Culture of the Island

Haiti is located on the Western half of the island of Hispaniola, and shares the island with the
nation of the Dominican Republic. Haitis original inhabitants were the Taino Indians that resided on
the island before European colonization was a factor on the island. A small group of Haitian citizens
follow their ancient customs, but for the most part are westernized and follow the customs of most all
Haitians (Haitian Culture).
The largest influences on Haitian culture come from the regions of France and Western Africa
(Haitian Culture). When European colonization began to become prevalent throughout Latin America
and the Caribbean, it was France that colonized the island that was to be named Hispaniola. And with
the Imperialists came their slaves, which were ob-ducted from the region of West Africa, and forced to
harvest goods from the Haitian land. Typical languages used in Haiti are that of both French, and
Creole, which some believe is a pidgin (simplified language) of a Romance language, or a combination
of both French and Portuguese, although its origins are very disputed (Bonenfant 28).
One of the most important events in the Haitian culture is the Haitian Revolution, in which the
Haitians claimed their independence from France on January 1, 1804, and became the first successful
slave revolution in history (Haitian Culture). The war lasted thirteen years, starting in 1791 with
Toussaint-Louverture, a former slave, organizing a group to rebel against the French imperialists
(Haitian Independence Proclaimed). This day calls for one of the biggest celebrations every year, in
which people traditionally celebrate with festivals, and eat Haitian Pumpkin Soup, or Joumou, as it is
called in Haiti (Zachary).
The most common religion throughout Haiti is Roman Catholic, which can be credited to the
French influence on the country, although a small number of Protestants, Muslims, and Hindus are
prevalent near the nations capitol of Port-au-Prince, and growing in numbers (Haitian Culture).
Clothing in urban areas follow typical styles of western wear, with some altercations being men
wearing loose fitted shirts called a guayabera, and rural women wearing embroidered skirts,

multicolored skirts, and a scarf wrapped around their head (Haitian Culture).
The largest export of Haiti is clothing, exporting $556,232,227 of clothing in 2010, with other
major exports including oils and cocoa beans. The countries largest trading partner is the United
States, which consumes 83% of the countries exports, and is a key proponent in the Haitian economy
(Haiti Exports, Imports, and Trade Part).
The Haitian culture is one that is very complex, and fabricated from many cultures before its time,
that continues to change and be edited indefinitely, as most all forms of culture do in the world around
us.

Works Cited
Bonenfant, Jacques. History of Haitian-Creole: From Pidgin to Lingua franca and English Influence
On the Language. RHESL-Volume 4, Issue 11(2011): 27-34. Print.
Haiti Exports, Imports, and Trade Part. The Observatory of Economic Complexity. Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, n.d. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.
Haitian Culture. Altius Directory. n.p., n.d. Web. 2. Mar. 2014.
Haitian Independence Proclaimed. History. A&E television Networks, n.d. Web. 2. Mar. 2014.
Zachary, Casey. Soup Joumou for Independence Day in Haiti. Realhopeforhaiti. n.p. 2 Jan. 2011.
Web. 2 Mar. 2014.