Where is hispaniola

Experts estimate that over 2, people were killed and nearly , buildings were damaged or destroyed. Haiti is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, with 1, people for every square mile or people for every square kilometer.

Much of the population lives in rural areas working as farmers or laborers, but city population numbers are increasing. Most Haitians are of African origin, but a small number are of European descent. Though French is also an official language, only about 10 percent of Haitians speak it fluently. Many Haitians practice voodoo, which combines West African spiritualism with the worship of Roman Catholic saints. A common saying in the country is that Haitians are 70 percent Catholic, 30 percent Protestant, and a hundred percent voodoo.

In , voodoo was declared an official religion. Today, marriages and other ceremonies held in the voodoo tradition are recognized by the government. The traditional Haitian diet includes locally grown vegetables and fruits like cabbage, mango, and guava, as well as spicy meat dishes.

Popular meals include griot spiced, marinated cubes of pork , black rice made from mushrooms called djon-djon, and Haitian patties savory pies filled with chicken, beef, or fish. While much of the country is mountainous, the coastline is flat and dotted with coconut trees. Royal palm trees are common here, too, and can reach up to 60 feet Wood is also frequently burned for fuel.

This causes massive damage often, because hurricanes are common in the warm ocean waters surrounding the island. Recent storms include Hurricane Sandy in and Hurricane Matthew in , both of which caused flooding and landslides, leading to the loss of homes for thousands of people. Haiti is slightly smaller than the U. Divers off the coast of Haiti can see West Indian manatees , bottlenose dolphins , and Caribbean reef sharks. A president is elected to office every five years by a majority vote from the people of Haiti.

Covering a total area of about 76, km 2 , Hispaniola is the second-largest and the most populous island in the Caribbean region. The eastern portion of Hispaniola about 48, km 2 is occupied by the Dominican Republic , whereas the western portion of the island about, 27, km 2 is occupied by the Republic of Haiti. Hispaniola is separated from the large island of Cuba in the northwest by the 80 km-wide Windward Passage.

The km-wide Jamaica Channel separates Hispaniola from the island nation of Jamaica in the southwest, while the km-wide Mona Passage in the east separates the island from Puerto Rico. Hispaniola is about km in length and has a maximum width of km. As Spain conquered new regions on the mainland of the Americas Spanish Main , its interest in Hispaniola waned. By the early 17th century, the island and its smaller neighbors became regular stopping points for Caribbean pirates. These French, English and Dutch pirates established bases on the north and west coasts of the island.

Nicknamed the "Pearl of the Antilles," Saint-Domingue became the richest and most prosperous colony in the West Indies , with a system of human slavery used to grow and harvest sugar cane during a time when European demand for sugar was high. In , a major slave revolt broke out on Saint-Domingue.

The French Republic abolished slavery in the colonies on February 4, The ex-slave army joined forces with France in its war against its European neighbors. In the second Treaty of Basel July 22 , Spain ceded the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, later to become the Dominican Republic.

Under Napoleon, France reimposed slavery in most of its Caribbean islands in and sent an army to bring Saint-Domingue under tighter control, however more than half of the French army succumbed to yellow fever. After the French removed the surviving 7, troops in late , the leaders of the revolution declared western Hispaniola the new nation of independent Haiti in early France continued to rule Spanish Santo Domingo. In , following Napoleon's invasion of Spain, the criollos of Santo Domingo revolted against French rule and, with the aid of the United Kingdom, returned Santo Domingo to Spanish control.

The Dominican Republic's first Constitution, modeled after that of the U. France demanded a high payment for compensation to slaveholders who lost their property, and Haiti was saddled with unmanageable debt for decades. It became one of the poorest countries in the Americas, while the Dominican Republic gradually has developed into one of the largest economies of Central America and the Caribbean.

The Cordillera Central spans the central part of the island, extending from the south coast of the Dominican Republic into northwestern Haiti, where they are known as the Massif du Nord.

The Cordillera Oriental is the lowest range and is located in the eastern part of the island. It offers sandy beaches, round the year golf courses and has recently engaged in ecotourism projects. Haiti became the first black republic in the world.

Political violence throughout the last years has left the country without a democratic structure. The government is corrupt. Torture and the killing of political opponents are widespread. Elected leaders have been replaced by dictators more than once. France and the US have intervened in Haiti many times.

In addition, Haiti's population has been hit by natural disasters.