Haiti

[ hey-tee ]

noun

1. a republic in the West Indies occupying the western part of the island of Hispaniola. 10,714 sq. mi. (27,750 sq. km). : Port-au-Prince. Formerly Hayti.
2. Also Hayti. a former name of Hispaniola.

Haiti

/ ˈheɪtɪ; hɑːˈiːtɪ /

noun

1. a republic occupying the W part of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean, the E part consisting of the Dominican Republic: ceded by Spain to France in 1697 and became one of the richest colonial possessions in the world, with numerous plantations; slaves rebelled under Toussaint L'Ouverture in 1793 and defeated the French; taken over by the US (1915–41) after long political and economic chaos; under the authoritarian regimes of François Duvalier ('Papa Doc') (1957–71) and his son Jean-Claude Duvalier ('Baby Doc') (1971–86); returned to civilian rule in 1990, but another coup in 1991 brought military rule, which was ended in 1994 with US intervention. Official languages: French and Haitian creole. Religions: Roman Catholic and voodoo. Currency: gourde. Capital: Port-au-Prince. Pop: 9 893 934 (2013 est). Area: 27 749 sq km (10 714 sq miles)
2. a former name for Hispaniola

Haiti

1. Republic in the West Indies , on the western third of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic . Its capital and largest city is Port-au-Prince.

Notes

With its extremely low average income and literacy rate, Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere .

In 1957, François (“Papa Doc”) Duvalier established a dictatorship ; at his death in 1971, he was succeeded by his son, Jean Claude (“Baby Doc”), who was finally overthrown in 1986. Since then the government has changed several times through military coups . In 1994, U.S. troops arrived in Haiti in an effort to restore democratic government, however, the political and economic future of Haiti remains uncertain.

Example Sentences

In 2010 Cuba provided the largest contingent of medical staff during the aftermath of the huge earthquake that shook Haiti.

From The Daily Beast

Yele Haiti did fess up to paying you $100,000 for a benefit concert in Monaco.

From The Daily Beast

Voodoo is the official religion of Haiti and was brought into the West Indies nation by African slaves.

From The Daily Beast

Dodson says the support thus far pales in comparison to what was offered for other disasters, such as the earthquake in Haiti.

From The Daily Beast

Until Haiti, abolitionists focused on either gradual emancipation, or simply ending the slave trade, not slavery itself.

From The Daily Beast

About one year after leaving the colony at Haiti, Columbus came back, to find the place deserted.

From Project Gutenberg

After a stormy passage, he reached the colony at Haiti, where the governor refused to allow him to land.

From Project Gutenberg

The Spaniards in Cuba and Haiti, hearing many tales of the gold to be found in the west, soon sent out several expeditions.

From Project Gutenberg

This is the rule; and the slave revolution in Haiti was not an exception to it, but a case occurring under peculiar circumstances.

From Project Gutenberg

There was a picture of the general at a press conference, and notes about his role in the difficult Haiti mission.

From Project Gutenberg