Haiti

République d'Haïti Repiblik d Ayiti Republic of Haiti
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: L'Union Fait La Force  (French) "Unity Makes Strength"
Anthem: La Dessalinienne
Capital (and largest city)	Port-au-Prince 18°32′N 72°20′W
Official languages	French, Haitian Creole
Government	Republic
- President	René Préval
- Prime Minister	Jacques-Edouard Alexis
Formation
- as Saint-Domingue	1697
- Independence    from France	January 1, 1804
Area
- Total	27,750 km² (147th) 10,714 sq mi
- Water (%)	0.7
Population
- July 2005 estimate	8,528,0001 (88th)
- 1982 census	5,053,792
- Density	292.7 /km² (39th) 758.1 /sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2005 estimate
- Total	$12.94 billion (124th)
- Per capita	$1,600 (148th)
GDP (nominal)	2005 estimate
- Total	$4.211 billion (134th)
- Per capita	$478 (151st)
HDI (2004)	0.482 (low) (154th)
Currency	Gourde (HTG)
Internet TLD	.ht
Calling code	+509
1 Note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected.

Haiti (Haïti in French; Ayiti in Haitian Creole; Hayti in nineteenth century English), officially the Republic of Haiti, occupies one-third of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, sharing it with the Dominican Republic. Haiti also includes many smaller islands such as La Gonâve, La Tortue (Tortuga), Les Cayemites, Île de Anacaona, and La Grande Caye. The uninhabited island of Navasse is claimed by both Haiti and the United States. 'Ayiti' (Haiti) was the indigenous Taíno name for the island. Its highest point is Chaine de la Selle, at 2,680 meters. The total area of Haiti is 27,750 km² (10,714 sq mi) and its capital is Port-au-Prince.

A former French colony, Haiti became the first independent black republic and the only nation ever to form from a successful slave rebellion. Haiti became the second non-native country in the Americas (after the United States) to declare its independence, on January 1, 1804.

Haiti has recently undergone a state of transition following the forced ousting of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide on February 29, 2004. The circumstances surrounding his departure from office are disputed, with Aristide stating that he was kidnapped by US government agents who forcibly put him onto a plane and flew him out of the country. He had been re-elected in 2000 by a strong majority, with most of his support coming from Haiti's poor masses, which comprise a large majority of the country's population. René Préval was elected president in his place on February 7, 2006, and took office in May.