Haiti. Republic of Haiti
Haiti. Republic of Haiti
The state occupies the western part of the island of Haiti (in the group of Greater Antilles in the Caribbean Sea) and a number of adjacent small islands, between North and South America. The area is 27.8 thousand km². The capital is Port-au-Prince (1.8 million with suburbs).
Administrative-territorial division - 9 departments. Population - 8.1 million (estimate); Haitians - blacks (95%), mulattos.
Official languages - French and Haitian Creole, spoken by 85% of the population. Religion: the majority of believers (80%) are formally Catholics, but in fact many adhere to the African cult of "voodoo." The currency unit is the gourde = 100 centimes.
Diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation were established on June 2, 1996.
National holiday - January 1 - Independence Day (1804).
Haiti is a republic. According to the 1987 constitution, the head of state is the president, elected by universal suffrage for a term of 5 years (the acting president is B. Alexandre). Legislative power belongs to a bicameral parliament. The Senate is elected for 6 years, renewed every 2 years by 1/3 - 27 senators. The Chamber of Deputies - 83 deputies; elected every 4 years. Executive power belongs to the president and the government.
The caravels of Christopher Columbus appeared off the island in 1492. Initially, Haiti was a colony of Spain. From 1677, the western part belonged to France. In 1804, Haiti became the first Latin American country to achieve independence. In 1844, the eastern part of the island was proclaimed the Dominican Republic, independent from Haiti. From 1915 to 1934, Haiti was effectively under U.S. occupation. In 1957, F. Duvalier became president, declaring himself "president for life" in 1964. A regime of terror and violence was established in the country. After the death of F. Duvalier in 1971, the presidency passed to his son J.-C. Duvalier. In July 1985, a referendum "legalized" his lifelong presidency and the right of succession. In 1986, the Duvalier dynasty was overthrown. The first free presidential elections in Haiti's history, held in December 1990, brought victory to priest J.-B. Aristide, who led the National Front for Democracy and Change (NFDP). On September 30, 1991, the military overthrew Aristide's legitimate government.
After the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution in July 1994 to use "all necessary means" to remove the military junta from power, J.-B. Aristide returned to the country in October 1994. In the 1995 elections, his movement "Lavalas" won 80% of the seats in parliament, and the Lavalas candidate R. Préval won the presidential elections. In 2000, the internal political crisis in Haiti entered a new phase. The results of the elections held that year were contested by the opposition. J.-B. Aristide became president again, but could not achieve national reconciliation.
In early 2004, the internal political situation worsened.
As a result of the armed confrontation between pro-government forces and armed opposition, on November 29, 2004, J.-B. Aristide left the presidency and fled the country. The new authorities (a transitional cabinet headed by Prime Minister J. Latortue) with the help of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) are taking measures for political settlement. Presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for early 2006.
There are several political parties in the country; the leading ones are the pro-Aristide political movement "Lavalas Family" and the opposing Organization of the Struggling People.
Leading trade unions: Autonomous Trade Union Center of Haitian Workers, National Union of Workers of Haiti.
Haiti is a member of the UN (since 1945) and several other international organizations.
Haiti is the most economically impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere. 85% of the population lives in poverty. 60% of the working-age population does not have permanent jobs, about 50% are illiterate. Industry is underdeveloped, although the country is rich in mineral resources (copper and molybdenum ores, gold, silver, bauxite). 9% of the self-employed population is engaged in industry, while over 66% are in agriculture. Landless peasants make up almost half of the rural population. Land cultivation is done with primitive means. The basis of agriculture is the production of export crops: coffee, cotton, sugar, cocoa beans.
Corn, rice, millet, bananas, and tobacco are also grown. Agriculture accounts for over 30% of GDP.
Industrial production (bauxite mining, copper and cement production, etc.) is almost entirely under the control of U.S. monopolies, which account for 70% of foreign investments.
Railways - 380 km, roads - about 4 thousand km, including 1.5 thousand km of paved roads. The largest seaports are Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien; there is an airport. There are several daily and weekly newspapers, government and commercial radio and television services, and the Haitian Press Agency.
