One Island, Two Peoples, Two Histories: The Dominican Republic and Haiti

1
One Island, Two Peoples, Two Histories The
Dominican Republic and Haiti

• Cassie
• Myca
• Kimberly
• Adam
• Jackie
• Matt

2
History

• Both the countries occupy the island of
  Hispaniola
• Haiti was once a European colony and its
  population started out as mainly French, with
  Creole as the language they ended up speaking.
• French brought over slave labor from Africa and
  grew sugar, coffee, and cocoa, cut down the trees
  for their wood, and also used it for charcoal for
  fuel.
• Larger population due to slaves brought over from
  Africa.
• The Dominican Republic-geographically much
  larger, but has a smaller population. This was
  once a colony of Spain and its primary language
  is Spanish.
• The Dominican Republic developed export crops and
  adopted a trade and export system.
• While both countries are considered poor or
  impoverished, The Dominican Republic has better
  living conditions, a less corrupt government, and
  more jobs.

3
Climate Change

• Nothing was noted in the book in regards to
  climate change directly related to these two
  countries.
• However, with only 1 Haiti still forested this
  will impact the climate eventually. With no
  greenery to absorb CO2 and the suns energy,
  Haiti will see an increase in temperature. Also,
  both countries to some degree burn charcoal for
  their primary fuel. Charcoal burning emits CO2
  and adds to greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.

4
Environmental Damage
Haiti
Dominican Republic

• Extensive deforestation
• Lower agricultural productivity.
• Overpopulation about 1,000 people per square
  mile.

• The Dominican Republic is still forested
• - More National Parks
• -Lower population
• -More natural resources available for trade
  (avocados, ect)

5

• Francois Papa Doc Duvalier
• Lack of of interest in improving Haiti
• Joaquin Balaguer was elected as a president in
  1966.
• He changed the laws to improve Haiti's nature.

6
The Dominican Republic and Haiti's Leaders

• Rafael Trujillo
• He handled being a Dominican chief of national
  police and head of the army to be a president and
  a dictator in 1930.
• He treated the country as if he owns it.
• He brought out the economy, infrastructure, and
  industries.
• Some places in the republic was renamed after
  him.
• Used propane gas and other natural gases instead
  of cutting trees.

7
Trade

• Friendly trade partners originated from the way
  the two colonies were viewed.
• Instability ended much quicker for Dominican
  Republic
• Weather contributed to prosperous crop growth.

8
Hostile Neighbors

• In the 19th century Haiti invaded the Dominican
  Republic a couple times including the 22-year
  living.
• When Trujillo was ruler in the Dominican Republic
  he ordered 20,000 Haitians to be slaughtered by
  machete those who lived in the northwestern
  part.
• Today both governments are hostile with each
  other and have little collaboration.

9
Reactions to the Environmental Collapse

• Foreign organizations have attempted to alleviate
  these problems. In 1981, an 8 million Agro
  forestry Outreach Project, funded primarily by
  the US, helped farmers plant trees throughout
  Haitiover 4.5 million seedlings by 1983.
  However, the none of the land is protected,
  therefore all the new forests are being destroyed
  again
• Haitian people resort to going into the Dominican
  Republic and illegally cutting down trees because
  there are none left in their own country.
• Nearly all of the soil in Haiti has been eroded
  so they cant grow crops, many people have
  resorted to eating dirt because it is all that is
  left.