Welcome To Haiti

          Haiti has a tropical climate. The distribution of mountains and lowlands affects temperature and rainfall, causing significant climate variations from place to place.
          Rainfall varies from a high of 144 inches on the western tip of the southern peninsula, to 24 inches on the southwest coast of the northern peninsula. Most of the rain in the southwest falls in early and late summmer.
          Port-au-Prince, located at sea level, has a yearly average temperature of 80° F.
          In Kenscoff, located just south of Port-au-Prince at an elevation of 4700 ft, temperatures average 60° F.
          The mountains surrounding the cul-de-sac trap air in the valley, making the air hot, dry, and stagnant.
          Vulnerable to hurricanes, Haiti has been struck by destructive storms in 1963, 1980, 1988, and 1994.


A Haitian school
          About 95 percent of Haitians are of African origin. The remaining 5 percent are mulatto and other races. The mulatto population makes up about half of the country's elite. French and Creole, which uses both French colonial and West African phrases and words, are the official languages, the latter attaining that status in 1987. The poorer class (about 90 percent of the population) speak Creole, while the elite speak modern French.

          Haitian culture fuses African, French, and West Indian elements. Formerly a social divider, the Creole language is now being used in attempts to define a national culture. The language is used in literature, drama, music, dance, and some governmental functions. Haitian works of art are enjoying increasing worldwide recognition. The country also has several outstanding libraries.


          Click this Haitain painting to see and learn more about Haitian art.

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