Haiti

Where the name comes from

Haiti comes from Taíno Ayiti, “mountainous land”, an Indigenous name for the island it now shares with the Dominican Republic.

First people

Taíno society lived on the island for centuries.¹

Known for

Haiti is known for the Citadelle Laferrière, a huge mountaintop fortress built after independence, and for its painting and Vodou traditions.²

Outside rule

Spain colonized Hispaniola in 1493, and in 1697 Spain recognized French rule over the western part, which became a slave plantation colony.¹

The modern country

Haiti declared independence on 1 January 1804 after a revolution by enslaved people, becoming the first independent Black republic. A later US occupation lasted from 1915 to 1934.³