Official name and originThe official name of this country is, République d’Haiti (Republic of Haiti).
The island of present-day Santo Domingo and Haiti was originally named Ayiti (meaning mountainous land), by its inhabitants. From 1492 to 1696, Ayiti became Espanola, meaning “Little Spain”. Christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer who settled the island under Spain, named it after the Spanish crown. When the French took over the western portion of Hispaniola, it was named Saint-Domingue from 1697 to 1803. The Republic of Haiti, or Haiti, has been the official name since 1804. After gaining independence from France, Haitian blacks and mulattoes (of black and white ancestry) created the name by altering the original name, Ayiti. They changed the name to symbolize the breaking away of France and slavery. |
Flag
The Haitian flag has blue top stripe and red bottom stripe. In the center, is a white square with the Haitian coat of arms. The flag was based off of the French flag but has a smaller white section to represent an end to white European rule with a coat of arms inside of it. The coat of arms has a palm tree with the Cap of Liberty to show independence and a set of red and blue weapons to depict that the Haitians' defense for freedom. Below the coat of arms, it states:"L'Union Fait La Force" which means the union is the strength.
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Geographic coordinates
19 00° N, 72 25° W
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Languages
Official Languages:
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Fun Fact: Creole is a more widely spoken language in Haiti, but French is often used in politics, government and intellectual life. There is a kind of language barrier, since those that speak French are often seen as the elite or educated. Meetings on international aid in Haiti have been typically been in French or English, thus excluding Haitians that can only speak Creole which is the majority of the population.
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