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Haiti, is a French and Creole
speaking Latin American country located on the Caribbean island
of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic, in the
Greater Antilles archipelago. Ayiti (Land of Mountains) was the
indigenous TaÃno or Amerindian name for the island. The country's
highest point is Pic la Selle, at 2,680 metres (8,793 ft). The total
area of Haiti is 27,750 square kilometres (10,714 sq mi) and its capital
is Port-au-Prince. The Europeans
brought chronic infectious diseases with them. Combined with ill
treatment, malnutrition and a drastic drop of the birthrate, these
decimated the indigenous population. The Spanish governors began
importing enslaved Africans for labor. In 1517, Carlos V, Holy Roman
Emperor and King of Spain, authorized the draft of the slaves. Many
enslaved Africans married Amerindians, forming a line of people known in
Haiti as marabou. |
