The Chilean earthquake was the second catastrophe to hit Latin America this year, following the disaster in Haiti - yet the death toll remains mercifully low by comparison. The 8.8 magnitude of the Chile quake made it 500 times more powerful than the one in Haiti, which had a magnitude of 7.0. As of Sunday(28-2-2010), the death toll from the earthquake in southern Chile stood at about 700. By comparison, the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti killed about 230,000 people,as reported by the Haitian government. Why?
Readiness: Chile was more prepared
Chile is wealthier and infinitely better prepared, with strict building codes, robust emergency response and a long history of handling seismic catastrophes. No living Haitian had experienced a quake at home when the Jan. 12 disaster crumbled their poorly constructed buildings.
Epicenter - Chile earthquake is off shore
Saturday's quake was centered offshore an estimated 21 miles (34 kilometers) underground in a relatively unpopulated area while Haiti's tectonic mayhem struck closer to the surface — about 8 miles (13 kilometers) — and right on the edge of Port-au-Prince, factors that increased its destructiveness.
"Earthquakes don't kill — they don't create damage — if there's nothing to damage," said Eric Calais, a Purdue University geophysicist studying the Haiti quake.
Building Code - Chile is strict on earthquake resistant
The U.S. Geological Survey says eight Haitian cities and towns — including this capital of 3 million — suffered "violent" to "extreme" shaking in last month's 7-magnitude quake, which Haiti's government estimates killed some 220,000 people and left about 1.2 homeless. Chile's death toll was in the hundreds.
By contrast, no Chilean urban area suffered more than "severe" shaking — the third most serious level — Saturday in its 8.8-magnitude disaster, by USGS measure. The quake was centered 200 miles (325 kms) away from Chile's capital and largest city, Santiago.
Chile has been building according to the best standards in the world for at least 20 years," García says. "As the technology and techniques have gotten better, the rules have gotten stricter. And that's what has minimized the loss of life this time around."
Chile sits on the so-called "ring of fire," a system of geological faults that circles the Pacific Ocean, and is frequently rattled by earthquakes. In 1906, a magnitude-8.6 quake near Valparaiso killed 20,000 people. A magnitude-7.8 quake near Chillan killed 28,000 people in 1939.
The quake on May 22, 1960, near Valdivia shattered the records for the strongest quake ever. With a magnitude of 9.5, it sent tsunami waves racing through the Pacific to as far away as Japan and the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. About 5,000 people were killed.
After that quake, Chile imposed strict rules about the quality of building materials, García says. It also invested heavily in research to find weak points in the soil under major cities.
"Chile has one of the most modern building codes in the world, and now we're seeing how the rules pay off," says Juan Felipe Heredia, a Mexican civil engineer who has designed buildings in South America.
"When you look at the architecture in Chile you see buildings that have damage, but not the complete pancaking that you've got in Haiti," said Cameron Sinclair, executive director of Architecture for Humanity, a 10-year-old nonprofit that has helped people in 36 countries rebuild after disasters. Sinclair said he has architect colleagues in Chile who have built thousands of low-income housing structures to be earthquake resistant.
In Haiti, by contrast, there is no building code. Patrick Midy, a leading Haitian architect, said he knew of only three earthquake-resistant buildings in the Western Hemisphere's poorest country.
Economical Strength
Chile's economic strength also gives it an advantage. It is the wealthiest country in Latin America, with a per-capita income of $14,700. Chileans, on the other hand, have homes and offices built to ride out quakes, their steel skeletons designed to sway with seismic waves rather than resist them. Haiti on other hand is the poorest nation in America.
Energy release
In terms of energy released at the epicenter, the Chilean quake was 501 times stronger. But energy dissipates rather quickly as distances grow from epicenters — and the ground beneath Port-au-Prince is less stable by comparison and "shakes like jelly," says University of Miami geologist Tim Dixon.
Panic
Survivors of Haiti's quake described abject panic — much of it well-founded as buildings imploded around them. Many Haitians grabbed cement pillars only to watch them crumble in their hands. Haitians were not schooled in how to react — by sheltering under tables and door frames, and away from glass windows.
Professionalism - No of Seismologists
Sinclair's San Francisco-based organization received 400 requests for help the day after the Haiti quake but he said it had yet to receive a single request for help for Chile.
"On a per-capita basis, Chile has more world-renowned seismologists and earthquake engineers than anywhere else," said Brian E. Tucker, president of GeoHazards International, a nonprofit organization based in Palo Alto, California.
Responsible Government
The professional advice from seismologists and earthquake engineers are heeded by the Chile government, which is Latin America's wealthiest nation, getting built not just into architects' blueprints and building codes but also into government contingency planning.
The fact that the president (Michelle Bachelet) was out giving minute-to-minute reports a few hours after the quake in the middle of the night gives you an indication of their disaster responsiveness.
Most Haitians didn't know whether their president, Rene Preval, was alive or dead for at least a day after the quake. The National Palace and his residence — like most government buildings — had collapsed. There was no direction from the President, or even the next in command of the nation. Haiti's TV, cell phone networks and radio stations were knocked off the air by the seismic jolt.
Urban Density
The construction in Haiti is absolutely appalling - it wasn't recognised by the Haitians as an area at risk from earthquakes."So they didn't have any motivation to build safe buildings."And because the country is so poor they didn't have any resources to do so anyway
Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, was crammed with three million human beings, and is one of the most densely populated areas in the western hemisphere.Haiti had not felt such a devastating earthquake in living memory, though it had suffered a number of smaller tremors over the years.
Earthquake Experience
Chile has experienced numerous powerful quakes over its history, including the most powerful earthquake in the world, striking with a magnitude of 9.5 in May 1960. Chile, as a result of suffering from frequent serious earthquakes throughout its history, has learned many lessons about building quake-proof structures. Chilean quake hit outside any populated centres. Economically wise, Chile is better than Haiti. Chile is South America's most stable and prosperous country.
Calais, the geologist, noted that frequent seismic activity is as common to Chile as it is to the rest of the Andean ridge. Chile experienced the strongest earthquake on record in 1960, and Saturday's quake was the nation's third of over magnitude-8.7.
"It's quite likely that every person there has felt a major earthquake in their lifetime," he said, "whereas the last one to hit Port-au-Prince was 250 years ago."
Worry of US professionals
Chile offers more lessons for U.S. planners than Haiti does, McNutt says, given similarities in building codes and earthquake awareness. Although the U.S. has made preparations more stringently than anywhere else, McNutt sees an Achilles' heel in the aging U.S. infrastructure of bridges and overpasses.
"I look at the reports of collapsing bridges and highways in Chile and worry what would happen here," she says.
In 2009, the American Society of Civil Engineers warned that 26% of the nation's bridges "are either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete." The engineers' report, based on Department of Transportation figures, showed that one in three urban bridges are either broken or obsolete, and suggested a $17 billion yearly shortfall in maintenance spending nationwide.
"Clearly infrastructure is a legitimate worry," says geotechnical earthquake engineer John Christian of Waban, Mass., a member of the National Academy of Engineering. "Engineers worry that we have plenty of buildings that fall down on their own, even without earthquakes."
California's San Andreas fault poses a much-worried threat. Californians have focused on preparing for a Big One for more than a century, since a 1906 quake in Northern California motivated people to take the hazard seriously, says Susan Hough, geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey in Pasadena. A 1933 quake centered at Long Beach led to passage a year later of tougher building requirements for schools.
"Since that time, the building codes have continued to evolve as we learn more about what buildings are dangerous and how the ground shakes under earthquakes," she says.
State and local building codes have prevented new construction of the most vulnerable building styles, unreinforced brick or concrete structures, she says. The 1994 Northridge earthquake in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles exposed weaknesses in steel welds and buildings.
Now the biggest worry is widespread use of apartments built atop ground-level parking, with supporting poles that can give way in a quake of sufficient size, she says.
"People may be complacent about California," Hough says. "We haven't really seen a big earthquake that really tests the infrastructure."
Such a big quake may be overdue in the heavily populated Southern California region, says Jim Goltz, earthquake and tsunami program manager for the California Emergency Management Agency.
"We have hundreds of faults in Southern California, and we could have a really large earthquake on any of them," Goltz says.
Officials in California are also focusing on non-structural hazards that can be deadly in big quakes, such as big-screen televisions, water heaters, furniture and bookshelves that can become missiles in violent quakes.
This Oct. 21, California officials will hold their third annual "Great California Shakeout" event aimed at informing people what to do in such a quake. Their advice — "Drop, cover and hold on" — suggests people take cover under furniture to protect themselves from flying objects.
The spate of recent earthquakes, starting with the magnitude-9.3 Indian Ocean event in 2004, follows a 50-year cycle of earthquake activity, said Marcia McNutt, director of the U.S. Geological Survey. The last cycle, in the 1960s, produced the two other record holders for recorded earthquakes — the magnitude-9.5 quake near Valdivia and a magnitude-9.2 quake in Alaska's Prince William Sound.
"We know earthquakes are not uniformly distributed in time; they cluster," McNutt says. "Now suddenly the earthquakes are lighting up again."
Even with the knowledge that a Big One is inevitable, retrofitting buildings and requiring better building practices is a tough sell, even in parts of the country where quakes are facts of life, says Mark Benthien of the Southern California Earthquake Center at the University of Southern California.
"Improvements to our building codes have often followed the earthquakes that we have had," Benthien says. "They are very difficult to pass in other times."
A report commissioned recently by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute and the U.S. Geological Survey concluded that many of the deaths in Haiti's earthquake could have been prevented by using earthquake-resistant designs and construction, as well as improved quality control in concrete and masonry work of affected buildings.
"The massive human losses can be attributed to a lack of attention to earthquake-resistant design and construction practices, and the poor quality of much of the construction," according to the report. It added: "Indirect evidence suggests that the earthquake did not produce ground motions sufficient to severely damage well-engineered structures."
Chile shows that earthquake-resistant building codes don't mean that people will be able to return to buildings, "just that they won't fall on them," Christian adds. The unfolding scenario of millions of displaced Chileans would likely occur in the USA as well, after a major earthquake, he says.
"We could build things to completely survive earthquakes," Christian says. "They would all look like nuclear power plants. And cost as much."
No predictions are possible for when an earthquake will strike, but the pattern of recent events does worry U.S. planners. "It's not a matter of if, only of when an event like this strikes the people of the United States," says Marcia McNutt, director of the U.S. Geological Survey. "Shame on us if we don't prepare."
Not only US, Chile Earthquake revealed that other nations have more to learn from Chile, to be prepare for the unknown. Indonesia, Philippines, China, other earthquake prone nations, and even nations which have not experienced earthquake in their history need to learn a lesson from Chile,the earth plates are moving, the Himalaya is moving, will the earthquake belt move and affect the non-earthquake belt nations?. I am not geologist, but I know anything can happen and there is no guarantee as disaster is natural act not predictable. The earth is changing and under pressure, anything can happen, beware.....be prepared.
Chile, their government stance on building code, develop a resource pool of Seismologists, and their expert views were seriously taken. The earthquake education and preparation, the government's stance and seriousness on earthquake impact risks, and a responsible government for the people which understand the geological risk of the country, were the factors that help Chile avoid great disaster. A respectable act of their government and people.
Related references/extract:
1. Compare: Chile Quake vs. Haiti Quake, Tale of two quakes - Chile quake ready, Haiti not, Text Story by Associated Press, http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/hot_stories/compare-chile-quake-haiti-quake-20100227
2.Chilean earthquake hints at dangers of 'Big One' for USA, http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2010-03-01-chile-quake-lessons_N.htm
3. Latest updates: Disaster experts praise Chile quake response(2010),by MICHAEL WARREN (AP),dated 11-3-2010, http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gftklhBTIA-_BbqbM2NnhvJDhW8QD9EC2FSO0
Showing posts with label Haiti. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Haiti. Show all posts
Monday, March 1, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Haiti earthquake predicted?
U.S. scientists warned in 2008 that Port-au-Prince was ripe for an earthquake, but they didn't know it would strike less than two years later. Ben Tracy reports on this code of earthquake predictions
Still remember Professor McCloskey's warning on Sumatra?
Please visit my blog dated Tuesday, January 19, 2010; with the title "Haiti Is Not The End: Other Earthquakes Are Just Round The Corner – Ulster Expert". This is the prediction by the Ulster expert, he was the one who predicted the Tsunami disaster in Sumatra earlier in 2004.
Professor John McCloskey of the University of Ulster, who is the lead author of the study and an internationally respected authority on Sumatran earthquakes, has issued the following appeal to the international community.
He calls on governments and non-governmental organisations to take preparatory urgent action that will save lives in the next earthquake disaster rather than waiting until after it strikes. He says: "We can't continue to refuse to accept the inevitable; earthquakes happen, they kill people, they will kill more and more people if we don't organise ourselves properly. We must start now."
Professor McCloskey and his group rapidly analysed the M9.2 earthquake that triggered the Indian Ocean 2004 Boxing Day tsunami and alerted the world to the threat of another large quake in the Sumatra region of the Indian Ocean 10 days before it struck. He is head of the Geophysics Research Group at Ulster's Environmental Sciences Research Institute.
He is not the fortune teller or end time prophet; he is a geophysicist, with experience and backed with fact and figure...he may not able to predict God's act , when it will come, but there is a possibility....
Always, Be prepared....
Past history of earthquakes in Sumatra
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake - 9.3
2005 Off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra -6.7
2005 Banda Sea earthquake - 7.1
2005 Sumatra earthquake - 8.6
2006 Banda Sea earthquake -7.6
2006 North Sumatra - 5.8
2007 March 2007 Sumatra earthquakes - 6.4
2007 September 2007 Sumatra earthquakes - 8.5
2009 Padang earthquake -7.6
Still remember Professor McCloskey's warning on Sumatra?
