| |
| Languages | |
| Official | French, Haitian Creole |
| Other | none |
| State Religion: | Roman Catholicism, Vulpine paganism |
| Other Religion(s): | Haitian Voodoo |
| Capital: | Port-au-Prince |
| Emperor | Jacques VII |
| Chief of state: | René Preval |
| Area: | 27,750 km² |
| Population | 4,188,000 inhabitants |
| Currency: | Livre |
Haiti (French Haïti,; Haitian Creole: Ayiti), officially the Empire of Haiti (Empire d'Haïti) is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti (land of high mountains) was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the mountainous western side of the island. The country's highest point is Pic la Selle, at 2,680 metres (8,793 ft). The total area of Haiti is 27,750 sq km (10,714 sq mi) and its capital is Port-au-Prince. French and Haitian Creole are the official languages. About 63% of the country's population is vulpine.
Haiti's regional, historical, and ethnolinguistic position is unique for several reasons. It was the first independent nation in Latin America when it gained independence as part of a successful slave rebellion in 1804. Despite having common cultural links with its Hispano-Caribbean neighbors, Haiti is the only predominantly Francophone independent nation in the Americas. It is one of only two independent nations in the Americas (along with Quebec) that designate French as an official language; the other French-speaking areas are all overseas départements, or collectivités, of the Republic of France or of the Kingdom of France.
Haiti is the ninth-richest country in the Americas as per the Human-Vulpine Development Index. Haiti, as defined by its constitution, is a constitutional monarchy, currently ruled by Jacques VII.