Haiti

Haitian Vodou mostly involves communication with spiritual deities (Lwa or Loa) whereas New Orleans Voodoo usually relies heavily on charms and other talismans, resembling another African-Caribbean influenced religion: Hoodoo. After the choice, practically all these unique features have been removed from the updated designs in favor of a more simplified monolithic structure, putting into doubt whether or not the public would have chosen this new design had it been the one originally presented. They are similar in some respects, but very different in most. Some critics have noted that the initial choice for this design of the Freedom Tower was based on the elaborate latticework, the vertical gardens, and an otherwise unique shape after all the other design contenders were eliminated for being too unoriginal. A distinction should be made between Haitian Vodou and American (New Orleans) Voodoo. As of the latest design, there appears to be no attempt to integrate either concept into the tower. Main articles: Culture of Haiti. In the original Memory Foundations proposal, the Freedom Tower was to include a vertical garden memorial known as "Gardens of the World." This idea appeared to have been rejected on the basis of a lack of rentable value, and the gardens were replaced in the intermediate design by the wind turbines and latticework that proved to be less popular.

Protestant churches of numerical strength are Assemblées de Dieu, the Convention Baptiste d'Haïti, the Seventh-Day Adventists, the Church of God (Cleveland), the Church of the Nazarene, the Église Episcopale d'Haiti and the Mission Evangelique Baptiste du Sud-Haiti. It was most widely criticized for its immense latticework which many observed to look rather skeletal. Many Haitians also practice Vodou, seeing no conflict with their Christian faith. That intermediate design was probably the least popular of the three designs and appeared to be a predictable shortcoming that should have been foreseeable from such a compromise between diametrically opposed visions for the trade center site. Some have converted to Protestantism. The latticework concept was actually a compromise between the Memory Foundations architect Liebeskind and Childs, who is largely responsible for the final redesign. Roman Catholicism is the state religion, which the majority professes. Before the empty frame of latticework entered the picture, an earlier design of the site, called Memory Foundations, was fairly well received in public opinion.

English is increasingly spoken among the young and in the business sector. Some believe that the businessman Donald Trump has planned a reconstruction of the twin towers on another place in New York City. Nearly all Haitians speak Kreyòl (Creole), the country's other official language. Many of them believe the absence of the iconic Twin Towers creates an ongoing emotional wound that can only be healed by rebuilding the towers as they looked before, as tall or taller. French is one of two official languages, but it is spoken by only about 10% of the people. These critics saw replacing two towers with a single, shorter tower would be inappropriately humbling and contrary to the proud nature of New York and the United States, even as a symbolic retreat in the face of terrorism. The biggest city is the capital Port-au-Prince with 2 million inhabitants, followed by Cap-Haïtien with 600,000. Other Freedom Tower opponents saw the previously-proposed latticework and antenna on top of the tower to be a mask of the reality that the tower's inhabited stories were to have been fewer than the Twin Towers, and in this way would therefore have been shorter than its predecessors.

About two thirds of the population live in rural areas. There have also been accusations of corruption on the part of New York Governor George Pataki, using his influence to get the winning architect's bid picked as a personal favor for a close friend [4]. A few are of European or Levantine heritage. Additionally, some architects contend that a taller building should have been considered, suggesting that for reasons of cost and engineering, taller buildings may actually be safer. The rest of the population is mostly mulatto, or mixed Caucasian-African ancestry. The redesigned tower is set to have 82 floors, more than the initial limit, but still far fewer than various comparable towers (even the much shorter Empire State Building has 102). About 95% of Haitians are of African descent. The floor limit was imposed by Silverstein, who expressed concern that higher floors would be a liability in a major accident or terrorist attack.

Although Haiti averages about 270 people per square kilometer (699/mi²), its population is concentrated most heavily in urban areas, coastal plains, and valleys. The design of the Freedom Tower has generated some controversy due to the limited number of floors (a maximum of 70) that were designated for office space and other amenities. Main article: Demographics of Haiti. Some of the tenants of the World Trade Center are expected to return to the site in the Freedom Tower, including a new Windows on the World, which was formerly on the 106th floor of One World Trade Center. Failure to reach agreements with international sponsors have denied Haiti badly needed budget and development assistance. The master planner of the World Trade Center site is architect Daniel Libeskind of Studio Daniel Libeskind, although David Childs of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, an architect hired by Silverstein, has largely supplanted Libeskind as architect of the Freedom Tower itself. The country has experienced little job creation since President René Préval took office in February 1996, although the informal economy is growing. The Port Authority plans to occupy at least one-third of the office space, but no private-sector tenants have yet been found.

