Haiti Earthquake 2010

Haiti became the world's first black-led republic and the first independent Caribbean state when it threw off French colonial control and slavery in a series of wars in the early 19th century.

However, decades of poverty, environmental degradation, violence, instability and dictatorship have left it as the poorest nation in the Americas. History of the Haiti was a sad story in human history; politically a failed state, economically a poor nation, and socially with many social ills, even termed as a kidnap capital. It is in a sorry state. Today, The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (also known as MINUSTAH) has been in the country since the 2004 Haiti Rebellion. According to its mandate from the UN Security Council, MINUSTAH is required to concentrate the use of its resources, including civilian police, on increasing security and protection during the electoral period and to assist with the restoration and maintenance of the rule of law, public safety and public order in Haiti. MINUSTAH was established by UN Security Council Resolution 1542 on 30 April 2004 because the Security Council deemed the situation in Haiti to be a threat to international peace and security in the region. MINUSTAH still continued to struggle for control over the armed gangs.

The Haiti earthquake on 12-1-2010 has caused additional pain to the poor Haiti people, who already suffered from poverty,and life instability.


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Haiti (海地), officially the Republic of Haiti (République d'Haïti ; Repiblik Ayiti) is a Creole- and French-speaking Caribbean country. Along with the Dominican Republic, it occupies the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago. Ayiti (Land of high mountains) was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the mountainous western side of 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.

Haiti is divided into ten departments. The departments are listed below, with the departmental capital cities in parentheses.

1. Artibonite (Gonaïves)
2. Centre (Hinche)
3. Grand'Anse (Jérémie)
4. Nippes (Miragoâne)
5. Nord (Cap-Haïtien)
6. Nord-Est (Fort-Liberté)
7. Nord-Ouest (Port-de-Paix)
8. Ouest (Port-au-Prince)
9. Sud-Est (Jacmel)
10. Sud (Les Cayes)

The departments are further divided into 41 arrondissements, and 133 communes which serve as second- and third-level administrative divisions.

Haiti's regional, historical and ethnolinguistic position is unique for several reasons. It was the first independent nation in Latin America, the first post-colonial independent black-led nation in the world, and the only nation whose independence was gained as part of a successful slave rebellion. Despite having common cultural links with its Hispano-Caribbean neighbors, Haiti is the only predominantly Francophone independent nation in the Americas. It is one of only two independent nations in the Western Hemisphere (along with Canada) that designates French as an official language; the other French-speaking areas are all overseas départements, or collectivités, of France.

One of the best known early Haitian immigrants to mainland North America was Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, who was born in St Marc, Haiti in 1745 and was the founder of the American city of Chicago, Illinois.

In 1779 about 750 Haitians fought alongside American colonial troops against the British in the Siege of Savannah, one of the most significant foreign contributions to the American Revolutionary War.

Michaëlle Jean, the current Governor General of Canada, was a refugee from Haiti coming to Canada in 1968 at age 11.

Haiti Oct 2009(Before earthquake)


Haiti Dec 2009(Before earthquake)


Historical background
Christopher Columbus landed at Môle Saint-Nicolas on 5 December 1492, and claimed the island for Spain.
The native Taino Amerindians - who inhabited the island of Hispaniola when it was discovered by COLUMBUS in 1492 - were virtually annihilated by Spanish settlers within 25 years. In the early 17th century, the French established a presence on Hispaniola. In 1697, Spain ceded to the French the western third of the island, which later became Haiti. The French colony, based on forestry and sugar-related industries, became one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean but only through the heavy importation of African slaves and considerable environmental degradation. In the late 18th century, Haiti's nearly half million slaves revolted under Toussaint L'OUVERTURE. After a prolonged struggle, Haiti became the first black republic to declare independence in 1804. The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti has been plagued by political violence for most of its history. After an armed rebellion led to the forced resignation and exile of President Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE in February 2004, an interim government took office to organize new elections under the auspices of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). Continued violence and technical delays prompted repeated postponements, but Haiti finally did inaugurate a democratically elected president and parliament in May of 2006.

(source: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ha.html)

Haiti Revolution
The Haitian Revolution (1791–1803) is the period of violent conflict in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, leading to the elimination of slavery and the establishment of Haiti as the first republic ruled by people of African ancestry. Although hundreds of rebellions occurred in the New World during the centuries of slavery, only the revolt on Saint-Domingue, which began in 1791, was successful in achieving permanent freedom. The Haitian Revolution is regarded as a defining moment in the history of Africans in the new world.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and is ranked 149th, of 182 countries, on the Human Development Index. There is concern that Haitian emergency services are unable to cope with a major disaster; the country is considered "economically vulnerable" by the Food and Agriculture Organization. Furthermore, it has been struck by multiple hurricanes, causing flooding and widespread damage, most recently in 2008 from Tropical Storm Fay and Hurricane Gustav.

The 2010 Haiti Earthquake
On January 12th, 2010 a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti and devastated the capital city Port-au-Prince. Thousands of people were killed, the Presidential palace, Parliament and many other importation structures were destroyed, along with countless homes and businesses.

The 2010 Haiti Earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake centered approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) from Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, striking at 16:53:09 local time (21:53:09 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 13 kilometres (8.1 mi). The United States Geological Survey recorded a series of aftershocks, fourteen of them between magnitudes 5.0 and 5.9. The International Red Cross estimated that about three million people were affected by the quake, and Haitian authorities believe that up to 200,000 could be dead, exceeding earlier Red Cross estimates of 45,000–50,000 people killed.

The earthquake caused major damage to Port-au-Prince. Most major landmarks were significantly damaged or destroyed, including the Presidential Palace (the President survived), the National Assembly building, the Port-au-Prince Cathedral, and the main jail. Most hospitals were destroyed. The United Nations reported that the headquarters of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), located in the capital, had collapsed and that many UN personnel were unaccounted for. The Mission's Chief, Hédi Annabi, was confirmed dead on 13 January by President René Préval, although officially unaccounted for. He is a Tunisian diplomat and Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General. The deputy Head, , Luiz Carlos da Costa also died. They were having meeting with a Chinese delegation at the time of the disaster. Brazilian humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Zilda Arns,also among the dead.

Please help the victims of the quake in Haiti now!



Haiti Jan 2010(After earthquake)


Related Articles:
1.2010 Haiti earthquake, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Haiti_earthquake(To know the latest news)
2.Haiti, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiti
3.Country study - Haiti, Library of Congress, http://memory.loc.gov/frd/cs/httoc.html
4. United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Stabilization_Mission_in_Haiti