The Causes Of Poverty In Haiti And The Dominican Republic

Haiti is a prime example of how human needs in one area of the world are interdependent with social conditions elsewhere in the world. Haiti, for most of its history has been overwhelmed with economic

The story of Haiti is one of the most unfortunate stories in the world since the country has gone through many difficulties particularly during the last decade. Due to natural disasters and political instability, the nation has been subject to constant chaos (UNICEF, 2014). As a result, the quality of life for its citizens is dangerously poor. The country’s population suffers from widespread poverty, violence, disease outbreaks, and many other overwhelming social problems. Due to all these problems, the country has one of the highest mortality rates among infants and adults over the age of 18 years. The objective of this essay is to analyze the country’s social, economic, and political make up and to analyze the state of its

The Republic of Haiti has a unique and vibrant culture. It was once hailed as the "Pearl of the Antilles" for being the wealthiest colony in the world. This small Latin American island tells a story of slaves enduring resistance to the some of the most dominant forces abroad. In 1804, Haiti became the first free black republic and the second post-colonial country in the Americas. However, the days of being the wealthiest colony have since passed. Haiti is now considered to be the most impoverished country in the western hemisphere. The proud history of this country is overshadowed by alarming rates of poverty, violence, and inequality. This island nation’s government has been plagued with numerous military staged coups and misfortunes. I

Haiti, the small country located west of the Dominican Republic, is a unique and beautiful country with its own unique culture and geography. The people of Haiti are proud of their country and their culture. Even though the nation is plagued by earthquakes and storms, due to its geographic location, it does not stop the Haitian people from continuing their unique culture and happy lifestyle. Taking a look at this country’s culture and geography, anyone, civilian, military or political personnel can fully grasp and understand the country’s uniqueness.

Christophe, Marc A. "Haiti." World Book Student. World Book, 2016. Web. 8 Mar. 2016. Summary: In the encyclopedia article, “Haiti,” Marc Christophe informs the audience about the country of Haiti. Christophe presents geographic information including location, population, land, history, and the national language of the country. The government is also briefly discussed, where he explains the former bloody dictatorships that have ruled the area since colonial times and left the country with serious economical and social issues that still exist today. The Parsley Massacre is mentioned as well, and described as a culprit for the racial problems between Dominicans and Haitians that are still a relevant problem now. Evaluation:

Haiti is one of the more indigent countries in the world; the country also holds a low economic status. Over time Haiti’s economy grew gradually at around 2.3

When Americans think about the Dominican Republic, what often comes to mind are the expensive resorts and their white, sandy beaches. It does not occur to them that while they are enjoying their nice vacations, there are hundreds of thousands of stateless Haitian people barely surviving just a few miles away. What they also do not comprehend is how these four or five generations of Haitians have come to make their homes in the Dominican Republic. Because it is still an issue today, it is important for us to understand the history of how these present-day events came to be and the current living conditions of these stateless people.

The French and their slaves populated the island of Haiti during the 18th century. In the late 1700’s, the slaves revolted against the French and began a thirteen-year war for their freedom. This war began the significant problems for Haiti. Today, Haiti suffers from malnutrition, low standards of living, and poor literacy, which Haiti still faces today.

Brief history… Haiti takes up about 1/3 of the land of the island Hispaniola, neighboring the Dominican Republic. The whole Island was once under the control of Spain in 1942 after Columbus made an appearance. In the 17th century, France colonized on part of the Island and renamed it Saint-Dominigue. It wasn’t until 1803…300 years, tens of thousands of African slaves, and one hierarchal social system later, did this chunk of land become the independent republic, Haiti. (1).

In addition, “the plantation system—the engine of the Haitian economy—lay in ruins after years of warfare” (Nations Online). This economic isolation combined with prolonged hierarchical disputes marked the beginning of Haiti’s lingering struggle of interdependence among the population.

The country known now as Haiti emerged as the first black republic in the world and the second nation in the Western hemisphere to win its independence from a European power following their declaration of Independence on January 1, 1804. Prior to this historic event, Haiti was the richest and wealthiest colony on the planet; a colony that the French empire relied heavily on economically. As a result of the French Revolution, Haitians began feeling a sense of revolt in the way that if the French can do it, so can they. Soon enough, this group of slaves that everyone saw as a garbage peoples worthy of absolutely nothing, the impossible happened: Haiti became an independent nation. Not only was its occurrence significant, but so

Haiti has always been one of the more poverty stricken countries in the world. The reason Haiti has been put in the positon of being one of the poorest, hunger stricken countries in the western hemisphere is because of the long history of political corruption, a very large population in small area, lack of literacy throughout the nation, and their economy (Corbett, Bob. 1986). These are the some of the reasons of why they have not been able to thrive as a country and have been stuck in misery and hunger. Also, some of the most recent national disasters that have hit Haiti have made it hard for the country rebound.

I also agree that Singer’s argument to prevent at least some absolute poverty is a noble one, which may be easier to accomplish than most believe. As we know, various nations are already living in absolute poverty, and the threat of a natural disaster is always looming which could reduce a nation to absolute poverty. Haiti has the unfortunate burden of dealing with both of these scenarios. Even before the disastrous earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, the nation was in a failed state due to overpopulation and political carelessness (Fatton, 2012). The increasing population growth is a major cause for the poverty level in Haiti, as it has caused the destruction of the soil resulting in a failure of agriculture (Fatton, 2012). Haiti is still struggling to rebuild after the earthquake and foreign aid will be essential. However, some believe ironically that the earthquake of 2010 is an “opportunity to implant democratic political institutions and foster sustained economic growth” (Fatton, 2012,

Poverty, corruption, and poor access to education are the most serious disadvantages that Haiti faces. Two-thirds of the country depends on agriculture, consisting of mainly small-scale subsistence farming. This sector is high vulnerable to damage from natural disasters and the country’s widespread deforestation (which have caused periodic flooding). Additionally, Haiti suffers from high inflation, lack of investment,

Poverty, or the inability to afford basic human needs, is an issue that is spread worldwide. There are people everywhere who cannot afford shelter, food, healthcare, or education. It seems easy enough to ignore the bum asking for change on the street, but it becomes near impossible in regions where whole families are begging on the street. This rings true in Latin America and it is extremely frustrating to see social inequality this extreme. This essay will examine how much poverty exists in Latin America, why the amount of poverty is so disproportionate and what can possibly be done to alleviate the amount of poverty in these countries.