Nearly 70% of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, which consists mainly of small-scale subsistence farming and employs about two-thirds of the economically active work force. The Port Authority estimates the Freedom Tower to cost US$1.5 to 2 billion alone, or about $675/ft² ($7300/m²). About 80% of the population lives in abject poverty, making it the second poorest country in the world. However, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey owns the 16 acre (65 000 m²) site the tower occupies. Haiti now ranks 153rd of 177 countries in the UN’s Human Development Index. Larry Silverstein of Silverstein Properties, the leaseholder and developer of the complex, is the probable owner of the Freedom Tower when completed. Comparative social and economic indicators show Haiti falling behind other low-income developing countries (particularly in the hemisphere) since the 1980s. The height of the Freedom Tower will probably not be increased before completion, due to the symbolism of having an exact height of 1,776 feet (541 m).

Haiti remains the least-developed country in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest in the world. Emaar, the builders of the Burj Dubai tower, are keeping the final height of their building secret, but speculation is that it will surpass all existing structures at a height of over 2,300 feet (700 m) when it is finished in 2008, two years before the Freedom Tower. Main article: Economy of Haiti. If the spire and antenna height (the criteria of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat) are included, the Freedom Tower might, when completed, qualify as the tallest office building in the world, if no other rival towers are completed first. [14]. Union Square Phase 7 and the Shanghai World Financial Center will have roofs and floors higher than Freedom Tower's highest roofs and floors. Tropical storm Jeanne skimmed the north coast of Haiti leaving 3006 people dead in flooding and mudslides, mostly in the city of Gonaïves. The Sears Tower, Taipei 101, and other buildings currently have occupied floors higher than the Freedom Tower.

This deforestation led to soil erosion and flooding as seen on September 17, 2004. Though not occupied by office space, the Freedom Tower's observation deck is set to be higher, at about 1,362 feet (415 m). Charcoal production by low-income labor accounts for the bulk of Haitian logging. The World Trade Center's North Tower featured an occupied floor at 1355 feet (413 m). Pictures from space glaringly show this stark contrast compared to Haiti's neighbour the Dominican Republic. It is unique, yet it subtly recalls, in the sky, the tragedy that has happened here." [3]. Now the mountains are bare down to the bedrock. The building is simpler, architecturally.

Over the years, the population cut down 95% of its trees and in the process destroyed fertile farmland soils. "It is a rare moment when new is better," said Design Partner David Childs, "I feel better about this than the original. In 1925, Haiti was a lush island paradise, with 60% of its original forest covering the lands and mountainous regions. The new redesign much more closely resembles the character of the previous towers than did the original plans. The east and central part is a large elevated plateau. Above the first 150 to 200 feet (50 to 60 m), the redesign may be as much a result of popular opinion and dissatisfaction in New York City with the previous design, or perhaps the growing popularity of the Twin Towers 2 movement, as with the concerns of safety. Haiti's terrain consists mainly of rugged mountains with small coastal plains and river valleys. Upon the redesign, announced and revealed on June 29, 2005, the upper building design did actually change, and significantly.

Main article: Geography of Haiti. As of May 2005, no structural steel had been ordered. Haiti is divided into ten departments (provinces):. [2] The redesign is said to entail a smaller ground footprint, and it is not known if this means office space in the building will be reduced, or upper floors will be made larger or more numerous to compensate. Main article: Departments of Haiti. "The building itself, except for the first 150 to 200 vertical feet (46–60 m), will be the same," said Port Authority Vice President Charles Gargano. See List of Presidents of Haiti, 2006 Haitian Elections, 2000 Haitian Elections, 1995 Haitian Elections, 1990 Haitian Elections, and the Constitution of Haiti. In May 2005, it was announced that a redesign was being done to provide for security from ground level bombs.