Please visit my blog dated Tuesday, January 19, 2010; with the title "Haiti Is Not The End: Other Earthquakes Are Just Round The Corner – Ulster Expert". This is the prediction by the Ulster expert, he was the one who predicted the Tsunami disaster in Sumatra earlier in 2004.
Professor John McCloskey of the University of Ulster, who is the lead author of the study and an internationally respected authority on Sumatran earthquakes, has issued the following appeal to the international community.
He calls on governments and non-governmental organisations to take preparatory urgent action that will save lives in the next earthquake disaster rather than waiting until after it strikes. He says: "We can't continue to refuse to accept the inevitable; earthquakes happen, they kill people, they will kill more and more people if we don't organise ourselves properly. We must start now."
Professor McCloskey and his group rapidly analysed the M9.2 earthquake that triggered the Indian Ocean 2004 Boxing Day tsunami and alerted the world to the threat of another large quake in the Sumatra region of the Indian Ocean 10 days before it struck. He is head of the Geophysics Research Group at Ulster's Environmental Sciences Research Institute.
He is not the fortune teller or end time prophet; he is a geophysicist, with experience and backed with fact and figure...he may not able to predict God's act , when it will come, but there is a possibility....
Always, Be prepared....
Past history of earthquakes in Sumatra
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake - 9.3
2005 Off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra -6.7
2005 Banda Sea earthquake - 7.1
2005 Sumatra earthquake - 8.6
2006 Banda Sea earthquake -7.6
2006 North Sumatra - 5.8
2007 March 2007 Sumatra earthquakes - 6.4
2007 September 2007 Sumatra earthquakes - 8.5
2009 Padang earthquake -7.6
Haiti: He survived, but can people survive?
Man may have been in rubble 27 days
A rice vendor may have lived under the rubble of a Haitian flea market for 27 days with little more than water and possibly fruit, a doctor said Feb. 9, 2010.
The survivor is Evan Muncie/Evans Moussignac who was selling rice at the market when the earthquake occurred. The doctors said that he is dehydrated and undernourished.
It remains unknown how he could have survived for 27 days, but doctors said he probably sustained himself on provisions from the toppled market where he was found. Medical staff attending to Monsigrace believed the man survived for 27 days after being trapped in the ruins of a marketplace since the January 12 earthquake but the facts remained unclear as Monsigrace appeared to be suffering from hallucinations.(Note: Hallucination: A profound distortion in a person's perception of reality, typically accompanied by a powerful sense of reality. An hallucination may be a sensory experience in which a person can see, hear, smell, taste, or feel something that is not there)
Doctors said Evans, 28, was severely dehydrated and had suffered cuts and scratches, but had not suffered any crush wounds or other traumatic injuries.
Meanwhile, Muncie has been able to say that person dressed in white has been giving him water every day since he was rescued and his mother thanked God because his son is alive.
Whatsoever the reason, he survived 27 days....
Can Haiti people survive after the earthquake?
The most worry is for other Haitians, the country need 10 years to recover the poorest nation in America. Can these people survive, with what happening in Haiti, the public disorder, and security instability. It seems even the UN police forces are not able to control the situation. There are gross phenomenon of total disrespect of human right by people themselves, and disrespect of public order. This will be the main obstacle for Haiti's recovery. Without stability and public order, it is difficult to build the nation.
If the chaotic situation is to continue, can the people survive? can the nation survive?
Mental Revolution
Haitian need a mental revolution; to forget the past ways of living, and to build a peaceful and orderly country, respect of law and human value. The human right violation from the people themselves, which promote criminal environment to continue even despite of natural disaster and human suffering. Haitian people need to change, for Haiti to survive.....
Haiti need to take a step of faith and trust; do a little soul searching; what type of the country they want in future? With the future model they want, with one heart and build the new nation, a reborn nation totally different from the previous nation. No more Kidnap capital,no more the poorest nation, no more violence and killing own people..... A nation that the Hatian will be proud....
All Haitian need a mental revolution, first to change oneself to respect public order; then contribute to the beloved nation by his own individual way, the nation will be build with one heart. Haiti will be like Japan, Germany, Korea, Vietnam, China....and others who have build up their nations after long human suffering of wars, political mistakes, and natural disasters.
A little earthquake in our heart
We need a little earthquake in our heart, to wake us up; what we have done for our country; what we should do for the future after the earthquake. A little revival on their spirit and love for fellow human being and their right.... Yes, a little earthquake in our heart....
Haiti can do it.....Haiti can stand up; provide they make the change...with one heart.
We pray for you,Haiti; for that little earthquake in the heart of your people; a step of faith; and a strong courage to change Haiti for better.....
Friday, January 29, 2010
Haiti - A miracle
Thanks God she is alive....alive after 15 days...
Thank you for the miracle...
Pray for miracle to Haiti, like the brave girl. Haiti need courage to change, to change the country.... for the betterment of all Haitian.
She need a good place to live her life.
Will Haiti provide her a good future.....
Well done, brave girl.....
Thank you for the miracle...
Pray for miracle to Haiti, like the brave girl. Haiti need courage to change, to change the country.... for the betterment of all Haitian.
She need a good place to live her life.
Will Haiti provide her a good future.....
Well done, brave girl.....
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Haiti, rebuilt thy nation
The videa was shot entirely on location in Haiti. This was filmed throughout all of Haiti a couple of years ago, long before the earthquake. All of market and street footage was filmed in the streets of Port-au-Prince. They are a beautiful people in a beautiful country.
The people of Haiti must rebuilt Haiti; a nation that will rebuilt with their love and pride, a nation that will erase their bad memory. A nation that will make them stand tall.
A beautiful country with great potential for tourism.
A talent people for creativity of art and music.
First the public order and stability; let peace come to the nation,
Second let love prevail,and hatred disappear from the nation,
and ultimately let hope take the nation together to higher ground.
No more fighting , no more poverty.
No more negative image,
Haitian must stand tall with the positive value;
beautiful country and rich resources,
and the people's natural talent for creativity.
"Haiti must be rebuilt. Ultimately, we need to treat Haiti with compassion and respect and make sure that the country gets back on its feet once and for all. The west has funded truly corrupt governments in the past. Right now, in Haiti, there is a democratically elected government. Impossibly weak, but standing."
- Arcade Fire's Regine Chassagne, original singer for the song " Haiti".
A new nation with hopes, love ....respect and pride.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Haiti Vs Dominican Republic
Haiti and the Dominican Republic: A Tale of Two Countries
Haiti or Republic of Haiti, and Dominican Republic, occupy the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago. The Greater Antilles are one of four island groups in the Caribbean. Comprising Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (containing the nations of Haiti and the Dominican Republic) , and Puerto Rico—the fourth largest island of the Antilles and the only U.S. Territory—the Greater Antilles constitutes almost 90% of the land mass of the entire West Indies.
The day after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, Christian televangelist Pat Robertson sparked outrage with his comments on The 700 Club that the nation's history of catastrophes was due to a "pact to the Devil" its residents had made some 200 years ago. How else to explain why Haiti suffers, while the Dominican Republic - which shares the 30,000 sq. miles of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola - is relatively well-off? "That island of Hispaniola is one island," Robertson said. "The Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, et cetera. Haiti is in desperate poverty."(source: Times, 19-1-2010)
Robertson's rationale is more than suspect, yet the differences between the two nations are undeniable. The UN ranks the Dominican Republic 90th out of 182 countries on its human development index, which combines a variety of welfare measurements; Haiti comes in at 149th. In the Dominican Republic, average life expectancy is nearly 74 years. In Haiti, it's 61. You're substantially more likely to be able to read and write if you live in the eastern two-thirds of Hispaniola, and less likely to live on under $1.25 a day.......
Map of West Indies
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The Greater Antilles
The islands of the Caribbean Sea, collectively known as the West Indies, are sorted by size and location into the Bahamas (or Lucayan archipelago, which includes the Turks and Caicos Islands), the Lesser Antilles, and the Greater Antilles. The "Greater Antilles" refers to Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and Puerto Rico. The smaller islands in the vicinity of these four major islands are sometimes also treated as part of the group. This includes the smaller islands that surround the main islands, but are still part of the main island country (for instance, the Republic of Cuba consists of the island of Cuba, the Isle of Pines, and several smaller islands around them.) The Cayman Islands are also often included in the Greater Antilles because of their geographical proximity to Cuba. The Greater Antilles are made up of continental rock, part of North America, as distinct from that of the Lesser Antilles, which are mostly young volcanic or coral islands.
The Yucatan Channel separates the Greater Antilles from Mexico, and the Florida Straits separate them from the United States. To the South of the Greater Antilles, and completely surrounding Jamaica, is the Caribbean Sea.
All countries are members of UN, except Puerto Rico, which is still a voluntary Commonwealth of the United States (by repeated votes by its people), which means that it is neither a state, nor an independent country, but is a U.S. territory.
Map of Hispaniola Island
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Hispaniola
Hispaniola (from Spanish, La Española) is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west, and Puerto Rico to the east, directly within the hurricane belt. Hispaniola is perhaps most famous for marking the first European colonies in the New World, colonies founded by Christopher Columbus on his voyages in 1492 and 1493. It is the tenth most populous island in the world, and the most populous in the Americas. It is the 22nd largest island in the world.
Before Christopher Columbus arrived, the indigenous Taínos (meaning ‘Friendly People’) lived on the island now known as Hispaniola. Taínos gave the world sweet potatoes, peanuts, guava, pineapple and tobacco – even the word ‘tobacco’ is Taíno in origin. Yet the Taínos themselves were wiped out by Spanish diseases and slavery. Of the 400,000 Taínos that lived on Hispaniola at the time of European arrival, fewer than 1000 were still alive 30 years later. None exist today.(source: Lonely planet)
Two colonies grew on Hispaniola, one Spanish and the other French. Both brought thousands of African slaves to work the land. In 1804, after a 70-year struggle, the French colony gained independence. Haiti, the Taíno name for the island, was the first majority-black republic in the New World.
In 1821 colonists in Santo Domingo declared their independence from Spain. Haiti, which had long aspired to unify the island, promptly invaded its neighbor and occupied it for more than two decades. But Dominicans on February 27, 1844, Juan Pablo Duarte led a bloodless coup and reclaimed Dominican autonomy. Feeling threatened by Haiti in 1861, the Dominican Republic once again submitted to Spanish rule. But ordinary Dominicans did not support the move and, after four years of armed resistance, succeeded in expelling Spanish troops in what is known as the War of Restoration. DR then started their independence.
Geographical difference
The mountains that lie across the island can cut off Haiti's rainfall. The northeast trade winds, and so the rain, blow in the Dominican Republic's favor. Haiti's semiarid climate makes cultivation more challenging. Deforestation - a major problem in Haiti, but not in its neighbor
Haiti/Republic of Haiti
Map of Haiti
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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: CIA)
Social & Cuturally
A "forlorn, hate-filled little Caribbean island" in 1965. On the eastern part of Hispaniola, you'll probably speak Spanish; in the west, it's more likely to be French or Creole, a division that's the result of centuries of European colonization and numerous power struggles. (Not to mention the decimation of Hispaniola's indigenous Taino people - who, of course, spoke neither.)
When Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492, he named the land La Isla EspaÑola; it served as a Spanish colony and base for the empire's further conquests, though was never particularly profitable. In 1697 the Spanish formally ceded the western third of it to the French, already present and more heavily invested. The Hispaniolan outposts of both empires imported African slaves, though the latter did so to a much greater extent. The colonies - Santo Domingo and Saint-Domingue, respectively - subsequently developed vastly different demographics. According to a study by the American Library of Congress, by the end of the 18th Century there were about 40,000 white landowners, 25,000 black or interracial freedmen, and 60,000 slaves in the Spanish colony, compared with approximately 30,000 whites, 27,000 freedmen, and at least 500,000 black slaves in its French counterpart.
Domestic Security
For many years now, not only with the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship, Haiti has been breaking up politically, socially and economically.The consequences have been growing insecurity and violence, the loss of institutions, authority and power dispersion, and widespread poverty.
The international community carried out five military interventions in the last fifteen years; nonetheless, the causes leading to these interventions, especially the lack of governability to ensure the security of the population, seem to be prevalent still today.
The negative legacy of these failed interventions also contributes to the current instability. Furthermore, Haiti is the most corrupt country in the world and the level of insecurity and violence has affected even the United Nations forces working in the country, with the death of two blue helmets in mid-November.(source: http://www.fride.org/publication/227/security-in-haiti)
Poverty and Instability
A report from a U.N. fact-finding mission to Haiti said widespread poverty is undermining ongoing operations to stabilize the country. The current levels of extreme poverty, with 80 percent of the population subsisting on less than two dollars a day and 50 percent with less than one dollar, it is incompatible for achieving the goal of attaining stability in the short term."
Crime
There are no "safe” areas in Haiti. There is a persistent danger of violent crime, which can be subject to periodic surges sometimes not obviously explained by other events or conditions. Haiti is among the four most important countries for drug transit to the United States. Law and order in Haiti has steadily deteriorated as a result. Kidnapping, death threats, murders, drug-related shootouts, armed robberies, gang fight, home break-ins and car-jacking are common in Haiti(source:http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1134.html). Haiti is called Kidnap Capital by the world. Crime become a culture and norm?.....
There were negative report of fighting and looting for food during the 2010 earthquake; but however there were also stories of how Haitian help each others and the foreigners, even with limited resources.
Map of Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
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The Dominican Republic (Spanish: República Dominicana, pronounced [reˈpuβlika ðominiˈkana]) is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are occupied by two countries. Both by area and population, the Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation (after Cuba), with 48,442 km² and an estimated 10 million people.
