minority.
Haiti at a glance
- Country: Haiti
- Area: 27,700 km²
- Capital: Port-au-Prince
- Population: 5,053,792 (estimate 2003)
- Language: Creole and French (official)
- Religion: Catholics 68.6%, Protestants 22.8%, others 8.6% (in April 2003 voodoo was officially recognized by the Government as an official religion)
- Form of government: Parliamentary Monarchy
- Main cities: Georgetown, Thimeri, New Amsterdam
Useful information about Haiti
- Currency: Gourde
- International prefix: 00509
- International car plate: RH
- Driving side: right
- Entry documents: Passport with visa
- Required vaccinations: None
- Electric current: 110V
- Unit of measurement: metric decimal
- Time zones: -4 hours (compared to Italy time)
- Average temperatures: 27°C (in winter 25.5°C, in summer 28.5°C)
- Climate: The climate is hot and humid, tempered by altitude. Night temperature fluctuations of about 10°. Hurricane season is between June and November.
- Transport: There are no direct connections from Italy to Port-au-Prince. Flights connect via Miami.
- Airports: Georgetown, Thimeri, Port-au-Prince