Since, and as a result of, the aforementioned coup, the future of the 1987 Constitution has fallen into doubt, even though the planned elections for the Presidency, Parliament, and local governments are being held in accordance with its terms. People involved in the rebuilding effort say that the revisions that need to be made to the site's most prominent feature, the Freedom Tower, could delay the start of construction from several months to a year." [1]. Having been either completely or partially suspended for some years, it was fully reinstated in 1994. Security concerns outlined in April 2005 by the New York Police Department "have set off a serious reassessment of plans for the World Trade Center site. The constitution was introduced in 1987 under the administration of Leslie Manigat and is modeled on those of the United States and France. New York City is a suitable place to set such a light pointing towards the sky without complaints of light pollution by astronomers, as the night sky in locations near New York City is already far too bright for serious astronomical observations. On 29 February 2004, a rebellion culminated in the defacto resignation of president Jean-Bertrand Aristide and it is unknown if the current political structure will remain. Also atop the spire will be an intense beam of light that will be lit at night and will likely be visible over a thousand feet (300 m) into the air above the tower.

However, some claim it to be an authoritarian government in practice. On top of the spire, the antenna may, pending design finalization, be the new broadcasting system to various New York television channels and radio stations, replacing the antenna on top of the North Tower of the former World Trade Center complex. Haiti is a presidential republic with an elected president and National Assembly. Although the roof area of any tower is comparatively limited, the building will implement a greywater recycling scheme involving rainwater collection. Main article: Politics of Haiti. This will benefit internal daylight propagation; however, at this stage it is unclear how the corresponding issue of solar heat gain will be addressed. Leslie Manigat, a former president, forced from power by the military in 1988. "Ultra-clear" glass, as opposed to reflective or tinted glass, is proposed for the fenestration generally.

Evans Paul, former mayor of Port-au-Prince, one-time Aristide ally and longtime fixture in Haitian politics. The windows on the side of the building facing in this direction will be equipped with specially tempered blast-resistant plastic, which will look nearly exactly the same as the glass used in the other sides of the building. Guy Philippe, a former police chief and one of the leaders of the rebellion that pushed Aristide out in early 2004. At its closest point, West Street will be 65 feet (20 m) away. He is now a Lavalas Family "Senator". The building will no longer be 25 feet (7.6 m) away from West Street—with the redesign and smaller base (the same width and length now as each of the previous towers), the Freedom Tower will average 90 feet (27 m) away from the street. Yet another candidate is Dany Toussaint, a former Haitian Army major, police chief and bodyguard of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Other new safety features will include 3 foot (90 cm) thick walls for all stairwells, elevator shafts, risers, and sprinkler systems; extremely wide "emergency stairs"; a dedicated set of stairwells exclusively for the use of firefighters; and biological and chemical filters throughout its ventilation system.

[13]. Interlocking reflective sheets of these materials along the facade will illuminate in turn as the sun moves across the sky above it. Baker supported the second armed ouster of Aristide, in 2004, is backed by powerful industrialists. The exterior of this base will be encased in reflective sheet metal cladding, likely stainless steel and titanium. Baker insists he has widespread support among poor Haitians, despite his image as a scion of the elite. The next 120 feet (37 m) immediately upward will also lack windows, containing only mechanical floors to fill out the massive cubic base of the building. Baker is running with the independent Konba party. However, owing to security concerns, the first 30 feet (9 m) up will now lack windows and will rely instead on artificial lighting and openings from 30 to 80 feet (9 to 24 m) high to illuminate the area.

Another candidate is Charles Henri Baker, a 50-year-old prominent businessman with US residency who led a civic group that organized to unseat Aristide last year. Like the World Trade Center, there will be a large public lobby, with 80 foot (24 m) ceilings, and a restaurant. [12]. This will be higher than the destroyed Twin Towers observation deck, and also slightly higher than the observation Skydeck of the Sears Tower in Chicago. Siméus's car, forcing him to flee. Instead of 1100 feet (335 m), the new deck will allow views from 1362 feet (415 m), the ceiling height of the previous Tower Two. Dozens of angry men and women rushed onto the streets, hurling rocks and chunks of concrete at Mr. Because there will no longer be a frame of latticework above the habitable space, the observation deck will now be higher than the previous design.

