| The demographic face of Haiti has undergone major | | | | Haitians of European heritage. Among the people of |
| transformations since its founding as a colony of | | | | mixed heritage in Haiti are those with Arawack |
| France in 1697. When Columbus and his | | | | bloodlines whose antecedents are traceable to results |
| conquistadores arrived in the Island of Hispaniola in | | | | of the natives of the island having relations with the |
| 1492, there were large numbers of indigenous | | | | Spaniards and eventually being assimilated with the |
| peoples collectively known as Tainos and Arawacks. | | | | first shipments of African slaves; before they died |
| These peoples numbered in their millions. By the time | | | | out. Genetic studies are now being undertaken to |
| Columbus and his successors completed the | | | | determine the exact numbers of people of Taino |
| pacification of Hispaniola, the Taino population of Ayti | | | | heritage both in and out of Haiti. Some Taino and |
| was reduced to a few hundred persons. By the time | | | | Arawack advocacy groups are in the frontline of |
| the French took over the one third part of Hispaniola | | | | attempts to resuscitate the moribund Taino culture |
| that they rechristened Saint Domingue, the total | | | | and reassert its rich heritage. |
| elimination of Taino population through enslavement | | | | The total population of Haiti which today numbers |
| and genocide by the Spanish Conquistadores, made it | | | | over eight million persons, is spread over a landmass |
| necessary for the French to massively import Black | | | | of about 27,750 square kilometers or 10,714 square |
| Africans to replace the Tainos and Arawacks as | | | | miles. This gives an average population density of a |
| slaves on their plantations. | | | | little less than three hundred persons per square |
| The arrival of Black Africans caused the first major | | | | kilometer, or seven and a half hundred per square |
| change in the demographic face of Haiti. By the | | | | mile. However the population is concentrated most |
| middle of 18th century Anno Domino, the | | | | heavily in urban areas, coastal plains, and valleys. This |
| demographic profile of the colony of Saint Domingue | | | | is as a result of Haiti being mostly inhabitable |
| looked something like this: White colonists, twenty | | | | mountainous terrain. The over concentration of |
| five thousands; Mulattos, forty thousands; and Black | | | | population density in and around major cities like |
| Africans, five hundred thousands. The remnants of | | | | Pot-au-Prince, Les Cayes, and a few other towns, |
| the Tainos and Arawacks had been assimilated by | | | | has led to severe environmental degradation in these |
| the two other racial groups, Whites and Africans. | | | | towns and their surrounding areas. |
| Towards the end of the eighteenth century, the war | | | | The cities are surrounded by shanty towns which are |
| of independence further changed the demographic | | | | mostly slums, and which lack proper planning. The |
| face of the colony in favor of the Black population. | | | | houses in these shanty towns are substandard; most |
| With virtual elimination of the French and other | | | | being constructed from scrap logwood and |
| European peoples from Saint Domingue, the | | | | cardboards. There are no good roads. There is |
| population was now essentially made up of people of | | | | neither potable water nor electricity. Over forty one |
| African descent and their Mulatto brethren. | | | | percent of all Haitians have no access to potable |
| The demographic face of Haiti continued like this | | | | drinking water. The air in these shanty towns is |
| throughout much of the nineteen century, although | | | | heavily polluted with smoke, rising from cooking fires |
| there was a steady increase in population through | | | | made from wood. Ninety percent of all cooking is |
| natural procreation. The ratio of Mulatto to Black in | | | | done with wood fuel. The result of this over reliance |
| the population mix was around one to ten. The white | | | | on wood as fuel, is that most of Haiti's forests have |
| population though present, was insignificant, when | | | | been destroyed, and the once lush meadows have |
| compared to the other two population groups, | | | | now become desolate wastelands. |
| African and Mulatto. Going into the twentieth century, | | | | The major languages of Haiti are Creole and French. |
| the introduction of industries into Haiti gave rise to | | | | The vast majority of people speak Haitian Creole; |
| gradual influx of entrepreneurs who were mostly | | | | while only the educated few can speak, read and |
| white American and Europeans. Then the tide | | | | write in French. The illiteracy level in Haiti is abnormally |
| changed in the other direction. The arrival of the | | | | high. Over fifty five percent of all adults are complete |
| Duvalier dynasty on the political scene changed the | | | | illiterates, while almost fifty percent of all those over |
| population landscape of Haiti once again. The | | | | the age of fifteen years can neither read nor write. |
| oppressive nature of 'Papa Doc' Duvalier's regime, led | | | | With an adult literacy rate of only forty five percent, |
| to massive emigration of Haitian who opposed him. | | | | and this primarily in the eighteen to thirty years age |
| The situation got to a head in the nineteen sixties | | | | group, it is no wonder that Haiti is often hreferred to |
| and seventies, when Haitians were leaving the island | | | | as an essentially illiterate society. The high level of |
| in droves; using any floating contraption which they | | | | illiteracy among the adult population of Haiti is also |
| could find to ferry them across the shark infested | | | | hreflected in the low level of its skilled labor force. |
| Caribbean Sea. Of course, most of these so called | | | | Other essential statistics of the quality of life of this |
| boats were not sea worthy. Very many of these | | | | once proud country, give a depressing picture of a |
| boats sank in the sea, and some of the lucky | | | | sad present and a bleak future. Unemployment is |
| survivors were picked up off the coast of Florida by | | | | almost seventy percent. Malnutrition is over forty |
| United States Coast Guards. Most of the | | | | percent. With a doctor to patient ratio of one to four |
| émigrés were of Mulatto stock. They | | | | thousand, it is no wonder that the infant mortality |
| were generally well educated professionals, who | | | | rate of Haiti is over ten percent of all children of ages |
| sought a better life in Continental USA and Canada. | | | | zero to five years. To worsen matters even further |
| The massive emigration of Mulattoes from Haiti, | | | | the rampaging AIDS pandemic has reduced the |
| altered the racial demographic ratio of the country in | | | | average Haitian life expectancy to only fifty one |
| favor of the Black population once again. The | | | | years. All of humanity, particularly agents of the |
| situation has not changed much since then. | | | | world organizations like the Food and Agriculture |
| Demographics of Present Day Haiti. | | | | Organization (FAO), World Health Organization |
| Presently, about ninety five percent of all Haitians are | | | | (WHO), The World Bank and IMF need to do more |
| of the predominant African descent. The remaining | | | | to help this once prosperous country aptly nicknamed |
| five percent of the population is mostly mulatto, or | | | | 'The Jewel of the Antilles'. |
| mixed Caucasian-African, ancestry. There are a few | | | | |