A few facts about Haiti The Republic of Haiti covers 27,750 square kms (10,714 square miles). Haiti is about half the size of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia or the U.S. state of Maryland, and occupies one-third of the island of Hispaniola. The Dominican Republic occupies the balance. From the air, the border between the two countries is clearly visible; the DR is green and lush, Haiti is mostly deforested, its trees used for fuel. This sets the stage for devastating landslides and floods whether it's hurricane season or not. Christopher Columbus claimed the island of Hispaniola for Spain in 1492; Spain ceded it to France in 1697. Haiti became the wealthiest French colony in the Caribbean, thanks to forests and sugar cane. In 1804, Haiti won its independence as the world's first black republic. Photo: On the highway between Dajabon, D.R. and Cap-Haitien. Snapshot Journeys Haiti photo by Karen Zabawa.

Between Cuba and Puerto Rico And south of the Turks and Caicos, Haiti is still a source for the makers of expensive French liqueurs that are flavoured with the dried peel from Haiti's oranges, but the country's wealth is long gone. The average daily wage is $2, and 80 percent of the roughly 8 million people live below the poverty line. Haiti has just three airports with paved runways. According to the CIA World Factbook, Haiti is a major Caribbean transshipment point for cocaine en route to the US and Europe and the venue for substantial money-laundering activity. Narcotics traffickers favor Haiti for illicit financial transactions, and its proximity to Cuba makes it strategically attractive to non-Haiti interests.

Keeping Clean in Cap-Haitien Each settlement has a common public well that is usually the only source of water. Occasionally, shallow streams serve as community laundries and baths. Many have to buy water. Diseases largely preventable by vaccines, such as polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and tuberculosis are common here. So are AIDS, malaria and dengue fever, and a host of parasites and infections from unpotable water. If you are traveling to Haiti, check with a travel health clinic for current information. If Haiti could restore its reputation as the 'Pearl of the Antilles', tourism would again be a major industry. Photo: With no municipal garbage collection in Cap-Haitien, the safest way to dispose of trash is to burn it. For more photos of Haiti, see Photos I, Photos II. Learn more about social justice issues :: Recommended books.