History
Inhabited by Taínos since the seventh century, the territory of the Dominican Republic was reached by Christopher Columbus in 1492 and became the site of the first permanent European settlement in the Americas, namely Santo Domingo, the country's capital and Spain's first capital in the New World. In Santo Domingo stand, among other firsts in the Americas, the first university, cathedral, and castle, the latter two in the Ciudad Colonial area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In 1821 colonists in Santo Domingo declared their independence from Spain. Haiti, which had long aspired to unify the island, promptly invaded its neighbor and occupied it for more than two decades. But Dominicans never accepted Haitian rule and on February 27, 1844, Juan Pablo Duarte – considered the father of the country – led a bloodless coup and reclaimed Dominican autonomy. Fearing an invasion and still feeling threatened by Haiti in 1861, the Dominican Republic once again submitted to Spanish rule. But ordinary Dominicans did not support the move and, after four years of armed resistance, succeeded in expelling Spanish troops in what is known as the War of Restoration . (Restauración is a common street name throughout the DR, and there are a number of monuments to the war, including a prominent one in Santiago.) On March 3, 1865, the Queen of Spain signed a decree annulling the annexation and withdrew her soldiers from the island.
The young country endured one disreputable caudillo (military leader) after the other. In 1916 US President Woodrow Wilson sent the marines to the Dominican Republic, ostensibly to quell a coup attempt, but they ended up occupying the country for eight years. Though imperialistic, this occupation succeeded in stabilizing the DR.
The rise of the caudillo
Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, a former security guard and the eventual chief of the Dominican national police, muscled his way into the presidency in February 1930 and dominated the country until his assassination in 1961. He implemented a brutal system of repression, killing and imprisoning political opponents. Though he was himself partly black, Trujillo was deeply racist and xenophobic. In October 1937 he ordered the extermination of Haitians along the international border. In a matter of days some 20, 000 Haitians were hacked to death with machetes and their bodies dumped into the ocean.
During these years Trujillo used his government to amass a personal fortune by establishing monopolies that he and his wife controlled. By 1934 he was the richest man on the island. To this day there are many Dominicans who remember Trujillo’s rule with a certain amount of fondness and nostalgia, in part because Trujillo did develop the economy. Factories were opened, a number of grandiose infrastructure and public works projects were carried out, bridges and highways were built and peasants were given state land to cultivate.
Caudillo redux
Joaquín Balaguer was Trujillo’s puppet president at the time of Trujillo’s assassination. Civil unrest and another US occupation followed Trujillo’s death, but Balaguer eventually regained the presidency, to which he clung fiercely for the next 12 years. And like his mentor, Balaguer remained a major political force long after he gave up official control. In 1986 he became president again, despite frail health and blindness. He was as repressive as ever and his economic policies sent the peso tumbling.
Dominicans whose savings had evaporated protested and were met with violence from the national police. Many fled to the USA. By the end of 1990, 12% of the Dominican population – 900, 000 people – had moved to New York.
After rigging the 1990 and 1994 elections, the military had grown weary of Balaguer’s rule and he agreed to cut his last term short, hold elections and, most importantly, not run as a candidate. But it wouldn’t be his last campaign – he would run once more at the age of 92, winning 23% of the vote in the 2000 presidential election. Thousands would mourn his death two years later, despite the fact that he prolonged the Trujillo-style dictatorship for decades. His most lasting legacy may be the Faro a Colón, an enormously expensive monument to the discovery of the Americas that drained Santo Domingo of electricity whenever the lighthouse was turned on.
Breaking with the past
The Dominican people signaled their desire for change in electing Leonel Fernández, a 42-year-old lawyer who grew up in New York City, as president in the 1996 presidential election; he edged out three-time candidate José Francisco Peña Gómez in a runoff. But would too much change come too quickly? Shocking the nation, Fernández forcibly retired two-dozen generals, encouraged his defense minister to submit to questioning by the civilian attorney general and fired the defense minister for insubordination – all in a single week. In the four years of his presidency, he oversaw strong economic growth, privatization and lowered inflation, unemployment and illiteracy – although endemic corruption remained pervasive.
Hipólito Mejía, a former tobacco farmer, succeeded Fernández in 2000 and immediately cut spending and increased fuel prices – not exactly the platform he ran on. The faltering US economy and World Trade Center attacks ate into Dominican exports as well as cash remittances and foreign tourism. Corruption scandals involving the civil service, unchecked spending, electricity shortages and several bank failures, which cost the government in the form of huge bailouts for depositors, all spelled doom for Mejías’ reelection chances.
Familiar faces appear again and again in Dominican politics and Fernandez returned to the national stage by handily defeating Mejía in the 2004 presidential elections. Though he’s widely considered competent and even forward thinking, it’s not uncommon to hear people talk about him rather unenthusiastically as a typical politician beholden to special interests. The more cynical claim that the Fernandez administration is allied with corrupt business and government officials who perpetuate a patronage system different from Trujillo’s rule in name only. In 2007 the faltering US economy, the devastation brought by Tropical Storm Noel, the threat of avian bird flu and continued tension with Haiti provided challenges to Fernandez’s reelection campaign.
(source: Lonely Planet)
Economy
Although the economy is growing at a respectable rate, high unemployment and underemployment remains an important challenge. The country suffers from marked income inequality; the poorest half of the population receives less than one-fifth of GNP, while the richest 10% enjoys nearly 40% of national income.
Dominican Republic is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to show evidence of increasing efforts to combat human trafficking, particularly in terms of not adequately investigating and prosecuting public officials who may be complicit with trafficking activity, and inadequate government efforts to protect trafficking victims; the government has taken measures to reduce demand for commercial sex acts with children through criminal prosecutions (2008)(source: CIA). Drug-related activities is also active in DR.
Politically - both countries struggled with democracy
As revolution raged in France in the 1790s, its colonial slaves in Hispaniola revolted; in 1804, they declared independence, and Haiti, which was named after the Taino word for "land of mountains," became the world's first sovereign black republic. The Dominican Republic wasn't established until 1844, after not just European rule but also 22 years of Haitian occupation. Strife between (as well as within) the neighbors, rooted in deep class, racial, and cultural differences, was constant. Interference by foreign powers was often the norm. The Spanish took back the Dominican Republic again in the early 1860s, and for periods during the twentieth century, the U.S. occupied both nations, supposedly to restore order but also, in the face of European threats, to assert its influence in the Western Hemisphere. Internal politics were characterized by multiple coups, revolts and dictators, the most infamous being Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic and FranÇois and Jean-Claude Duvalier in Haiti. Juan Bosch, the first democratically elected president of the Dominican Republic in 1962, was almost immediately overthrown after taking office in 1963. Jean-Bertrand Aristide became the first freely-elected president of Haiti, in 1990; he was ousted as well, returned and was ousted again. Haiti is however a failed state....where there is disorder and instability, where the authority is not able to manage.
The difference: Ecomically -they began to diverge.
Haiti had long been exploited, by foreign powers, neighbors and its own rulers. France not only milked its colony for coffee and sugar production, it also extracted an indemnity from Haiti: the young nation had to pay a burdensome sum to its former colonizer in order to achieve France's diplomatic recognition.
The lighter-skinned Dominicans looked down on the darker-skinned Haitians: in 1965, even as the D.R. was embroiled in civil war, Haitians were working in Dominican fields and not the other way around. And while Trujillo at least encouraged economic development in his country, Duvalier pere et fils essentially sold their own people as cheap sugar cane-cutters to the Dominican Republic. This make the difference....
Dominic Republic is able to develop their economy, especially tourism; but Haiti was still indulged in their political instability, gang fighting and criminal/social unrest.They lost the opportunity to develop their economy, despite having great tourism potential similar to DR.
Conclusion
Today, with a lack of resources and a much higher population density than its neighbor, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The UN has sent peacekeeping missions to maintain order there since the mid-1990s, but terrible conditions persist. Haiti's dismal statistics have a long history; no Devil is necessary(source: Time).
Millions of Haitians live abroad.... a reflection of poor living condition of the country.
Did Pat Robertson speak the true?...... He claimed that the quake was divine retribution for a pact with the devil that was sworn long ago, during Slave Rebellion. An apocryphal tale of Haitian voodoo priests sacrificing a pig and drinking its blood in 1791 in order to secure Satan's aid in expelling the French occupation. In return, the priests are said to have promised Haiti to Satan for the next 200 years. The French were soon beat back, and in 1804, Haiti became an independent nation. Do you believe the story?....
Anyhow, the differences between the two countries in the same island; and even natural disaster seems to beset more on Haiti, just wonder is it act of God, or the warning of God to mankind for the disorder and disobedience....
As desperate believers gathered to pray Sunday across the shattered capital, the Rev. Eric Toussaint told a congregation gathered outside the ruined cathedral that the earthquake ''is a sign from God, saying that we must recognize his power.''
Haitians, he said, ''need to reinvent themselves, to find a new path to God.''
May be this is the answer from Haitian themselves.....
Reference/related articles:
1. Haiti and the Dominican Republic: A Tale of Two Countries, Times dated 19-1-2010 http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20100119/wl_time/08599195395900
2. Dominican Republic, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/dr.html
3. Haiti,https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ha.html
4. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/dominican-republic
Haiti or Republic of Haiti, and Dominican Republic, occupy the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago. The Greater Antilles are one of four island groups in the Caribbean. Comprising Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (containing the nations of Haiti and the Dominican Republic) , and Puerto Rico—the fourth largest island of the Antilles and the only U.S. Territory—the Greater Antilles constitutes almost 90% of the land mass of the entire West Indies.
The day after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, Christian televangelist Pat Robertson sparked outrage with his comments on The 700 Club that the nation's history of catastrophes was due to a "pact to the Devil" its residents had made some 200 years ago. How else to explain why Haiti suffers, while the Dominican Republic - which shares the 30,000 sq. miles of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola - is relatively well-off? "That island of Hispaniola is one island," Robertson said. "The Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, et cetera. Haiti is in desperate poverty."(source: Times, 19-1-2010)
Robertson's rationale is more than suspect, yet the differences between the two nations are undeniable. The UN ranks the Dominican Republic 90th out of 182 countries on its human development index, which combines a variety of welfare measurements; Haiti comes in at 149th. In the Dominican Republic, average life expectancy is nearly 74 years. In Haiti, it's 61. You're substantially more likely to be able to read and write if you live in the eastern two-thirds of Hispaniola, and less likely to live on under $1.25 a day.......
Map of West Indies
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The Greater Antilles
The islands of the Caribbean Sea, collectively known as the West Indies, are sorted by size and location into the Bahamas (or Lucayan archipelago, which includes the Turks and Caicos Islands), the Lesser Antilles, and the Greater Antilles. The "Greater Antilles" refers to Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and Puerto Rico. The smaller islands in the vicinity of these four major islands are sometimes also treated as part of the group. This includes the smaller islands that surround the main islands, but are still part of the main island country (for instance, the Republic of Cuba consists of the island of Cuba, the Isle of Pines, and several smaller islands around them.) The Cayman Islands are also often included in the Greater Antilles because of their geographical proximity to Cuba. The Greater Antilles are made up of continental rock, part of North America, as distinct from that of the Lesser Antilles, which are mostly young volcanic or coral islands.
The Yucatan Channel separates the Greater Antilles from Mexico, and the Florida Straits separate them from the United States. To the South of the Greater Antilles, and completely surrounding Jamaica, is the Caribbean Sea.
All countries are members of UN, except Puerto Rico, which is still a voluntary Commonwealth of the United States (by repeated votes by its people), which means that it is neither a state, nor an independent country, but is a U.S. territory.
Map of Hispaniola Island
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Hispaniola
Hispaniola (from Spanish, La Española) is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west, and Puerto Rico to the east, directly within the hurricane belt. Hispaniola is perhaps most famous for marking the first European colonies in the New World, colonies founded by Christopher Columbus on his voyages in 1492 and 1493. It is the tenth most populous island in the world, and the most populous in the Americas. It is the 22nd largest island in the world.
Before Christopher Columbus arrived, the indigenous Taínos (meaning ‘Friendly People’) lived on the island now known as Hispaniola. Taínos gave the world sweet potatoes, peanuts, guava, pineapple and tobacco – even the word ‘tobacco’ is Taíno in origin. Yet the Taínos themselves were wiped out by Spanish diseases and slavery. Of the 400,000 Taínos that lived on Hispaniola at the time of European arrival, fewer than 1000 were still alive 30 years later. None exist today.(source: Lonely planet)
Two colonies grew on Hispaniola, one Spanish and the other French. Both brought thousands of African slaves to work the land. In 1804, after a 70-year struggle, the French colony gained independence. Haiti, the Taíno name for the island, was the first majority-black republic in the New World.
In 1821 colonists in Santo Domingo declared their independence from Spain. Haiti, which had long aspired to unify the island, promptly invaded its neighbor and occupied it for more than two decades. But Dominicans on February 27, 1844, Juan Pablo Duarte led a bloodless coup and reclaimed Dominican autonomy. Feeling threatened by Haiti in 1861, the Dominican Republic once again submitted to Spanish rule. But ordinary Dominicans did not support the move and, after four years of armed resistance, succeeded in expelling Spanish troops in what is known as the War of Restoration. DR then started their independence.
Geographical difference
The mountains that lie across the island can cut off Haiti's rainfall. The northeast trade winds, and so the rain, blow in the Dominican Republic's favor. Haiti's semiarid climate makes cultivation more challenging. Deforestation - a major problem in Haiti, but not in its neighbor
Haiti/Republic of Haiti
Map of Haiti
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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: CIA)
Social & Cuturally
A "forlorn, hate-filled little Caribbean island" in 1965. On the eastern part of Hispaniola, you'll probably speak Spanish; in the west, it's more likely to be French or Creole, a division that's the result of centuries of European colonization and numerous power struggles. (Not to mention the decimation of Hispaniola's indigenous Taino people - who, of course, spoke neither.)
When Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492, he named the land La Isla EspaÑola; it served as a Spanish colony and base for the empire's further conquests, though was never particularly profitable. In 1697 the Spanish formally ceded the western third of it to the French, already present and more heavily invested. The Hispaniolan outposts of both empires imported African slaves, though the latter did so to a much greater extent. The colonies - Santo Domingo and Saint-Domingue, respectively - subsequently developed vastly different demographics. According to a study by the American Library of Congress, by the end of the 18th Century there were about 40,000 white landowners, 25,000 black or interracial freedmen, and 60,000 slaves in the Spanish colony, compared with approximately 30,000 whites, 27,000 freedmen, and at least 500,000 black slaves in its French counterpart.
Domestic Security
For many years now, not only with the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship, Haiti has been breaking up politically, socially and economically.The consequences have been growing insecurity and violence, the loss of institutions, authority and power dispersion, and widespread poverty.
The international community carried out five military interventions in the last fifteen years; nonetheless, the causes leading to these interventions, especially the lack of governability to ensure the security of the population, seem to be prevalent still today.
The negative legacy of these failed interventions also contributes to the current instability. Furthermore, Haiti is the most corrupt country in the world and the level of insecurity and violence has affected even the United Nations forces working in the country, with the death of two blue helmets in mid-November.(source: http://www.fride.org/publication/227/security-in-haiti)
Poverty and Instability
A report from a U.N. fact-finding mission to Haiti said widespread poverty is undermining ongoing operations to stabilize the country. The current levels of extreme poverty, with 80 percent of the population subsisting on less than two dollars a day and 50 percent with less than one dollar, it is incompatible for achieving the goal of attaining stability in the short term."
Crime
There are no "safe” areas in Haiti. There is a persistent danger of violent crime, which can be subject to periodic surges sometimes not obviously explained by other events or conditions. Haiti is among the four most important countries for drug transit to the United States. Law and order in Haiti has steadily deteriorated as a result. Kidnapping, death threats, murders, drug-related shootouts, armed robberies, gang fight, home break-ins and car-jacking are common in Haiti(source:http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1134.html). Haiti is called Kidnap Capital by the world. Crime become a culture and norm?.....
There were negative report of fighting and looting for food during the 2010 earthquake; but however there were also stories of how Haitian help each others and the foreigners, even with limited resources.
Map of Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
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The Dominican Republic (Spanish: República Dominicana, pronounced [reˈpuβlika ðominiˈkana]) is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are occupied by two countries. Both by area and population, the Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation (after Cuba), with 48,442 km² and an estimated 10 million people.
History
Inhabited by Taínos since the seventh century, the territory of the Dominican Republic was reached by Christopher Columbus in 1492 and became the site of the first permanent European settlement in the Americas, namely Santo Domingo, the country's capital and Spain's first capital in the New World. In Santo Domingo stand, among other firsts in the Americas, the first university, cathedral, and castle, the latter two in the Ciudad Colonial area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In 1821 colonists in Santo Domingo declared their independence from Spain. Haiti, which had long aspired to unify the island, promptly invaded its neighbor and occupied it for more than two decades. But Dominicans never accepted Haitian rule and on February 27, 1844, Juan Pablo Duarte – considered the father of the country – led a bloodless coup and reclaimed Dominican autonomy. Fearing an invasion and still feeling threatened by Haiti in 1861, the Dominican Republic once again submitted to Spanish rule. But ordinary Dominicans did not support the move and, after four years of armed resistance, succeeded in expelling Spanish troops in what is known as the War of Restoration . (Restauración is a common street name throughout the DR, and there are a number of monuments to the war, including a prominent one in Santiago.) On March 3, 1865, the Queen of Spain signed a decree annulling the annexation and withdrew her soldiers from the island.
The young country endured one disreputable caudillo (military leader) after the other. In 1916 US President Woodrow Wilson sent the marines to the Dominican Republic, ostensibly to quell a coup attempt, but they ended up occupying the country for eight years. Though imperialistic, this occupation succeeded in stabilizing the DR.
The rise of the caudillo
Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, a former security guard and the eventual chief of the Dominican national police, muscled his way into the presidency in February 1930 and dominated the country until his assassination in 1961. He implemented a brutal system of repression, killing and imprisoning political opponents. Though he was himself partly black, Trujillo was deeply racist and xenophobic. In October 1937 he ordered the extermination of Haitians along the international border. In a matter of days some 20, 000 Haitians were hacked to death with machetes and their bodies dumped into the ocean.
During these years Trujillo used his government to amass a personal fortune by establishing monopolies that he and his wife controlled. By 1934 he was the richest man on the island. To this day there are many Dominicans who remember Trujillo’s rule with a certain amount of fondness and nostalgia, in part because Trujillo did develop the economy. Factories were opened, a number of grandiose infrastructure and public works projects were carried out, bridges and highways were built and peasants were given state land to cultivate.
Caudillo redux
Joaquín Balaguer was Trujillo’s puppet president at the time of Trujillo’s assassination. Civil unrest and another US occupation followed Trujillo’s death, but Balaguer eventually regained the presidency, to which he clung fiercely for the next 12 years. And like his mentor, Balaguer remained a major political force long after he gave up official control. In 1986 he became president again, despite frail health and blindness. He was as repressive as ever and his economic policies sent the peso tumbling.
Dominicans whose savings had evaporated protested and were met with violence from the national police. Many fled to the USA. By the end of 1990, 12% of the Dominican population – 900, 000 people – had moved to New York.
After rigging the 1990 and 1994 elections, the military had grown weary of Balaguer’s rule and he agreed to cut his last term short, hold elections and, most importantly, not run as a candidate. But it wouldn’t be his last campaign – he would run once more at the age of 92, winning 23% of the vote in the 2000 presidential election. Thousands would mourn his death two years later, despite the fact that he prolonged the Trujillo-style dictatorship for decades. His most lasting legacy may be the Faro a Colón, an enormously expensive monument to the discovery of the Americas that drained Santo Domingo of electricity whenever the lighthouse was turned on.
Breaking with the past
The Dominican people signaled their desire for change in electing Leonel Fernández, a 42-year-old lawyer who grew up in New York City, as president in the 1996 presidential election; he edged out three-time candidate José Francisco Peña Gómez in a runoff. But would too much change come too quickly? Shocking the nation, Fernández forcibly retired two-dozen generals, encouraged his defense minister to submit to questioning by the civilian attorney general and fired the defense minister for insubordination – all in a single week. In the four years of his presidency, he oversaw strong economic growth, privatization and lowered inflation, unemployment and illiteracy – although endemic corruption remained pervasive.
Hipólito Mejía, a former tobacco farmer, succeeded Fernández in 2000 and immediately cut spending and increased fuel prices – not exactly the platform he ran on. The faltering US economy and World Trade Center attacks ate into Dominican exports as well as cash remittances and foreign tourism. Corruption scandals involving the civil service, unchecked spending, electricity shortages and several bank failures, which cost the government in the form of huge bailouts for depositors, all spelled doom for Mejías’ reelection chances.
Familiar faces appear again and again in Dominican politics and Fernandez returned to the national stage by handily defeating Mejía in the 2004 presidential elections. Though he’s widely considered competent and even forward thinking, it’s not uncommon to hear people talk about him rather unenthusiastically as a typical politician beholden to special interests. The more cynical claim that the Fernandez administration is allied with corrupt business and government officials who perpetuate a patronage system different from Trujillo’s rule in name only. In 2007 the faltering US economy, the devastation brought by Tropical Storm Noel, the threat of avian bird flu and continued tension with Haiti provided challenges to Fernandez’s reelection campaign.
(source: Lonely Planet)
Economy
Although the economy is growing at a respectable rate, high unemployment and underemployment remains an important challenge. The country suffers from marked income inequality; the poorest half of the population receives less than one-fifth of GNP, while the richest 10% enjoys nearly 40% of national income.
Dominican Republic is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to show evidence of increasing efforts to combat human trafficking, particularly in terms of not adequately investigating and prosecuting public officials who may be complicit with trafficking activity, and inadequate government efforts to protect trafficking victims; the government has taken measures to reduce demand for commercial sex acts with children through criminal prosecutions (2008)(source: CIA). Drug-related activities is also active in DR.
Politically - both countries struggled with democracy
As revolution raged in France in the 1790s, its colonial slaves in Hispaniola revolted; in 1804, they declared independence, and Haiti, which was named after the Taino word for "land of mountains," became the world's first sovereign black republic. The Dominican Republic wasn't established until 1844, after not just European rule but also 22 years of Haitian occupation. Strife between (as well as within) the neighbors, rooted in deep class, racial, and cultural differences, was constant. Interference by foreign powers was often the norm. The Spanish took back the Dominican Republic again in the early 1860s, and for periods during the twentieth century, the U.S. occupied both nations, supposedly to restore order but also, in the face of European threats, to assert its influence in the Western Hemisphere. Internal politics were characterized by multiple coups, revolts and dictators, the most infamous being Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic and FranÇois and Jean-Claude Duvalier in Haiti. Juan Bosch, the first democratically elected president of the Dominican Republic in 1962, was almost immediately overthrown after taking office in 1963. Jean-Bertrand Aristide became the first freely-elected president of Haiti, in 1990; he was ousted as well, returned and was ousted again. Haiti is however a failed state....where there is disorder and instability, where the authority is not able to manage.
The difference: Ecomically -they began to diverge.
Haiti had long been exploited, by foreign powers, neighbors and its own rulers. France not only milked its colony for coffee and sugar production, it also extracted an indemnity from Haiti: the young nation had to pay a burdensome sum to its former colonizer in order to achieve France's diplomatic recognition.
The lighter-skinned Dominicans looked down on the darker-skinned Haitians: in 1965, even as the D.R. was embroiled in civil war, Haitians were working in Dominican fields and not the other way around. And while Trujillo at least encouraged economic development in his country, Duvalier pere et fils essentially sold their own people as cheap sugar cane-cutters to the Dominican Republic. This make the difference....
Dominic Republic is able to develop their economy, especially tourism; but Haiti was still indulged in their political instability, gang fighting and criminal/social unrest.They lost the opportunity to develop their economy, despite having great tourism potential similar to DR.
Conclusion
Today, with a lack of resources and a much higher population density than its neighbor, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The UN has sent peacekeeping missions to maintain order there since the mid-1990s, but terrible conditions persist. Haiti's dismal statistics have a long history; no Devil is necessary(source: Time).
Millions of Haitians live abroad.... a reflection of poor living condition of the country.
Did Pat Robertson speak the true?...... He claimed that the quake was divine retribution for a pact with the devil that was sworn long ago, during Slave Rebellion. An apocryphal tale of Haitian voodoo priests sacrificing a pig and drinking its blood in 1791 in order to secure Satan's aid in expelling the French occupation. In return, the priests are said to have promised Haiti to Satan for the next 200 years. The French were soon beat back, and in 1804, Haiti became an independent nation. Do you believe the story?....
Anyhow, the differences between the two countries in the same island; and even natural disaster seems to beset more on Haiti, just wonder is it act of God, or the warning of God to mankind for the disorder and disobedience....
As desperate believers gathered to pray Sunday across the shattered capital, the Rev. Eric Toussaint told a congregation gathered outside the ruined cathedral that the earthquake ''is a sign from God, saying that we must recognize his power.''
Haitians, he said, ''need to reinvent themselves, to find a new path to God.''
May be this is the answer from Haitian themselves.....
Reference/related articles:
1. Haiti and the Dominican Republic: A Tale of Two Countries, Times dated 19-1-2010 http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20100119/wl_time/08599195395900
2. Dominican Republic, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/dr.html
3. Haiti,https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ha.html
4. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/dominican-republic
Haiti Religion
Religion in Haiti
About 95% of the population "claim" Christian beliefs, although the most professed denomination by far is Roman Catholicism. Similar to the rest of Latin America, Haiti was colonized during a period during which Roman Catholicism was prevalent among European monarchs. Following in this legacy, Catholicism is enshrined in the Haitian constitution as the official state religion, and between 80 and 85% of Haitians are Catholics. But most also practice Voodoo, which along with Catholicism is an official state religion. If based strictly on the definition of Christianity as monotheism, which rejected dual religion, the number of Christian may be lower than 80%. The number for Afro-American religion will be higher.
Voodoo is based upon a merging of the beliefs and practices of West African peoples, (mainly the Fon and Ewe; see West African Vodun), with Roman Catholic Christianity. Hatian practiced dual religion or may be a mixed religion, not Roman Catholic per se, and not totally Christian beliefs. Christian like other Abrahamic religion, believed in monotheism (from Greek μόνος "only" and θεός "God"),it is the belief that only one God exists. Haitian Catholic is polytheism, a religion of Catholic cover with Haitian Vodou as a core. Is it Christianity or a new religion? , or just simply a way of life for the former slaves to escape from the hardship, the local people accept duality or all that come to help them?......a compromise of convenience?. Basically Haiti religion(mix of Catholicism and Voodoo)is Afro-American religions (also African diasporic religions), which are a number of related religions that developed in the Americas among African slaves and their descendants in various countries of the Caribbean Islands and Latin America, as well as parts of the southern United States. They derive from African traditional religions, especially of West and Central Africa.
Based on that the religion of Haiti is Afro-American religion, a mixed religion or dual religion of Haitian Vodou and Catholicism; not Christianity......strictly speaking.
Hatian Vodou
Haitian Vodou or Vaudou (French pronunciation: [vodu], Anglicised as Voodoo) is a syncretic religion originating from the Caribbean country of Haiti, located on the island of Hispaniola. It is based upon a merging of the beliefs and practices of West African peoples (mainly the Fon and Ewe; see West African Vodun), with Roman Catholic Christianity, which was brought about as African slaves were brought to Haiti in the 16th century and forced to convert to the religion of their owners, while they largely still followed their traditional African beliefs.
Basically Haitian Catholicism is not Catholicism we know, it is a traditional African religion, using Roman Catholicism to hide their traditional ("pagan" )religion. This type of religion was because of their past history of slavery, when the masters had forbidden slaves to practice their own religion. To practice their African traditional religion, the slaves make use of Catholicism(the religion of the master) as a cover. But in view of little knowledge on their traditional religion, they gather all their knowledge from different slaves of diversified background, and adopted it. They also adapted some Catholicism practices to perfect their religion practice. Eventually the syncretic religion unique only to Haiti was evolved. Thus, Haitian Vodou has roots in several West African religions, and incorporates some Roman Catholic and Arawak Amerindian influences.
