Haiti Essay

2068 Words5 Pages

When the country Haiti is said, one does not think of a nice, relaxing, vacation destination. Thoughts like ‘poverty’ and ‘earthquake’ pop into mind. Haiti has been struggling its whole existance trying to overcome poverty, crime, and natural disasters. Throughout all of this, Haiti’s people and culture has remained as exciting and energetic as it naturally is. From the mountains to the coastal lowlands, Haiti’s culture and struggles make it the interesting tropical island it is today. Haiti is located in the Western Hemisphere. It is part of an island, Hispaniola, in the Caribbean Sea. It takes up one third of the island and shares it with the Dominican Republic. It is south of the United States of America, and east of Mexico and Cuba. The exact latitude and longitude of this Caribbean island is 18.5333°N and 72.3333°W. This location provides the country with hot, humid, and wet summers and dry winters. Haiti’s location affects the economy and lifestyle of many Haitians (Gritzner). Haiti is home to about 9.8 million people. Two million people live in Port-au-Prince, which is not only the most populated city, it is also the capital. The city was established in 1749 and did not grow very rapidly because of earthquakes. Half of the nation’s capital lives in poverty. They have no or rarely any access to safe drinking water or electricity and there is hardly any sanitation. Out of all the Americas, the two largest slums are right in this city. The other half of the city lives in an urban area. It has attractions for tourists and has many hotels. Port-au-Prince also has many industries. A few of these include textile, clothing, footwear, food, and consumer goods. Port-au-Prince, being the most populated city in Haiti, also holds a lo... ... middle of paper ... ...per. After they gain money from tourism and there new improvements they can start to rebuild their country. First, they should start with Port-au-Prince because it is the capital, most populated city, and it is severely damaged from the earthquake. The country should invest in strong structural materials to resist the strong shakings. These structures will allow the people of Haiti to live in peace and continue their jobs. Haiti struggles from being poor. It cannot advance in today’s technology because it cannot afford it and survives on foreign aid. The 2010 earthquake worsened the situation even more by leaving its people homeless, hungry, and thirsty. Creating jobs could help advance the country and lead them into today’s technology. The poor island country of Haiti has many economic and political issues to overcome in order to catch up with today’s technology.

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