Haiti

Haiti, ; French: ; }} officially the Republic of Haiti,; }} constitutions, and imperial declarations. Published writings of 1802–1919 in the United States commonly used the name ''Hayti'' (e.g. ''The Blue Book of Hayti'' (1919), a book with official standing in Haiti). By 1873 ''Haiti'' was common among titles of US published books as well as in US congressional publications. In all of Frederick Douglass' publications after 1890, he used ''Haiti''. As late as 1949, the name ''Hayti'' continued to be used in books published in England (e.g. ''Hayti: 145 Years of Independence—The Bi-Centenary of Port-au-Prince'' published in London, England in 1949) but by 1950, usage in England had shifted to ''Haiti''.}} is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Haiti is the third largest country in the Caribbean, and with an estimated population of 11.4 million, is the most populous Caribbean country. The capital and largest city is Port-au-Prince.

Haiti was originally inhabited by the Taíno people. In 1492, Christopher Columbus established the first European settlement in the Americas, La Navidad, on its northeastern coast. The island was part of the Spanish Empire until 1697, when the western portion was ceded to France and became Saint-Domingue, dominated by sugarcane plantations worked by enslaved Africans. The 1791–1804 Haitian Revolution made Haiti the first sovereign state in the Caribbean, the second republic in the Americas, the first country in the Americas to officially abolish slavery, and the only country in history established by a slave revolt. The 19th century saw political instability, international isolation, debt to France, and failed invasions of the Dominican Republic, including a costly war. U.S. forces occupied Haiti from 1915 to 1934, followed by dictatorial rule of the Duvalier family (1957–1986). After a coup d'état in 2004, the United Nations intervened. In the 2010s, a catastrophic earthquake and a large-scale cholera outbreak devastated the country.

Historically poor and politically unstable, Haiti has faced severe economic and political crises, gang activity, and the collapse of its government. One of the world's least developed countries, and with no elected officials remaining, Haiti has been described as a failed state. As of 2025 over 1.3 million Haitians have been displaced by gang violence.

Haiti is a founding member of the United Nations, Organization of American States, Association of Caribbean States, and the . In addition to CARICOM, it is a member of the International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization, and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. Provided by Wikipedia