The principal belief in Haitian Vodou is that there are various deities, or Lwa (commonly spelled Loa, which is spirit), who are subordinate to a greater God, known as Bondyè, who does not interfere with human affairs. Therefore it is to the Lwa that Vodou worship is directed. Other characteristics of Vodou include veneration of the dead and protection against evil witchcraft.
Haitian Vodou shares many similarities with other faiths of the other African diaspora, such as Louisiana Voodoo of New Orleans, Santería and Arará of Cuba, and Candomblé and Umbanda of Brazil. The Vodou temple is called a Hounfour.
In Haitian Vodou (Sèvis Lwa in Creole or "Service to the Lwa"), there are strong elements from the Bakongo of Central Africa and the Igbo and Yoruba of Nigeria, although many different nations of Africa have representation in the liturgy of the Sèvis Lwa. A large and significant portion of Haitian Vodou most often overlooked by scholars until recently is the Kongo component. The entire Northern area of Haiti is especially influenced by Kongo practice. In the North, it is more often called Kongo Rite or Lemba, from the Lemba rites of the Loango area and Mayombe. In the south, Kongo influence is called Petwo (Petro). Many loa or lwa (also a Kikongo term) are of Kongo origin such as Basimbi, Lemba, etc.
Haitian creole forms of Vodou exist in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, parts of Cuba, some of the out-islands of the Bahamas, the United States, and other places that Haitian immigrants dispersed to over the years. However, it is important to note that the Vodun religion (separate from Haitian Vodou) existed in the United States, having been brought over by West Africans enslaved in America, specifically from the Ewe, Fon, Mina, Kabaye, and Nago groups. Some of its more enduring forms still exist in the Gullah Islands. There is a re-emergence of these Vodun traditions in America, which maintains the same ritual and cosmological elements as is practiced in West Africa. These and other African-diasporic religions such as Lukumi or Regla de Ocha (also known as Santería) in Cuba, Candomblé and Umbanda in Brazil, all religions that evolved among descendants of transplanted Africans in the Americas.
(source: wikipedia)
History
African origins
The word vodou derives from vodũ, which in Fon, Ewe, and related language (distributed from contemporary Ghana to Benin) means spirit or divine creature (in the sense of divine creation).
The cultural area of the Fon, Ewe, and Yoruba peoples share common metaphysical conceptions around a dual cosmological divine principle Nana Buluku, the God-Creator, and the vodou(s) or God-Actor(s), daughters and sons of the Creator's twin children Mawu (goddess of the moon) and Lisa (god of the sun). The God-Creator is the cosmogonical principle and does not trifle with the mundane; the vodou(s) are the God-Actor(s) who actually govern earthly issues.
The pantheon of vodoun is quite large and complex. In one version, there are seven male and female twins of Mawu, interethnic and related to natural phenomena or historical or mythical individuals, and dozens of ethnic vodous, defenders of a certain clan or tribe.
West African Vodun has its primary emphasis on the ancestors, with each family of spirits having its own specialized priest- and priestesshood which are often hereditary. In many African clans, deities might include Mami Wata, who are gods and goddesses of the waters; Legba, who in some clans is virile and young in contrast to the old man form he takes in Haiti and in many parts of Togo; Gu (or Ogoun), ruling iron and smithcraft; Sakpata, who rules diseases; and many other spirits distinct in their own way to West Africa.
European colonialism, followed by totalitarian regimes in West Africa, suppressed Vodun as well as other forms of the religion. However, because the Vodou deities are born to each African clan-group, and its clergy is central to maintaining the moral, social, and political order and ancestral foundation of its villagers, it proved to be impossible to eradicate the religion. Though permitted by Haiti's 1987 constitution, which recognizes religious equality, many books and films have sensationalized voodoo as black magic based on animal and human sacrifices to summon zombies and evil spirits.
Haitian Revolution
The majority of the Africans who were brought as slaves to Haiti were from Western and Central Africa. The Vodun practitioners brought over and enslaved in the United States primarily descend from the Ewe, Anlo-Ewe, and other West African groups. The survival of the belief systems in the New World is remarkable, although the traditions have changed with time and have even taken on some Catholic forms of worship. Two important factors, however, characterize the uniqueness of Haitian Vodou as compared to African Vodun; the transplanted Africans of Haiti, similar to those of Cuba and Brazil, were obliged to disguise their loa (sometimes spelled lwa) or spirits as Roman Catholic saints, an element of a process called syncretism.(Syncretism is the attempt to reconcile disparate or contrary beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. This may involve attempts to merge and analogise several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, and thus assert an underlying unity allowing for an inclusive approach to other faiths).
Roman Catholicism was mixed into the religion to hide their "pagan" religion from their masters, who had forbidden them to practice it. Thus, Haitian Vodou has roots in several West African religions, and incorporates some Roman Catholic and Arawak Amerindian influences. It is common for Haitians followers of the Vodou religion to integrate Roman Catholic practices by including Catholic prayers in Vodou worship. Throughout the history of the island from the day of independence of 1804 to the present, missionaries repeatedly came over to the island to convert the Haitians back to the Christian religion which previously had been forced on them. This has set many Haitians to project vodou as an evil religion, from the influence of the missionaries to abusive practitioners who use vodou to persecute.
Vodou, as it is known in Haiti and the Haitian diaspora, is the result of the pressures of many different cultures and ethnicities of people being uprooted from Africa and imported to Hispaniola during the African slave trade. Under slavery, African culture and religion was suppressed, lineages were fragmented, and people pooled their religious knowledge and from this fragmentation became culturally unified. In addition to combining the spirits of many different African and Amerindian nations, Vodou has incorporated pieces of Roman Catholic liturgy to replace lost prayers or elements. Images of Catholic saints are used to represent various spirits or "mistè" ("mysteries", actually the preferred term in Haiti), and many saints themselves are honored in Vodou in their own right. This syncretism allows Vodou to encompass the African, the Indian, and the European ancestors in a whole and complete way. It is truly a Kreyòl religion.
The most historically important Vodou ceremony in Haitian history was the Bwa Kayiman or Bois Caïman ceremony of August 1791 that began the Haitian Revolution, in which the spirit Ezili Dantor possessed a priestess and received a black pig as an offering, and all those present pledged themselves to the fight for freedom. This ceremony ultimately resulted in the liberation of the Haitian people from French colonial rule in 1804, and the establishment of the first black people's republic in the history of the world and the second independent nation in the Americas.
(source: wikipedia)
Note:
1.Ezili Dantor (also spelled Erzulie with Danto or Danthor) is the Petro nation aspect of the Erzulie family of lwa, or spirits in Haitian Vodou. Ezili Dantor is considered to be the lwa of motherhood, single motherhood in particular. She is most commonly represented by the image of Black Madonna of Częstochowa whose origins are believed to be in copies of the icon of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, brought to Haiti by Polish soldiers fighting on both sides of the Haitian Revolution from 1802 onwards. Other depictions of Ezili Dantor include the Black Madonna, as well as Our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Ezili Dantor is associated with the black creole pig of Haiti, her favorite animal sacrifice, and the colors gold and blue, sometimes green and also red to signify that she is a Petro lwa.
Her favorite offerings include: a fried pork dish known as griot, creme de cacao, rum, Florida Water perfume, and strong unfiltered cigarettes.
2. Pat Robertson's response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake drew controversy. Robertson, a religious broadcaster, claimed that Haiti's founders had sworn a "pact to the Devil" in order to liberate themselves from the French slave owners and indirectly attributed the earthquake to the consequences of the Haitian people being "cursed" for doing so. CBN later issued a statement saying that Robertson's comments "were based on the widely-discussed 1791 slave rebellion led by Dutty Boukman at Bois Caiman, where the slaves allegedly made a famous pact with the devil in exchange for victory over the French." Various prominent voices of mainline and evangelical Christianity promptly denounced Robertson's remarks. Pat may has historical fact to back him, and the liberty of his personal view on the earthquake, but timing of his response was not right.
Haitian is the first slave republic, they may have escaped the slavery; but still suffered from natural disasters, poverty, violence and crime; and they are economically disadvantage compare with their neighbor, Dominican Republic. Is Pat Roberson speak the true? it is for you to ponder, and wonder.....
Related articles/references:
1. Haitian Vodou, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Vodou
2. Pat Robertson controversies, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Robertson_controversies
About 95% of the population "claim" Christian beliefs, although the most professed denomination by far is Roman Catholicism. Similar to the rest of Latin America, Haiti was colonized during a period during which Roman Catholicism was prevalent among European monarchs. Following in this legacy, Catholicism is enshrined in the Haitian constitution as the official state religion, and between 80 and 85% of Haitians are Catholics. But most also practice Voodoo, which along with Catholicism is an official state religion. If based strictly on the definition of Christianity as monotheism, which rejected dual religion, the number of Christian may be lower than 80%. The number for Afro-American religion will be higher.
Voodoo is based upon a merging of the beliefs and practices of West African peoples, (mainly the Fon and Ewe; see West African Vodun), with Roman Catholic Christianity. Hatian practiced dual religion or may be a mixed religion, not Roman Catholic per se, and not totally Christian beliefs. Christian like other Abrahamic religion, believed in monotheism (from Greek μόνος "only" and θεός "God"),it is the belief that only one God exists. Haitian Catholic is polytheism, a religion of Catholic cover with Haitian Vodou as a core. Is it Christianity or a new religion? , or just simply a way of life for the former slaves to escape from the hardship, the local people accept duality or all that come to help them?......a compromise of convenience?. Basically Haiti religion(mix of Catholicism and Voodoo)is Afro-American religions (also African diasporic religions), which are a number of related religions that developed in the Americas among African slaves and their descendants in various countries of the Caribbean Islands and Latin America, as well as parts of the southern United States. They derive from African traditional religions, especially of West and Central Africa.
Based on that the religion of Haiti is Afro-American religion, a mixed religion or dual religion of Haitian Vodou and Catholicism; not Christianity......strictly speaking.
Hatian Vodou
Haitian Vodou or Vaudou (French pronunciation: [vodu], Anglicised as Voodoo) is a syncretic religion originating from the Caribbean country of Haiti, located on the island of Hispaniola. It is based upon a merging of the beliefs and practices of West African peoples (mainly the Fon and Ewe; see West African Vodun), with Roman Catholic Christianity, which was brought about as African slaves were brought to Haiti in the 16th century and forced to convert to the religion of their owners, while they largely still followed their traditional African beliefs.
Basically Haitian Catholicism is not Catholicism we know, it is a traditional African religion, using Roman Catholicism to hide their traditional ("pagan" )religion. This type of religion was because of their past history of slavery, when the masters had forbidden slaves to practice their own religion. To practice their African traditional religion, the slaves make use of Catholicism(the religion of the master) as a cover. But in view of little knowledge on their traditional religion, they gather all their knowledge from different slaves of diversified background, and adopted it. They also adapted some Catholicism practices to perfect their religion practice. Eventually the syncretic religion unique only to Haiti was evolved. Thus, Haitian Vodou has roots in several West African religions, and incorporates some Roman Catholic and Arawak Amerindian influences.
The principal belief in Haitian Vodou is that there are various deities, or Lwa (commonly spelled Loa, which is spirit), who are subordinate to a greater God, known as Bondyè, who does not interfere with human affairs. Therefore it is to the Lwa that Vodou worship is directed. Other characteristics of Vodou include veneration of the dead and protection against evil witchcraft.
Haitian Vodou shares many similarities with other faiths of the other African diaspora, such as Louisiana Voodoo of New Orleans, Santería and Arará of Cuba, and Candomblé and Umbanda of Brazil. The Vodou temple is called a Hounfour.
In Haitian Vodou (Sèvis Lwa in Creole or "Service to the Lwa"), there are strong elements from the Bakongo of Central Africa and the Igbo and Yoruba of Nigeria, although many different nations of Africa have representation in the liturgy of the Sèvis Lwa. A large and significant portion of Haitian Vodou most often overlooked by scholars until recently is the Kongo component. The entire Northern area of Haiti is especially influenced by Kongo practice. In the North, it is more often called Kongo Rite or Lemba, from the Lemba rites of the Loango area and Mayombe. In the south, Kongo influence is called Petwo (Petro). Many loa or lwa (also a Kikongo term) are of Kongo origin such as Basimbi, Lemba, etc.
Haitian creole forms of Vodou exist in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, parts of Cuba, some of the out-islands of the Bahamas, the United States, and other places that Haitian immigrants dispersed to over the years. However, it is important to note that the Vodun religion (separate from Haitian Vodou) existed in the United States, having been brought over by West Africans enslaved in America, specifically from the Ewe, Fon, Mina, Kabaye, and Nago groups. Some of its more enduring forms still exist in the Gullah Islands. There is a re-emergence of these Vodun traditions in America, which maintains the same ritual and cosmological elements as is practiced in West Africa. These and other African-diasporic religions such as Lukumi or Regla de Ocha (also known as Santería) in Cuba, Candomblé and Umbanda in Brazil, all religions that evolved among descendants of transplanted Africans in the Americas.
(source: wikipedia)
History
African origins
The word vodou derives from vodũ, which in Fon, Ewe, and related language (distributed from contemporary Ghana to Benin) means spirit or divine creature (in the sense of divine creation).
The cultural area of the Fon, Ewe, and Yoruba peoples share common metaphysical conceptions around a dual cosmological divine principle Nana Buluku, the God-Creator, and the vodou(s) or God-Actor(s), daughters and sons of the Creator's twin children Mawu (goddess of the moon) and Lisa (god of the sun). The God-Creator is the cosmogonical principle and does not trifle with the mundane; the vodou(s) are the God-Actor(s) who actually govern earthly issues.