During his 21 years away from Haiti, Simeus, has become a multi-millionaire in Texas and is now intending to return to Haiti.[11] With great fanfare, he began a campaign rally in Solino, a crumbling and crime-plagued neighborhood of the Haitian capital. The turbines were expected to generate 20% of the building's power. [10] Simeus never renounced his Haitian citizenship and he is a dual citizen. The latticework would have constituted nearly 30% of the building's height. Another presidential hopeful, Dumarsais Mécène Siméus, a Haitian-born businessman has been nominated by a broad-based reform coalition of two Haitian opposition parties is leading what looks like a Populist campaign. Wind turbines are generally not suited for urban environments because of turbulence created by other nearby buildings; however, the singular height of the proposed tower would have presented a unique opportunity in this context. Marc Louis Bazin is running under the political party 'Union pour Haïti', an alliance between the 'Mouvement pour l’Instauration de la Démocratie en Haïti' (MIDH) et 'Fanmi Lavalas' (FL) de Jean-Bertrand Aristide.[9]. The Freedom Tower will not have the "skeletal frame" of latticework and wind turbines: these have been abandoned.

Bush Administration and the bourgeois population of Haiti. There will now be a central spire drawing from precedents such as the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building rather than an off-center spire intended to echo the Statue of Liberty. Bazin is a former World Bank official and favorite candidate of the George H.W. The Freedom Tower will now consist of simple symmetries and a more traditional design intended to bear comparison with selected elements of the existing New York skyline. Marc L. Many remaining vestiges of the concepts drawn from the 2002 competition have been discarded. He is the first to have been elected and succeeded by an elected President. .

He is the only the second President of Haiti to serve a full term and leave office peacefully. The building is projected to be ready for occupancy in 2010. He was elected President of Haiti in 1995 and served his full term, turning over the Presidency to Jean Bertrand Aristide on 7 February 2001. It is projected that steel for the building will be visible above ground in 2007, with a topping out in 2009. Preval was the Prime Minister from February 13 to October 11, 1991, but was replaced following the military coup of that year. Construction on below-grade utility relocations, footings, and foundations for the Freedom Tower is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2006, four and a half years after the World Trade Center's destruction and three and a half years after The Pentagon was completely reconstructed. An early favorite is Rene Preval. The walls at the base are offset 45 degrees from the walls of the highest floor with interlocking triangle facades.

There are 33 people on the list candidates for Haiti's next president.[7] [8]. Depending on which angle the building is viewed from, the Freedom Tower is designed to appear as either a rectangular shape like both of the previous towers, or as a massive obelisk design. The election is deeply split between two camps - the elite and the nation's poor that remain fiercely loyal to Aristide. However a project for a tower in Chicago, Fordham Spire, is expected to be taller and constructed as early as 2009. Local elections were originally scheduled for 9 October 2005, but have been pushed back until 30 April 2006. The height of the Freedom Tower is intended to surpass the Sears Tower to become the tallest building in the United States, and to be among the tallest buildings in the world when completed. In the midst of the ongoing controversy and violence, however, the interim government has planned legislative and executive elections for 7 February 2006 (originally set for 13 November 2005), with a runoff set for 19 March. The height to the top of the spire is set to be 1776 feet (541 m), symbolizing the year 1776, when the United States issued its Declaration of Independence.

On April 17, 2005, Neptune went on a hunger strike vowing not to eat until the Interim Government of Haiti (IGH) drops the charges against him; charges that it has refused to pursue.[4][5] Father Gérard Jean-Juste, a Catholic Priest and Lavalas supporter, is another high profile political prisoner in Haiti [6]. The tower will be located in the northwest corner of the 16 acre (65,000 m²) World Trade Center site, bounded by Vesey Street, West Street, Washington Street and Fulton Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City. On June 27, 2004, Yvon Neptune, Haiti’s last constitutionally appointed prime minister under President Jean-Bertrand was imprisoned by the transitional government.[3] Neptune was never allowed to see a judge in his case. A revised design for the tower was formally unveiled on June 29, 2005, to satisfy security issues raised by the New York City Police Department in April 2005. The only storm to have impacted Haiti, Hurricane Dennis, resulted in a significantly lesser loss of life (less than 200 fatalities) [2]. The Freedom Tower is the name given to the planned centerpiece building of the new World Trade Center complex in New York City, whose predecessors were destroyed in the attacks of September 11, 2001. So far, the 2005 season has been more gentle.

