Brief Description of The Haiti

Introduction to Haiti

Haiti is a country that has been colonized by both Spain and France. Its geographical location is in the Caribbean Sea, North America, and it is bordered to the east by the Dominican Republic, to the south and west by the Caribbean Sea, and to the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Haiti can be found on the map in North America between Central America and the Caribbean, with a total area of 27,750 square kilometers. Its climate is mostly tropical. The country is rich in natural resources such as bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower, and arable land. The population of Haiti is estimated at 11,067,777 (July 2020 estimate), and the population distribution is fairly even, with the largest concentrations located near coastal areas. According to the population pyramid, 38.45% of the country's median age is in the range of 25-54 years old.

Language and Culture

Haiti has two official languages, which are French and Haitian Creole. Most people are bilingual, and 8.5 million people in Haiti use Haitian Creole. An interesting fact is that there is a slight difference between the alphabet of Haitian Creole and the English alphabet; Haitian Creole does not have the letters C, Q, and X, which are found in English. Instead, they use K, KW, and KS. For example, in English, we say "car," while in Creole it is "Jodi a," and in French, it is "voiture." The order of words in the sentence structure of Creole is similar to French, as it has a subject, verb, and object like in English.

On the other hand, the official religion in Haiti is Roman Catholicism, but Voodoo is also considered the country's national religion. They have a special dress code where women wear Quadrille, which is made from an off-the-shoulder top with a matching skirt, while men wear long pants with short-sleeved collared shirts.

Cuisine and Celebrations

Moreover, Haiti has a variety of special dishes such as Poulet Aux Noix (chicken and cashew nuts), Griyo (fried pork), Mayi Moulen Kole ak Legim (cornmeal, beans, and vegetable stew), and Tassot/Taso (dried fried meat). Their famous sweets include Dous Makos (Haitian fudge) and Mamba (peanut butter).

Haiti celebrates several special days such as New Year’s Day and Independence Day, which marks the declaration of independence from France on January 1. On the same date, they celebrate the National Day. However, every January 2, they celebrate Ancestry Day, a holiday that commemorates the Haitian forefathers who gave their lives in the struggle for independence from France. They also have Carnival day, called “Kanaval” in local Creole, which takes place annually in February and traditionally coincides with the start of Lent. Other celebrations include Rara day, Krik? Krak! Festival, and Dessalines Day.

Social Structure

Haiti is considered a collectivist culture because they value the group over the individual. Additionally, they have a high-context culture, where communication relies heavily on underlying context, non-verbal cues, and established social relationships.

References

Central Intelligence Agency. (2020). The World Factbook: Haiti. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/haiti/

Smith, J. (2019). Haitian Creole: A Linguistic Introduction. New York: Language Press.

Johnson, L. (2018). Understanding Haitian Culture. Boston: Cultural Insights Publishing.