The pantheon of vodoun is quite large and complex. In one version, there are seven male and female twins of Mawu, interethnic and related to natural phenomena or historical or mythical individuals, and dozens of ethnic vodous, defenders of a certain clan or tribe.
West African Vodun has its primary emphasis on the ancestors, with each family of spirits having its own specialized priest- and priestesshood which are often hereditary. In many African clans, deities might include Mami Wata, who are gods and goddesses of the waters; Legba, who in some clans is virile and young in contrast to the old man form he takes in Haiti and in many parts of Togo; Gu (or Ogoun), ruling iron and smithcraft; Sakpata, who rules diseases; and many other spirits distinct in their own way to West Africa.
European colonialism, followed by totalitarian regimes in West Africa, suppressed Vodun as well as other forms of the religion. However, because the Vodou deities are born to each African clan-group, and its clergy is central to maintaining the moral, social, and political order and ancestral foundation of its villagers, it proved to be impossible to eradicate the religion. Though permitted by Haiti's 1987 constitution, which recognizes religious equality, many books and films have sensationalized voodoo as black magic based on animal and human sacrifices to summon zombies and evil spirits.
Haitian Revolution
The majority of the Africans who were brought as slaves to Haiti were from Western and Central Africa. The Vodun practitioners brought over and enslaved in the United States primarily descend from the Ewe, Anlo-Ewe, and other West African groups. The survival of the belief systems in the New World is remarkable, although the traditions have changed with time and have even taken on some Catholic forms of worship. Two important factors, however, characterize the uniqueness of Haitian Vodou as compared to African Vodun; the transplanted Africans of Haiti, similar to those of Cuba and Brazil, were obliged to disguise their loa (sometimes spelled lwa) or spirits as Roman Catholic saints, an element of a process called syncretism.(Syncretism is the attempt to reconcile disparate or contrary beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. This may involve attempts to merge and analogise several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, and thus assert an underlying unity allowing for an inclusive approach to other faiths).
Roman Catholicism was mixed into the religion to hide their "pagan" religion from their masters, who had forbidden them to practice it. Thus, Haitian Vodou has roots in several West African religions, and incorporates some Roman Catholic and Arawak Amerindian influences. It is common for Haitians followers of the Vodou religion to integrate Roman Catholic practices by including Catholic prayers in Vodou worship. Throughout the history of the island from the day of independence of 1804 to the present, missionaries repeatedly came over to the island to convert the Haitians back to the Christian religion which previously had been forced on them. This has set many Haitians to project vodou as an evil religion, from the influence of the missionaries to abusive practitioners who use vodou to persecute.
Vodou, as it is known in Haiti and the Haitian diaspora, is the result of the pressures of many different cultures and ethnicities of people being uprooted from Africa and imported to Hispaniola during the African slave trade. Under slavery, African culture and religion was suppressed, lineages were fragmented, and people pooled their religious knowledge and from this fragmentation became culturally unified. In addition to combining the spirits of many different African and Amerindian nations, Vodou has incorporated pieces of Roman Catholic liturgy to replace lost prayers or elements. Images of Catholic saints are used to represent various spirits or "mistè" ("mysteries", actually the preferred term in Haiti), and many saints themselves are honored in Vodou in their own right. This syncretism allows Vodou to encompass the African, the Indian, and the European ancestors in a whole and complete way. It is truly a Kreyòl religion.
The most historically important Vodou ceremony in Haitian history was the Bwa Kayiman or Bois Caïman ceremony of August 1791 that began the Haitian Revolution, in which the spirit Ezili Dantor possessed a priestess and received a black pig as an offering, and all those present pledged themselves to the fight for freedom. This ceremony ultimately resulted in the liberation of the Haitian people from French colonial rule in 1804, and the establishment of the first black people's republic in the history of the world and the second independent nation in the Americas.
(source: wikipedia)
Note:
1.Ezili Dantor (also spelled Erzulie with Danto or Danthor) is the Petro nation aspect of the Erzulie family of lwa, or spirits in Haitian Vodou. Ezili Dantor is considered to be the lwa of motherhood, single motherhood in particular. She is most commonly represented by the image of Black Madonna of Częstochowa whose origins are believed to be in copies of the icon of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, brought to Haiti by Polish soldiers fighting on both sides of the Haitian Revolution from 1802 onwards. Other depictions of Ezili Dantor include the Black Madonna, as well as Our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Ezili Dantor is associated with the black creole pig of Haiti, her favorite animal sacrifice, and the colors gold and blue, sometimes green and also red to signify that she is a Petro lwa.
Her favorite offerings include: a fried pork dish known as griot, creme de cacao, rum, Florida Water perfume, and strong unfiltered cigarettes.
2. Pat Robertson's response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake drew controversy. Robertson, a religious broadcaster, claimed that Haiti's founders had sworn a "pact to the Devil" in order to liberate themselves from the French slave owners and indirectly attributed the earthquake to the consequences of the Haitian people being "cursed" for doing so. CBN later issued a statement saying that Robertson's comments "were based on the widely-discussed 1791 slave rebellion led by Dutty Boukman at Bois Caiman, where the slaves allegedly made a famous pact with the devil in exchange for victory over the French." Various prominent voices of mainline and evangelical Christianity promptly denounced Robertson's remarks. Pat may has historical fact to back him, and the liberty of his personal view on the earthquake, but timing of his response was not right.
Haitian is the first slave republic, they may have escaped the slavery; but still suffered from natural disasters, poverty, violence and crime; and they are economically disadvantage compare with their neighbor, Dominican Republic. Is Pat Roberson speak the true? it is for you to ponder, and wonder.....
Related articles/references:
1. Haitian Vodou, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Vodou
2. Pat Robertson controversies, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Robertson_controversies
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Jacmel
Map of Jacmel
View Larger Map
While the world's attention is focused on earthquake-ravaged Port-au-Prince, a catastrophe of parallel magnitude is unfolding in isolation on the country's southern coast, Jacmel. Video by by Trenton Daniel / Miami Herald Staff
Jacmel before the earthquake(11-3-2008)
Jacmel (Kréyòl: Jakmèl, 雅克梅勒) is a city in southeast Haiti, on the Caribbean coast, at the mouth of the river Grande Rivière de Jacmel. It is the capital city of the Sud-Est Département.
The city is in the Baie de Jacmel ("Jacmel Bay") about 86 km south of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. It is also the chief town of an arrondissement (a part of a department) with the same name. The arrondissement has four communes (a commune is like a municipality): Jacmel, Cayes-Jacmel, La Vallée and Marigot
History
Christopher Columbus gave the name Puerto de Brasil ("Brazil port") to the place where Jacmel is now because there were many trees called "Brasil" (English: Brazilwood) in the region that were cut and sent to Spain;[2] the tree has a yellow substance (and wood) that was used to give that color to hair, cloths and other objects.
In 1504, Nicolás de Ovando, Spanish governor of the Hispaniola, founded the town of Villanueva de Yáquimo (or Villanova de Yáquimo). But people left the town and French people came to live here; in 1698, the new town of Jacmel was founded.
Tours
There are many beautiful old houses in Jacmel, from the 1880s. Since 2004, the 'Festival Film Jakmèl' is celebrated in Jacmel and, since 2007, the international music festival 'Festival Mizik Jakmèl'. Many visitors come to Jacmel for its carnival, the Bassins Bleu waterfalls, and the white sand beaches near the city.
From Lonely Planet:
Sheltered by a beautiful 3km-wide bay, the old coffee port of Jacmel is one of the most friendly and tranquil towns in Haiti. Little more than a couple of hours drive south from Port-au-Prince, it’s a popular weekend destination for city dwellers, and hosts one of the country’s best Carnivals every Lent. But at any time of year, Jacmel is a great place for recharging the batteries.
Part of Jacmel’s charm is down to its old town center, full of mansions and merchants’ warehouses with a late-Victorian grace poking out from behind the wrought-iron balconies and peeling façades.
"The Handicraft Center of Haiti"
Jacmel is proudly proclaimed "The Handicraft Center of Haiti," and a city which is restoring its historical heritage.If some of the buildings need a lick of paint, Jacmel’s artists could hardly be described as slouches. The town is the undisputed handicrafts capital of Haiti, with dozens of workshops producing hand-painted souvenirs, from wall decorations to the elaborate papier-mâché masks produced for the Carnival festivities. It’s the birthplace of two hugely influential creative forces, both of whom have created inspiring works depicting the town, the artist Préfète Duffaut, who contributed to the amazing murals of Sainte Trinité Episcopalian Cathedral in Port-au-Prince, and the novelist and poet René Dépestre.
Related articles:
1. Shattered and forgotten, the port city of Jacmel waits, http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/haiti/story/1428351.html
2. Haiti coastal city, once a destination for tourists and Carnival celebrants, quieted by quake, http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jF6ywW1HfN1wMacOREvSpHyyJJiQ
3. VIDEO ON THE GROUND REPORTS FROM JACMEL, HAITI, http://fromthewilderness.ning.com/video/video-on-the-ground-reports
4. Video: On the ground Reports from Jacmel, by HaitiCine Institute, http://www.vimeo.com/8825019
5. Carnival in Jacmel, Haiti; by James W. Coates, http://haiti-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/carnival_in_jacmel_haiti
View Larger Map
While the world's attention is focused on earthquake-ravaged Port-au-Prince, a catastrophe of parallel magnitude is unfolding in isolation on the country's southern coast, Jacmel. Video by by Trenton Daniel / Miami Herald Staff
Jacmel before the earthquake(11-3-2008)
Jacmel (Kréyòl: Jakmèl, 雅克梅勒) is a city in southeast Haiti, on the Caribbean coast, at the mouth of the river Grande Rivière de Jacmel. It is the capital city of the Sud-Est Département.
The city is in the Baie de Jacmel ("Jacmel Bay") about 86 km south of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. It is also the chief town of an arrondissement (a part of a department) with the same name. The arrondissement has four communes (a commune is like a municipality): Jacmel, Cayes-Jacmel, La Vallée and Marigot
History
Christopher Columbus gave the name Puerto de Brasil ("Brazil port") to the place where Jacmel is now because there were many trees called "Brasil" (English: Brazilwood) in the region that were cut and sent to Spain;[2] the tree has a yellow substance (and wood) that was used to give that color to hair, cloths and other objects.
In 1504, Nicolás de Ovando, Spanish governor of the Hispaniola, founded the town of Villanueva de Yáquimo (or Villanova de Yáquimo). But people left the town and French people came to live here; in 1698, the new town of Jacmel was founded.
Tours
There are many beautiful old houses in Jacmel, from the 1880s. Since 2004, the 'Festival Film Jakmèl' is celebrated in Jacmel and, since 2007, the international music festival 'Festival Mizik Jakmèl'. Many visitors come to Jacmel for its carnival, the Bassins Bleu waterfalls, and the white sand beaches near the city.
From Lonely Planet:
Sheltered by a beautiful 3km-wide bay, the old coffee port of Jacmel is one of the most friendly and tranquil towns in Haiti. Little more than a couple of hours drive south from Port-au-Prince, it’s a popular weekend destination for city dwellers, and hosts one of the country’s best Carnivals every Lent. But at any time of year, Jacmel is a great place for recharging the batteries.
Part of Jacmel’s charm is down to its old town center, full of mansions and merchants’ warehouses with a late-Victorian grace poking out from behind the wrought-iron balconies and peeling façades.
"The Handicraft Center of Haiti"
Jacmel is proudly proclaimed "The Handicraft Center of Haiti," and a city which is restoring its historical heritage.If some of the buildings need a lick of paint, Jacmel’s artists could hardly be described as slouches. The town is the undisputed handicrafts capital of Haiti, with dozens of workshops producing hand-painted souvenirs, from wall decorations to the elaborate papier-mâché masks produced for the Carnival festivities. It’s the birthplace of two hugely influential creative forces, both of whom have created inspiring works depicting the town, the artist Préfète Duffaut, who contributed to the amazing murals of Sainte Trinité Episcopalian Cathedral in Port-au-Prince, and the novelist and poet René Dépestre.
Related articles:
1. Shattered and forgotten, the port city of Jacmel waits, http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/haiti/story/1428351.html
2. Haiti coastal city, once a destination for tourists and Carnival celebrants, quieted by quake, http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jF6ywW1HfN1wMacOREvSpHyyJJiQ
3. VIDEO ON THE GROUND REPORTS FROM JACMEL, HAITI, http://fromthewilderness.ning.com/video/video-on-the-ground-reports
4. Video: On the ground Reports from Jacmel, by HaitiCine Institute, http://www.vimeo.com/8825019
5. Carnival in Jacmel, Haiti; by James W. Coates, http://haiti-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/carnival_in_jacmel_haiti
Léogâne - epicenter of the Haiti Earthquake 2010
Map of Leogane
View Larger Map
Léogâne (Haitian Creole: Leyogàn) is a coastal city in Ouest Department, Haïti. It is located in the eponymous arrondissement, the Léogâne Arrondissement. The port town is located about 29 km (18 miles) West of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. The town’s population is about 120,000.
Leogane, a sugar cane town with deep roots in voodoo and a church that would have been 500 years old in August. Within about a minute last Tuesday(Haiti Earthquake), the church disintegrated during afternoon Mass. In its place there is now a mountain of rubble hiding an unknown number of bodies.
La ville de Leogane is most known for its paintings. It is not by accident that the threshold of the proud city of Anacaona exposes the talents of many artists born and raised in Leogane. In fact the city is so artistic that the steps of students along with the noise of taxis form a great repertoire of sound, color, rhymes, rhythms, and harmony. The greed of the businessmen, the style of the houses, and the cadence of our trees always project an allure of festivity that only Leoganais know how to throw.
The city is a beehive of entertainment; at every corner we will spot a group of singers ready to hit the billboard. Leogane claimed and earned the title of city of entertainment by excellence. This is a place herein you will never get bored.