Furthermore, Haiti suffered badly during 2004 with floods hitting the Fonds Verettes and Mapou region in May 2004 and Hurricane Jeanne hitting the Gonaives area that September Tropical storm Jeanne [1]. General Urano Teixeira da Matta Bacellar was found, shot dead, in his Port-au-Prince hotel room on January 7, 2006. See the 2005 July 6 United Nations assault on Cité Soleil, Haiti. The UN mission, in the meantime, has itself ran aground in its relations with both the interim government (and its proponents), the Lavalas party (and its grassroots support), and human rights activists, often being accused (by the first group) of not doing enough to curtail the seemingly omnipresent and eternal violence, rape, and extortion which has tainted Haiti's international image, (by the second group) of colluding with armed (and notorious) militants and policemen in the suppression of neighborhood violence in Port-au-Prince, and (by the third group) actively participating in violence against the Lavalas party and grassroots support, all of which have been constantly denied by UN officials, including Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Force Commander Lieutenant-General Augusto Heleno Ribeiro Pereira of Brazil (who was replaced by fellow Brazilian and General Urano Teixeira da Matta Bacellar on 1 September).

Other groups, who viewed the Aristide presidency as a democratic "coup d'etat" leading to the establishment of a dictatorship in all but name, have set up their own website, the Haiti Democracy Project being the best known. Protest groups, websites, and news feeds have since been formed in response to the 2004 coup and following events, such as the Haiti Action Committee and the Canada Out of Haiti Campaign (a project of the Canada-Haiti Action Network). has, like the present interim government, its proponents, the Haitian National Police, and MINUSTAH (which consists mostly of Brazilian, Chilean, and other multinational peacekeeping contingents, led by Brazil), become the source of controversy both within and outside Haiti, especially in Brazil (which provides a bulk majority of the peacekeeping force), the United States (which is heavily suspected of foul play regarding the February 2004 coup), Canada (whose Martin government had also supported the overthrow of Aristide, and whose own RCMP is training a significant contingent of the rather-notorious HNP), and, to a somewhat lesser degree, France (from whom Aristide had requested a restitution of exactly US$21,685,135,571.48, the modern-day equivalent of the 90 million gold francs {originally set at 150 million, but later reduced} which were demanded as ransom by the French government from then-President Jean-Pierre Boyer). The Council of Sages, which consists of the following:.

He was replaced as justice minister by Henri Dorlean. Gousse had, since his appointment, become notorious for the alleged wrongful imprisonment of Lavalas party members and supporters, and, seemingly under pressure from Washington, resigned from office on June 15, 2005. Non-Cabinet Officials:. In the wake of Aristide's departure, while Supreme Court Chief Justice Boniface Alexandre succeeded to the Presidency (in accordance with the stipulations of the 1987 constitution), the Conseil des Sages, a seven-member executive advisory board which was appointed by the OAS-sanctioned Tripartite Council (consisting of Leslie Voltaire, Paul Denis, and Adamo Guino), immediately selected the Prime Minister, former Manigat Foreign Minister Gerard Latortue, who, in turn, selected his cabinet, which consists mostly of opposition leaders or spokespersons:.

[6], [7] When asked whether Aristide was guarded in the Central African Republic by French officers, the French Defense Minister answered that Aristide was protected, not imprisoned, and that he would leave when he could; and that France had many officers present in the Central African Republic following the recent events in that country, but that they did not control Aristide's comings and goings [8]. On March 1, 2004, US Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), along with Randall Robinson, a family friend of the Aristides, each reported that Aristide had told them using a smuggled cellular telephone that he had been forced to resign against his will by United States diplomats and Marines, and that he was abducted against his will, and continued to be held hostage by an undisclosed armed military guard. Many media sources reported that Aristide had resigned and been refused asylum by South Africa. The circumstances surrounding this flight are a matter of controversy.

Aristide was forced to sign a resignation of the Presidency and was taken to the Central African Republic. On February 29, 2004 the United States flew Aristide out of the country. This rebellion then spread throughout the central Artibonite province by February 17 and was joined by opponents of the government who had been in exile in the Dominican Republic. This finally led to an armed conflict, the 2004 Haiti Rebellion, which increased in intensity on February 5, 2004, 200 years after the Haitian Revolution, when an armed rebel group which formerly called itself the Cannibal Army and worked for President Aristide transformed itself into the Revolutionary Artibonite Resistance Front and took control of the Gonaïves police station.

