Haiti is a small country with a fascinating history. Its rich culture comes from different influences: African, European, and Taino. It shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. Until you’re able to visit this Caribbean island, keep reading to learn more about it.
Struggling Economy
Haiti was once the richest colony of the French Empire and known as “the pearl of the Antilles”. Today, unfortunately, it’s officially the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. It still struggles to recover from the devastating earthquake that happened in 2010: the economy never truly recovered.
Languages
The people of Haiti speak two official languages: French and Haitian Creole. Besides Canada, Haiti is the only country in the Americas with French as an official language. Still, the majority of the population speaks Haitian Creole, which is a mixture of French and African languages.
Nature
Haiti has diverse climate zones and you can see versatile nature, from coconut trees on the coastline to dry forests with nothing but cacti. There are two national parks that you can visit to see tropical and pine forests and many animal species like the rhinoceros iguana, the Haitian boa, and the Hispaniolan trogon, which is Haiti’s national bird.