History
In 1663, thirty (30) French arrived in Haiti with the sole intention to erect two cities that will remind them of some French cities. They wanted to strategically place those cities so they could attract tourists and open to commerce.
After a tone of researches; they sailed their boat toward the West of Haiti where they plant their architecture to shape the cities of Léogâne and Petit-Goâve. Since then; Léogâne had grown to become an arrondisment with the cities of Petit-Goâve and Grand-Goâve.
Léogâne is both a historical and cultural city:
1. About 450 ago; Léogâne was the capital of the island of the St Domingue
2. The only Haitian Queen,Taíno queen Anacaona was born in Léogâne
3. The Emperor Jean Jacques Dessalines married Mrie Claire Heureuse Felicite Guillaume at l’Eglise Ste Rose de Léogâne.
4. Haiti’s oldest sugar cane refinery is located in Léogâne
5. Simone Ovide Duvalier; the mother and the wife of two Haitian Presidents were born in Léogâne.
6. Léogâne is the central point for Rara
7. Carole Demesmin; Ambassador of the Haitian music is also from Léogâne
(extract from http://www.chfinternational.org/)
Léogâne is the birthplace of the Taíno queen Anacaona (the town was originally called the Amerindian name Yaguana and the city's name is a corruption of that) as well as Marie-Claire Heureuse Félicité, the wife of the Haitian revolutionary Jean-Jacques Dessalines (1758), and Simone Ovide Duvalier; the mother and the wife of two Haitian Presidents were born in Léogâne.
Charlemagne Masséna Péralte (1886 - 1 November 1919)
Charlemagne Masséna Péralte (1886 - 1 November 1919) was a Haitian nationalist leader who opposed the US Invasion of his country in 1915. He had been a military officer stationed in Léogâne. He resigned from the military, refusing to surrender to the U.S. troops without a fight. He returned to his native town of Hinche and began leading the guerrilla fighters called the Cacos against the occupation forces. He posed such a challenge to the US forces in Haiti that the occupying forces had to upgrade their presence in the country. After two years of guerrilla warfare, leading Péralte to declare a provisional government in the north of Haïti, Charlemagne Péralte was betrayed by one of his officers, Jean-Baptiste Conzé, who led disguised US Marines Sergeant Herman H. Hanneken (later meritoriously promoted to Second Lieutenant for his exploits) and Corporal William Button into the rebels camp, near Grand-Rivière Du Nord. Péralte was shot in the heart at close range and assassinated. His assassins then fled with his body during the skirmish and chaos that ensued.
In order to demoralize the Haïtian population, the US troops took a picture of Charlemagne Péralte's body tied to a door, and distributed it in the country. The effect was the opposite. Betrayed and killed at the age of 33, Charlemagne Péralte took the dimension of a martyr for the Haïtian nation.Péralte remains as a highly praised Haitian hero.
Epicenter of Haiti Earthquake 2010
Léogâne was at the epicenter of the 7.0 magnitude 13 January 2010 earthquake, and a United Nations assessment team that investigated three main towns near Port-au-Prince found that Léogâne was "the worst affected area" with 80 to 90% of buildings damaged and no remaining government infrastructure. Nearly every concrete structure was destroyed. The damage was also reported to be worse than the capital. The military estimated that 20,000 to 30,000 people had died from the earthquake in Léogâne. People have congregated in ad hoc squatter camps and relief has taken longer to reach Léogâne.
A first shipment of UN food aid has arrived in the ruined Haitian town of Leogane, west of the capital Port-au-Prince, where street after street of homes and businesses have been torn apart by this week's devastating earthquake. The UN says up to 90 percent of buildings were badly damaged or destroyed. Leogane Catholic Church was destroyed in the earthquake.
Ruins of the Catholic Church in Leogane, a town of 134,000 people 20 miles west of Port-au-Prince. The UN estimates that estimates that 80-90% of Leogane was destroyed by the earthquake.
CHF-Haiti Blog Update, Sunday January 17, 2010 on Leogane:
* MINUSTAH (UN mission in Haiti) were undertakni g a protein cookie distribution in front of Leogane City Hall to mostly women and children.
* Much of Leogane, both downtown and the surrounding area, was flattened by the quake and unconfirmed estimates put the death toll as high as 100,000. We sincerely hope this is far higher than the reality.
* Between Leogane and L'Acul we passed a destroyed water pump that is indicative of the below-the-surface damage that has crippled many wells and reservoirs in the region. Potable water is and will continue to be a major issue for the region until water supplies can be repaired or replaced.
* The Ecole National Anna Karina, a high school in the city center of Leogane, was flattened completely. Tragically class was in session at the time.
* Churches appear to have suffered extraordinary damage from the quake, with most crumbling, especially the larger structures.
* The financial system in affected cities has been paralyzed by the earthquake. While some supplies are available, prices have skyrocketed and people simply do not have access to what little money they have in the bank.
* We saw collapsed wooden houses on stilts, common in historic Leogane, a city of approximately 134,000. Many of the multi-level Leogane homes fell to the ground after the stilts and supporting beams collapsed underneath them. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that 80-90% of Leogane was destroyed by the earthquake.
Related articles/websites:
1. No food, no buildings, no money, no hope ... and not even a rumour of aid, The Times
dated January 19, 2010, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6993136.ece
2. Leogane: A lost town at the Haiti earthquake epicentre,by Victoria ward, in Leogane, Haiti 18/01/2010,http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/01/18/leogane-a-lost-town-at-the-haiti-earthquake-epicentre-115875-21975452/
3. www.leoganais.com
4. Leogane the city of entertaiment by excellence,by Teledjol.com, dated June 02, 2009, http://www.teledjol.com/index.php/1896
View Larger Map
Léogâne (Haitian Creole: Leyogàn) is a coastal city in Ouest Department, Haïti. It is located in the eponymous arrondissement, the Léogâne Arrondissement. The port town is located about 29 km (18 miles) West of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. The town’s population is about 120,000.
Leogane, a sugar cane town with deep roots in voodoo and a church that would have been 500 years old in August. Within about a minute last Tuesday(Haiti Earthquake), the church disintegrated during afternoon Mass. In its place there is now a mountain of rubble hiding an unknown number of bodies.
La ville de Leogane is most known for its paintings. It is not by accident that the threshold of the proud city of Anacaona exposes the talents of many artists born and raised in Leogane. In fact the city is so artistic that the steps of students along with the noise of taxis form a great repertoire of sound, color, rhymes, rhythms, and harmony. The greed of the businessmen, the style of the houses, and the cadence of our trees always project an allure of festivity that only Leoganais know how to throw.
The city is a beehive of entertainment; at every corner we will spot a group of singers ready to hit the billboard. Leogane claimed and earned the title of city of entertainment by excellence. This is a place herein you will never get bored.
History
In 1663, thirty (30) French arrived in Haiti with the sole intention to erect two cities that will remind them of some French cities. They wanted to strategically place those cities so they could attract tourists and open to commerce.
After a tone of researches; they sailed their boat toward the West of Haiti where they plant their architecture to shape the cities of Léogâne and Petit-Goâve. Since then; Léogâne had grown to become an arrondisment with the cities of Petit-Goâve and Grand-Goâve.
Léogâne is both a historical and cultural city:
1. About 450 ago; Léogâne was the capital of the island of the St Domingue
2. The only Haitian Queen,Taíno queen Anacaona was born in Léogâne
3. The Emperor Jean Jacques Dessalines married Mrie Claire Heureuse Felicite Guillaume at l’Eglise Ste Rose de Léogâne.
4. Haiti’s oldest sugar cane refinery is located in Léogâne
5. Simone Ovide Duvalier; the mother and the wife of two Haitian Presidents were born in Léogâne.
6. Léogâne is the central point for Rara
7. Carole Demesmin; Ambassador of the Haitian music is also from Léogâne
(extract from http://www.chfinternational.org/)
Léogâne is the birthplace of the Taíno queen Anacaona (the town was originally called the Amerindian name Yaguana and the city's name is a corruption of that) as well as Marie-Claire Heureuse Félicité, the wife of the Haitian revolutionary Jean-Jacques Dessalines (1758), and Simone Ovide Duvalier; the mother and the wife of two Haitian Presidents were born in Léogâne.
Charlemagne Masséna Péralte (1886 - 1 November 1919)
Charlemagne Masséna Péralte (1886 - 1 November 1919) was a Haitian nationalist leader who opposed the US Invasion of his country in 1915. He had been a military officer stationed in Léogâne. He resigned from the military, refusing to surrender to the U.S. troops without a fight. He returned to his native town of Hinche and began leading the guerrilla fighters called the Cacos against the occupation forces. He posed such a challenge to the US forces in Haiti that the occupying forces had to upgrade their presence in the country. After two years of guerrilla warfare, leading Péralte to declare a provisional government in the north of Haïti, Charlemagne Péralte was betrayed by one of his officers, Jean-Baptiste Conzé, who led disguised US Marines Sergeant Herman H. Hanneken (later meritoriously promoted to Second Lieutenant for his exploits) and Corporal William Button into the rebels camp, near Grand-Rivière Du Nord. Péralte was shot in the heart at close range and assassinated. His assassins then fled with his body during the skirmish and chaos that ensued.
In order to demoralize the Haïtian population, the US troops took a picture of Charlemagne Péralte's body tied to a door, and distributed it in the country. The effect was the opposite. Betrayed and killed at the age of 33, Charlemagne Péralte took the dimension of a martyr for the Haïtian nation.Péralte remains as a highly praised Haitian hero.
Epicenter of Haiti Earthquake 2010
Léogâne was at the epicenter of the 7.0 magnitude 13 January 2010 earthquake, and a United Nations assessment team that investigated three main towns near Port-au-Prince found that Léogâne was "the worst affected area" with 80 to 90% of buildings damaged and no remaining government infrastructure. Nearly every concrete structure was destroyed. The damage was also reported to be worse than the capital. The military estimated that 20,000 to 30,000 people had died from the earthquake in Léogâne. People have congregated in ad hoc squatter camps and relief has taken longer to reach Léogâne.
A first shipment of UN food aid has arrived in the ruined Haitian town of Leogane, west of the capital Port-au-Prince, where street after street of homes and businesses have been torn apart by this week's devastating earthquake. The UN says up to 90 percent of buildings were badly damaged or destroyed. Leogane Catholic Church was destroyed in the earthquake.
Ruins of the Catholic Church in Leogane, a town of 134,000 people 20 miles west of Port-au-Prince. The UN estimates that estimates that 80-90% of Leogane was destroyed by the earthquake.
CHF-Haiti Blog Update, Sunday January 17, 2010 on Leogane:
* MINUSTAH (UN mission in Haiti) were undertakni g a protein cookie distribution in front of Leogane City Hall to mostly women and children.
* Much of Leogane, both downtown and the surrounding area, was flattened by the quake and unconfirmed estimates put the death toll as high as 100,000. We sincerely hope this is far higher than the reality.
* Between Leogane and L'Acul we passed a destroyed water pump that is indicative of the below-the-surface damage that has crippled many wells and reservoirs in the region. Potable water is and will continue to be a major issue for the region until water supplies can be repaired or replaced.
* The Ecole National Anna Karina, a high school in the city center of Leogane, was flattened completely. Tragically class was in session at the time.
* Churches appear to have suffered extraordinary damage from the quake, with most crumbling, especially the larger structures.
* The financial system in affected cities has been paralyzed by the earthquake. While some supplies are available, prices have skyrocketed and people simply do not have access to what little money they have in the bank.
* We saw collapsed wooden houses on stilts, common in historic Leogane, a city of approximately 134,000. Many of the multi-level Leogane homes fell to the ground after the stilts and supporting beams collapsed underneath them. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that 80-90% of Leogane was destroyed by the earthquake.
Related articles/websites:
1. No food, no buildings, no money, no hope ... and not even a rumour of aid, The Times
dated January 19, 2010, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6993136.ece
2. Leogane: A lost town at the Haiti earthquake epicentre,by Victoria ward, in Leogane, Haiti 18/01/2010,http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/01/18/leogane-a-lost-town-at-the-haiti-earthquake-epicentre-115875-21975452/
3. www.leoganais.com
4. Leogane the city of entertaiment by excellence,by Teledjol.com, dated June 02, 2009, http://www.teledjol.com/index.php/1896
Monday, January 18, 2010
Haiti Earthquake 2010 - why it happen?
Scientifically
The Caribbean island nation of Haiti has been beset by a series of natural disasters in recent years, experiencing four devastating tropical storms in 2008.
Tuesday's 7.0-magnitude earthquake will only further complicate living conditions for residents of the poverty-stricken country where 80 per cent of Haiti's nearly nine million people live below the poverty line.
The movement of Caribbean plate
The quake occurred in the vicinity of the northern boundary where the Caribbean tectonic plate shifts eastwards by about 20 mm per year relative to the North American plate. The strike-slip fault system in the region has two branches in Haiti, the Septentrional fault in the north and the Enriquillo-Plaintain Garden fault in the south; both its location and focal mechanism suggest that the January 2010 quake was caused by rupture of the Enriquillo-Plaintain Garden fault, which had been locked solid for 250 years, gathering stress. The stress would ultimately have been relieved either by a large earthquake or a series of smaller ones. The rupture of this Mw 7.0 earthquake was roughly 65 kilometres (40 mi) long with mean slip of 1.8 metres (5.9 ft). Preliminary analysis of the slip distribution found amplitudes of up to about 4 metres (13 ft) using ground motion records from all over the world
object width="425" height="340">
Religion: Pat Robertson's claim of Haiti's pact with the devil
About 95% of the population claim Christian beliefs, although the most professed denomination by far is Roman Catholicism. Similar to the rest of Latin America, Haiti was colonized during a period during which Roman Catholicism was prevalent among European monarchs. Following in this legacy, Catholicism is enshrined in the Haitian constitution as the official state religion, and between 80 and 85% of Haitians are Catholics. But most also practice Voodoo, which along with Catholicism is an official state religion. Voodoo is based upon a merging of the beliefs and practices of West African peoples, (mainly the Fon and Ewe; see West African Vodun), with Roman Catholic Christianity
Pat Robertson's response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake drew controversy. Robertson claimed that Haiti's founders had sworn a "pact to the Devil" in order to liberate themselves from the French slave owners and indirectly attributed the earthquake to the consequences of the Haitian people being "cursed" for doing so. CBN later issued a statement saying that Robertson's comments "were based on the widely-discussed 1791 slave rebellion led by Dutty Boukman at Bois Caiman, where the slaves allegedly made a famous pact with the devil in exchange for victory over the French." Various prominent voices of mainline and evangelical Christianity promptly denounced Robertson's remarks.