By 2003, the country was deeply divided between pro-and anti-Aristide camps. The International Republican Institute was involved in either a pro-democracy or a de-stabilization project, depending on viewpoint, funded by USAID from 2002-2004. Aristide took office on February 7, 2001, but his presidency was mired in controversy, and his government was undermined by the political impasse and the use of armed gangs, called 'chimeres', to enforce his rule. Aristide won this election by 90% of the popular vote, but due to the earlier dispute, the opposition parties never accepted his victory as legitimate.

Therefore, most opposition groups boycotted the Presidential election. In the months leading up to the Presidential election at the end of the year, numerous negotiations failed to produce a settlement. In response, most of the opposition parties refused to acknowledge the results or take part in second-round run-offs. The Haitian government refused to re-calculate the percentages.

The Organization of American States (OAS) and the international community condemned the results for the Senate elections as fraudulent. The Family Lavalas Party won over 50% of the vote in nearly all the contests but a dispute arose about the method used to tabulate the percentages for the Senate elections. In May 2000, Haiti held legislative and local government elections. The old Lavalas coalition fractured, and in November 1996 he launched a new political party, Fanmi Lavalas (Lavalas Family).

Barred constitutionally from immediate reelection, he stepped down in 1996. The economy was in shambles, infrastructure almost nonexistent, and more than 4,000 people had been killed. invasion allowed Aristide to return and resume his presidency on 15 October 1994. After three years of exile, a U.S.

The coup's leaders: General Raoul Cedras, Colonel Michel Francois, and general Philippe Biamby, were all graduates of the US Army School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Georgia. A coup on 30 September 1991, led by the military and financed by members of Haiti's elite, declared that such reforms would not be tolerated. In his seven months as president in 1991, Aristide proposed raising the minimum wage, initiated a literacy campaign, dismantled the repressive system of rural section chiefs, and oversaw a drastic reduction in human rights violations. Aristide's campaign motto, "Lavalas" (Creole for "flood"), became the name for a diverse coalition of parties that symbolized hope for the Haitian people (80% of whom earned less than $150 a year).

He was elected in Haiti's first free democratic election on 16 December 1990, with an overwhelming 67% of the vote. In 1990, when a notorious Duvalierist announced his candidacy for president, progressive-centre forces united to urge Aristide to run for the office. In 1986, the year Duvalier was driven from power, Aristide survived the first of many assassination attempts. In the late 1970s, a time of increasing militancy against the brutal regime of Jean-Claude Duvalier, Aristide urged change and often found himself at odds with his superiors in the Roman Catholic Church.

He served the remainder of the five year term to which he was elected and oversaw the installation of Rene Preval, his Prime Minister, to the presidency in 1996. military intervention with a mandate from the United Nations. Most of his term was usurped by a military coup d'etat, but he was returned to office in 1994 by a U.S. It was supposed to design a new Constitution and arrange for democratic elections within two years, but didn't step down until 1990, when Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected president.

installed a military regime, The National Council of Government (CNG), headed by General Henri Namphy. After Duvalier fled, the U.S. He now lives in modest circumstances in Paris. A six-member council replaced Duvalier when he fled to southern France, where he lived in luxury in Cannes until his wife left him and took his children and most of their cash.

In the face of increasing social unrest, however, Duvalier and his wife left the country early in 1986, leaving the entire country in poverty and lacking international commercial development. In 1980 Duvalier married a divorcee Michèle Bennett, who later supplanted his hard-line mother in Haitian politics. Haiti continued a semi-isolationist approach to foreign relations, although the government actively solicited foreign aid. No political opposition was tolerated, and all important political officials and judges were still appointed by the president.

But in fact no sharp changes from previous policies occurred. Under the Baby Doc regime some political prisoners were released, press censorship eased, and a policy of "gradual democratization of institutions" was professed. This move by the regency caused the collapse of the freeport venture. Claude Raymond, commander of the army, and his brother, Foreign Minister Adrien Raymond; and Minister of Coordination and Information Fritz Cinéas.

This news prompted "Baby Doc" to expropriate the venture for himself, under prompting from his advisors including his mother, Simone Ovide Duvalier; Defense and Gen. In 1974 it became known that the freeport had entered into a multimillion dollar contract with the Gulf Oil corporation to advance development on the island. The advisers soon concluded that Haiti needed a new image to attract economic assistance, tourism, and investment. When François Duvalier suddenly died in 1971 his son Jean-Claude Duvalier ("Baby Doc") took over at the age of 19.

