Welcome to Haiti-- The Black Pearl of the World!

Geography

The modern republic of Haiti and the Dominican Republic are located on the island of Hispaniola (Caribbean, Americas). Geographically, Haiti is the 147th largest country on Earth, ahead of Israel, Puerto Rico and Qatar.

Haiti & Canada

Born-Haitian Michaëlle Jean has become Governor General of Canada, who represents Queen Elizabeth as the country's Head of State, since September 2005. Prior to being named Governor General, she was a television journalist from Quebec, Canada. She was born in Port-au Prince on September 6, 1957.

History

On January 4, 1804, the Republic of Haiti wrote one of the most important chapters in history when it became the first black nation on Earth, after a Revolution led by Toussaint L' Ouverture, today one of the national heroes on Haiti. In addition to being the world's first black republic, the island of Haiti is the first independent country in Latin America, well ahead of Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.

Modern History

On March 3, 1990, Ertha Pascal-Trouillot made international headlines when she was named Head of State of Haiti, becoming one of the first female leaders in the Caribbean. Hailing from Port-au-Prince, the country's capital, Pascal-Trouillot was one of the few black women Presidents in the 20th Century.

Olympic Sport

Against all odds, the Haitian Shooting Team captured the bronze medal at the 1924 Summer Olympic Games in Paris (France), winning the admiration and respect of many people around the world. Due to this notable performance, the island finished 23rd in the medal count, together with Japan, Portugal, New Zealand and Romania. The Olympic medallists were Ludovic Augustin, L. H. Clermont, Destin Destine, C. Dupre, Eloi Metullus, Astrel Rolland and Ludovic Valborge.

Painting

Haiti is well-known for its outstanding painters since the second half of the 20th century. Despite its difficult history and poverty, the Caribbean island -among the least-developed nations in the Third World-- has produced notable artists such as Rigaud Benoit, Wilson Bigaud, Castera Bazile, Jacques Enguerrand Gourgue, Hector Hyppolite, Philomé Obin and Louverture Poison, among others painters. In December 1945, the Haitian paintings had captured the attention of Andre Breton, the founder of Surrealism. The Haitian paintings, on the other hand, are in great demand among tourists.

World Heritage Sites

Touristically, the National Historic Park is one of the most beautiful places on Haiti. It was declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO since the early 1980s; one of the first in the Caribbean. This amazing park is made up of three Haitian monuments: Citadel, San Souci and Ramiers. These sites were built when Haiti became the first black republic in the world. On January 4, 1954, America's performer Mariam Anderson sang at Sans Souci Palace.

Alejandro Guevara Onofre: Freelance writer. Alejandro is author of a host of articles/essays about over 220 countries and dependencies (and American States as well), from ecology, history, tourism and national heroes to Olympic sports, foreign relations, and wildlife. In addition, he has published some books on women's rights, among them "History of the Women in America" and "Famous Americans"