 The
native Arawak Amerindians - who inhabited the island of Hispaniola
when it was discovered by Columbus in 1492 - were virtually annihilated
by Spanish settlers within 25 years. In the early 17th century,
the French established a presence on Hispaniola, and in 1697,
Spain ceded to the French the western third of the island - Haiti.
The French colony, based on forestry and sugar-related industries,
became one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean, but only through
the heavy importation of African slaves and considerable environmental
degradation. In the late 18th century, Haiti's nearly half million
slaves revolted under Toussaint L'ouverture and after
a prolonged struggle, became the first black republic to declare
its independence
in 1804. Haiti has been plagued by political violence for most
of its history since then, and it is now one of the poorest countries
in the Western Hemisphere. Over three decades of dictatorship
followed by military rule ended in 1990 when Jean-Bertrand Aristide
was elected president. |
.... Click Here....