Although construction of infastructure and a new international airport was commenced, two other events brought about the sudden demise of the whole venture. These plans reached maturity in 1971 when a 99-year contract was entered into by François Duvalier on behalf of the Haitian government. In 1967 proposals were made to construct a free port on the Haitian island of Tortuga by a consortium formed in the United States by Don Pierson of Eastland, Texas. He was known for his army of sunglasses-clad volunteers, the Tonton Macoute.

Duvalier, also known as "Papa Doc," became president in 1957 and dictator in 1964. His position lasted only 18 days, however, because Duvalier was able to overthrow him and began what was to become a 29-year dynasty. Both men wanted to take the top job of President, therefore the party was split and in 1957 Fignole became president of Haiti. They continued to gain public support and waited for their moment to seize power.

Together they formed the popular Mouvement Ouvriers Paysans (MOP) party. This fueled his interest in politics, and despite the fact that the Haitian government was predominantly mulatto, Duvalier was able to gain a following and joined forces with powerful union leader Daniel Fignole. After securing employment with an American medical project that was fighting widespread tuberculosis, Duvalier had the opportunity to see the poverty that existed in the countryside. A medical doctor, François Duvalier was not allowed to establish his own practice due to racist customs in Haiti.

Efforts were made to improve Haiti's infrastructure and education systems in particular, but because of the imposed nature of these reforms, with little regard for Haitian customs or traditions, these generally were not well-received nor especially effective. Marine Corps, effectively making Haiti a colony in all but name. From July 28, 1915 until mid-August 1934, Haiti was under the occupation of the U.S. Main article: United States occupation of Haiti (1915-1934).

The largely black nation remained isolated politically throughout the 19th century, though penetrated economically by international capitalism. Freed blacks and mulattos joined with slaves under the leadership of Jean Jacques Dessalines against Napoleonic France in 1801 to achieve the Caribbean's first successful revolution for independence. Main article: History of Haiti. .

Haiti is currently in a state of transition following a rebellion (see 2004 Haiti Rebellion) which deposed President Jean-Bertrand Aristide on February 29, 2004; he had been re-elected in 2000 in an election which several opposition parties boycotted due to disputes with the vote counting of the parlimentary elections. In spite of its longevity, it is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. A former French colony, it was the second country in the Americas, after the United States, to declare its independence. The total land area of Haiti is 10,714 square miles (27,750 square km) and its capital is Port-au-Prince on the main island of Hispaniola.

The Republic of Haiti is a country situated on the western third of the island of Hispaniola and the smaller islands of La Gonâve, La Tortue (Tortuga), Les Cayemites, and Ile a Vache in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba; Haiti shares Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. Voodoo in Haiti. Transportation in Haiti. Military of Haiti.

List of Haitian companies. Kreyòl ayisyen/Haitian Creole. Foreign relations of Haiti. Haitians in Mainstream.

Haiti at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Haiti at the 1928 Summer Olympics. Haiti at the 1924 Summer Olympics. Communications in Haiti.

Sud-Est. Sud. Ouest. Nord-Ouest.

Nord-Est. Nord. Nippes. Grand'Anse.

Centre. Artibonite. Paul Emile Simon – Fanmi Lavalas (party of Aristide government),. Christian Rousseau (University of Haiti Administrator (previously involved in opposition student protests)).

Daniele Magloire ([CONAP] women's group coalition). MacDonald Jean (Anglican Church). Anne-Marie Issa (Owner of Signal FM Radio). Ariel Henry (Democratic Platform opposition group).

Lamartine Clermont (Catholic Church). Max Mathurin - Head of Provisional Electoral Council (CEP). Michel Brunache - Chief of Cabinet. Magali Comeau Denis - Culture.

Herard Abraham - Interior. Roland Pierre - Planning. Josette Bijoux - Health. Henri Bazin - Finance.

Daniele Saint-Lot – Commerce and Industry. Bernard Gousse – Justice and Public Security. Pierre Buteau – Education. Yves Andre Wainwright – Environment.

Yvon Simeon - Foreign Affairs. Philippe Mathieu – Agriculture. Adeline Magloire Chancy – Women’s Conditions.