17th October: Haiti

National Holiday in Haiti, commemorating the death of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, leader of the Haitian Revolution and the first ruler of an independent Haiti under the 1801 constitution.

1. The name Haïti comes from the indigenous Taíno language and was the name given to the entire island of Hispaniola. It means "land of high mountains."
2. Haiti is the most mountainous nation in the Caribbean and its highest point is Pic la Selle, at 2,680 metres (8,793 ft).
3. The capital and largest city is Port-au-Prince, founded in 1749 and was named for the Prince, a French ship anchored in the bay. The city's layout is similar to that of an amphitheatre; commercial districts are near the water, while residential neighbourhoods are on the hills above.
4. The currency of Haiti is the gourde, deriving from the fact that gourds were very important to the people. In 1807, President Henri Christophe (1761-1820) made them the base of national currency and declared all gourds the property of the state.
5. The flag consists of a blue and a white stripe with the coat of arms in the middle. The Flag was created by Jean-Jacques Dessalines (1758-1806), Haiti’s first ruler, in 1803. He ripped out the white stripe in the French red, white, and blue flag, claiming he would rip white people from the nation.
6. Haiti is one of only two countries in the American Continent having French as an official language. The other is Canada.
7. Haiti is the only country in the world with Vodou as an official religion.
8. Haiti is the second oldest independent nation in the Western Hemisphere, declaring independence 33 years after after the United States. The United States did not recognise Haiti's independence until 1862 even though became independent in 1804. Haiti is the first and only country in the history of mankind whose independence is the result of a successful slave rebellion.
9. In the eighteenth century, St. Dominique (Haiti) was the richest colony in the French Empire and was known as the “Pearl of the Antilles.” Now, however, it is one of the poorest countries in the world.
10. A popular way of getting around in Haiti is the tap tap bus. These buses are usually very brightly painted and follow a fixed route. They will only leave when the bus is full. The name "tap tap" comes from the sound of the passengers tapping on the body of the bus to indicate that they want the driver to get going.

My Books

As well as this blog, I also write fiction and have published two novels (Death and Faxes and Glastonbury Swan) and a collection of short stories (Jigsaw). If you like ghost stories, crime stories, a bit of romance and anything slightly bizarre you might enjoy them. 

Further details on my books page