Haiti religious people - Local Haitians' view
Deeply religious Haitians see the hand of God in the destruction of Biblical proportions visited on their benighted country. The quake, religious leaders said Sunday, is evidence that He wants change. Exactly what change He wants depends on the faith: Some Christians say it's a sign that Haitians must deepen their faith, while some Voodoo followers see God's judgment on corruption among the country's mostly light-skinned elite.
As desperate believers gathered to pray Sunday across the shattered capital, the Rev. Eric Toussaint told a congregation gathered outside the ruined cathedral that the earthquake ''is a sign from God, saying that we must recognize his power.''
Haitians, he said, ''need to reinvent themselves, to find a new path to God.''
No matter what is the reason, Now Haitian are suffering, they need helps
......"People are becoming more aggressive because they need food and water," said a 29-year-old survivor named Sherley, "As we start to figure out that our loved ones are not going to be found, it is as if we are finally understanding what is happening to us. Today, people are fighting to survive."......
Thanksgiving
Yet in the capital drumbeats still called the faithful to mass at a collapsed cathedral in a city smelling of death. The Rev Eric Toussaint said: “Why give thanks to God? Because we are here. “We say, ‘Thank you God.’ What happened is the will of God. We are in the hands of God now.”
The Caribbean island nation of Haiti has been beset by a series of natural disasters in recent years, experiencing four devastating tropical storms in 2008.
Tuesday's 7.0-magnitude earthquake will only further complicate living conditions for residents of the poverty-stricken country where 80 per cent of Haiti's nearly nine million people live below the poverty line.
The movement of Caribbean plate
The quake occurred in the vicinity of the northern boundary where the Caribbean tectonic plate shifts eastwards by about 20 mm per year relative to the North American plate. The strike-slip fault system in the region has two branches in Haiti, the Septentrional fault in the north and the Enriquillo-Plaintain Garden fault in the south; both its location and focal mechanism suggest that the January 2010 quake was caused by rupture of the Enriquillo-Plaintain Garden fault, which had been locked solid for 250 years, gathering stress. The stress would ultimately have been relieved either by a large earthquake or a series of smaller ones. The rupture of this Mw 7.0 earthquake was roughly 65 kilometres (40 mi) long with mean slip of 1.8 metres (5.9 ft). Preliminary analysis of the slip distribution found amplitudes of up to about 4 metres (13 ft) using ground motion records from all over the world
object width="425" height="340">
Religion: Pat Robertson's claim of Haiti's pact with the devil
About 95% of the population claim Christian beliefs, although the most professed denomination by far is Roman Catholicism. Similar to the rest of Latin America, Haiti was colonized during a period during which Roman Catholicism was prevalent among European monarchs. Following in this legacy, Catholicism is enshrined in the Haitian constitution as the official state religion, and between 80 and 85% of Haitians are Catholics. But most also practice Voodoo, which along with Catholicism is an official state religion. Voodoo is based upon a merging of the beliefs and practices of West African peoples, (mainly the Fon and Ewe; see West African Vodun), with Roman Catholic Christianity
Pat Robertson's response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake drew controversy. Robertson claimed that Haiti's founders had sworn a "pact to the Devil" in order to liberate themselves from the French slave owners and indirectly attributed the earthquake to the consequences of the Haitian people being "cursed" for doing so. CBN later issued a statement saying that Robertson's comments "were based on the widely-discussed 1791 slave rebellion led by Dutty Boukman at Bois Caiman, where the slaves allegedly made a famous pact with the devil in exchange for victory over the French." Various prominent voices of mainline and evangelical Christianity promptly denounced Robertson's remarks.
Haiti religious people - Local Haitians' view
Deeply religious Haitians see the hand of God in the destruction of Biblical proportions visited on their benighted country. The quake, religious leaders said Sunday, is evidence that He wants change. Exactly what change He wants depends on the faith: Some Christians say it's a sign that Haitians must deepen their faith, while some Voodoo followers see God's judgment on corruption among the country's mostly light-skinned elite.
As desperate believers gathered to pray Sunday across the shattered capital, the Rev. Eric Toussaint told a congregation gathered outside the ruined cathedral that the earthquake ''is a sign from God, saying that we must recognize his power.''
Haitians, he said, ''need to reinvent themselves, to find a new path to God.''
No matter what is the reason, Now Haitian are suffering, they need helps
......"People are becoming more aggressive because they need food and water," said a 29-year-old survivor named Sherley, "As we start to figure out that our loved ones are not going to be found, it is as if we are finally understanding what is happening to us. Today, people are fighting to survive."......
Thanksgiving
Yet in the capital drumbeats still called the faithful to mass at a collapsed cathedral in a city smelling of death. The Rev Eric Toussaint said: “Why give thanks to God? Because we are here. “We say, ‘Thank you God.’ What happened is the will of God. We are in the hands of God now.”
Port-au-Prince
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Port-au-Prince (pronounced /ˌpɔrtoʊˈprɪns/; French pronunciation: [pɔʁopʁɛ̃s]; Haitian Creole: Pòtoprens) was the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's official population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census.
Before the arrival of Christopher Columbus, the region that would eventually become Port-au-Prince was not the site of any permanent human settlement.
The city of Port-au-Prince faces the Gulf of Gonâve, at 18°32′N 72°20′W / 18.533°N 72.333°W / 18.533; -72.333. The bay on which the city lies, which acts as a natural harbor, has sustained economic activity since the civilizations of the Arawaks. It was first incorporated under the colonial rule of the French, in 1749, and has been Haiti's largest metropolis since then. The city's layout is similar to that of an amphitheatre; commercial districts are near the water, while residential neighborhoods are located on the hills above. Its population is difficult to ascertain due to the rapid growth of slums in the hillsides above the city; however, recent estimates place the metropolitan area's population at between 2.5 and 3 million people.
In 2010, Port-au-Prince was catastrophically affected by the January 12 earthquake, with large numbers of structures damaged or destroyed. Haitian officials estimate that thousands have been killed – perhaps more than 100,000 – though there is no firm or confirmed death toll.
Cité Soleil
Cité Soleil, Haiti’s largest slum in the capital of Port-au-Prince, has been called "the most dangerous place on Earth" by the United Nations. Cité Soleil (Kreyol: Site Soley, English: Sun City) is a very densely populated commune located in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area in Haiti. It has development as a shanty town. Most of its estimated 200,000 to 300,000 residents live in extreme poverty. The area is generally regarded as one of the poorest, roughest, and most dangerous areas of the Western Hemisphere's poorest country; it is one of the biggest slums in the Northern Hemisphere. There is little police presence, no sewers, no stores, and little to no electricity. Armed gangs roam the streets. Murder, rape, kidnapping, looting, and shootings are common as every few blocks is controlled by one of more than 30 armed factions.
The Cité-Soleil shantytown in Port-au-Prince has been the scene of deadly clashes between armed groups and UN forces. Local people live in abject poverty against a backdrop of violence, without even basic services to make their lives more bearable. ICRC and the Haitian Red Cross are providing an ambulance service for the sick and wounded, repairing water points and seeking to give some hope again to the people of Cité-Soleil.
Since 2004, the United Nations Stabilization Mission (MINUSTAH) has been in Haiti and it now numbers 8,000 troops but continues to struggle for control over the armed gangs. In October 2006 a group of heavily armed Haitian police were able to enter Cité Soleil for the first time in three years and were able to remain one hour as armored UN troops patrolled the area. Since this is where the armed gangs take their kidnap victims, the Haitian police's ability to penetrate the area even for such a short time was seen as a sign of progress. The situation of continuing violence is similar in Port-au-Prince.
History
In 1770, Port-au-Prince replaced Cap-Français (the modern Cap-Haïtien) as capital of the colony of Saint-Domingue, and in 1804, it became the capital of newly-independent Haïti. Before Haïtian independence, it was captured by British troops on June 4, 1794. During the French and Haïtian Revolutions, it was known as Port-Républicain, before being renamed Port-au-Prince by Jacques I, emperor of Haïti. When Haïti was divided between a kingdom in the north and a republic in the south, Port-au-Prince was the capital of the republic, under the leadership of Alexandre Pétion. Henri Christophe renamed the city Port-aux-Crimes after the assassination of Jacques I at Pont Larnage (now known as Pont-Rouge, and located north of the city.)
Port-au-Prince has managed to maintain a tourism industry despite political instability. The Toussaint Louverture International Airport (referred to often as the Port-au-Prince International Airport) is the country's main international gateway for tourists. The Pétionville area of Port-au-Prince is affluent and is generally the most common place for tourists to visit and stay. The vast majority of tourists concentrate their visits around the various cultural sites that exist within the capital, an example being the large number of gingerbread houses.
On 12 January 2010, a 7.0 earthquake struck Port-au-Prince, devastating the city. Most of the central historic area of the city was destroyed, including Haiti's prized Cathédrale de Port-au-Prince, the capital building, the parliament building, several ministerial buildings, and at least one hospital. The second floor of the Presidential Palace was thrown into the first floor, and the domes skewed at a severe tilt.
Famous people born in Port-au-Prince
* Jean Alfred (1940-), former politician and deputy of the Assemblée nationale du Québec
* Silvio Cator (1900-1952), athlete and mayor of Port-au-Prince
* François Duvalier (1907-1971), president and dictator of Haiti
* Jean-Claude Duvalier (1951-), former president and dictator of Haiti
* Wagneau Eloi (1973-), former international soccer player and now coach of the Haiti national football team
* Michaëlle Jean (1957-), current governor general of Canada
* Wyclef Jean (1972-), US-based international rapper
* Dany Laferrière (1953-), novelist and journalist.
* Luck Mervil (1967-), Québec-based actor, singer
* Olden Polynice (1964-), former professional basketball player
* Emmanuel Sanon (1951–2008), national soccer player of Haiti
* Pierre Toussaint (1766-1853), declared venerable by Pope John Paul II, the second step toward sainthood
* Samuel Dalembert (1981-), current NBA player. He is the Center for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Cap Haitien
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Cap-Haïtien (Okap or Kapayisyen in Kréyòl) is a city of about 180,000 people on the north coast of Haiti. It is the capital of the Nord Department. Previously, as Cap-Français, it was an important city during the colonial period and, as Cap-Henri, was capital of the Kingdom of Northern Haiti under King Henri Christophe.
The central area of the city is located between the Bay of Cap-Haïtien to the east, and nearby mountainsides to the west, which are increasingly dominated by flimsy urban slums. The streets are generally narrow and arranged in grids. As a legacy of the U.S. occupation of Haïti from 1915–1934, Cap-Haïtien's north-south streets were renamed as single letters (beginning with Rue A, a major avenue), and its east-west streets with numbers. This system breaks down outside of the central city, which is itself dominated by numerous markets, churches, and low-rise apartment buildings (3–4 floors each) constructed primarily before and during the U.S. occupation. Many such buildings have balconies on the upper floors which overlook the narrow streets below, creating an intimate communal atmosphere during the Haitian dinner hours.
Cap-Haïtien faces the North Atlantic ocean to its northwest, and its calm water and picturesque Caribbean beaches have made it a resort and vacation destination for Haïti's upper classes, comparable to Pétionville. Cap-Haïtien has, in general, also seen greater foreign tourist activity than much of Haiti, due to its isolation from political instability in the capital, Port-au-Prince. Cap-Haïtien is also unique for its French colonial architecture, which has been uniquely well preserved. After the Haitian Revolution, many craftsmen from Cap-Haïtien fled to French-controlled New Orleans, as a result, the two cities share many similarities in styles of architecture. Especially notable are the many gingerbread houses lining the city's older streets.
Cap-Haïtien's distance from Haïti's capital, Port-au-Prince, combined with the dire condition of Haïti's transportation infrastructure, has often made Cap-Haïtien an incubator for revolutionary or anti-government figures. In February 2004, the city was taken over by militants opposed to the rule of Haïtian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, presaging Aristide's eventual exile from power.
Downtown
Market
Notable native is Tyrone Edmond, Haitian-born model. He was born as Enoch Edmond in Cap-Haitien, Haiti. In Haiti, Edmond lived a difficult childhood, struggling day-to-day in a highly impoverished situation in the shantytowns of Cap-Haitien and Port-au-Prince, where he grew up. Early in his childhood, Tyrone attended a 7 Day Adventists school in the poverty-filled neighborhood of Carrefour in the capital. At the age of nine, Edmond's mother died resulting in him being adopted by an American missionary family and eventually emigrating to the United States at age fifteen. Edmond is one of the premier male models to gain international fame from the island country. Edmond has become a feature model for fashion designer labels such as Ralph Lauren, Kenneth Cole, and Donna Karan.
Also involved in the music industry, Edmond has received some public attention as of recently due to rising Dominican American singer Kat DeLuna, who is signed to Edmond's music label, GMB (Global Music Brand).He ran the production company with good friend Greg Maurice.
Outside of modeling, he is involved in charities. Edmond has been active in philanthropy being the founder of the One Heart Foundation, a non-profit organization to improve the lives of impoverished and underprivileged children around the world
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