The Caribbean Dutch: Cariben or Cara

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The Caribbean Dutch Cariben or Caraïben, or
more commonly Antillen French Caraïbe or more
commonly Antilles Spanish Caribe

• Blue Caribbean Sea

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A region of the Americas consisting of the
Caribbean Sea, its islands and the surrounding
coasts. The region is located southeast of
North America, east of Central America, and to
the north and west of South America.

• Saona Island, Dominican Republic

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Situated largely on the Caribbean Plate.The
area comprises more than 7,000 islands, islets,
reefs, and cays.

• A cay (also key or quay - all are pronounced
  alike as "key") is a small, low island consisting
  mostly of sand or coral.
• An islet is a small island.
• A reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying
  beneath the surface of the water yet shallow
  enough to be a hazard to ships.
• The best-known reefs are the coral reefs of
  tropical waters developed through biotic
  processes dominated by corals and calcareous
  algae.

• Ile a Vache, Haiti

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The Caribbean

• Consists of the Antilles and is divided into
• the larger Greater Antilles which bound the sea
  on the north
• the Lesser Antilles on the south and east
  (including the Leeward Antilles),
• the Bahamas
• A subregion of North America
• Organized into 28 territories including
• sovereign states, overseas departments, and
  dependencies
• The Caribbean islands
• an island chain 4,020 km long and 257 km wide
• They enclose the Caribbean Sea.

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Geography and climate

• Geography and climate varies from one place to
  another
• Some islands in the region have relatively flat
  terrain of non-volcanic origin
• Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bonaire, the Cayman
  Islands or Antigua
• Others possess rugged towering mountain-ranges
• Cuba, the Virgin Islands, Dominica, Hispaniola,
  Jamaica, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saba, Saint
  Kitts, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.
• The climate of the region mainly ranges between
  sub-tropical to tropical
• Depends upon location in proximity to the trade
  winds from the Atlantic

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Geography and climate

• The trade winds blow towards the Eastern
  Caribbean islands heading northwest up the chain
  of Windward islands.
• When the trade winds arrive close to the island
  of Cuba they tend to be overcome by other minor
  jet streams across the Caribbean region.
• In the waters of the Caribbean Sea, the region
  can be found to host migratory, large schools of
  fish, turtles and coral reef formations.

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Geography and climate

• Hurricanes, which at times batter the region,
  usually strike northwards of Grenada, and to the
  west of Barbados.
• The principal hurricane belt arcs to northwest of
  the island of Barbados in the Eastern Caribbean.

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The Puerto Rico Trench the deepest point in the
Atlantic Ocean.
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The Puerto Rico Trench

• An oceanic trench located on the boundary between
  the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean
• The island of Puerto Rico lies immediately to the
  south of the fault zone and the trench.
• The trench is 800 kilometers long and has a
  maximum a depth of 8,605 meters at Milwaukee
  Deep, which is the deepest point in the Atlantic
  Ocean.
• Scientific studies have concluded that an
  earthquake occurring along this fault zone could
  generate a significant tsunami

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Geology

• The Trench is located at a boundary between two
  plates
• The Caribbean Plate is moving to the east
• The North American Plate is moving to the west.
• The North American Plate is subducting the
  Caribbean Plate to the southeast of the trench.
• This subduction zone explains the presence of
  active volcanoes over the southeastern part of
  the Caribbean Sea.
• Volcanic activity is frequent along the island
  arc southeast from Puerto Rico to the coast of
  South America.
• Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands,
  British Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic
  do not have active volcanoes
• They are at risk from earthquakes and tsunamis.

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Biodiversity

• The Caribbean islands are classified as one of
  Conservation International's biodiversity
  hotspots
• They support exceptionally diverse ecosystems
• Ranging from montane cloud forests to cactus
  scrublands
• The ecosystems have been devastated by
• Deforestation
• Human encroachment
• The hotspot contains dozens of highly-threatened
  species
• Ranging from birds, to mammals and reptiles.

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Biodiversity

• Popular examples include
• the Puerto Rican Amazon
• Two species of solenodon (giant shrews) in Cuba
  and Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic)
• The Cuban crocodile.
• It is also remarkable for the diminutive nature
  of much of its fauna.

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Hispaniola (from Spanish, La Española)

• the second-largest and most populous island of
  the Antilles
• between the islands of Cuba to the west, and
  Puerto Rico to the east.
• Christopher Columbus
• arrived in 1492
• second voyage in 1493 - founded the first Spanish
  colony in the New World
• The only island visited on all four voyages.
• Haiti occupies the western third
• Dominican Republic the eastern two-thirds
• An indigenous name is Ayiti ("land of the high
  mountains"), referring to the high peaks in the
  Hispaniolan mountain ranges.

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Indigenous name Ayiti ("land of the high
mountains")

• Refers to the high peaks in the Hispaniolan
  mountain ranges.
• In modern times it refers exclusively to the
  Republic of Haiti
• The Spanish re-named the island Santo Domingo
  (after Saint Dominic), and the corresponding term
  Saint-Domingue was taken up by the French.
• The Arawak name, Ayiti, was reintroduced in 1804
  as the name for independent Haiti.
• Arawak - was used to designate the Amerindians
  encountered by the Spanish in the West Indies.
• The name Haiti originally referred to the entire
  island, not just the western portion
• The present-day Dominican Republic was known
  briefly as Spanish Haiti.

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European Colonization

• The island was inhabited by the Tainos, one of
  the Indigenous Arawak peoples.
• The Taino were at first tolerant of Columbus and
  his crew, and helped him to construct Fort
  Navidad in December 1492.
• European colonization of the island began in
  earnest the following year, when 1,300 men
  arrived from Spain
• In 1496 the town of Nueva Isabela was founded.
  After being destroyed by a hurricane, it was
  rebuilt on the opposite site of the Ozama River
  and called Santo Domingo.
• It is the oldest permanent European settlement in
  the Americas.
• The Taino population of the island was rapidly
  decimated, owing to a combination of disease and
  harsh treatment by Spanish overlords.
• In 1501, the colony began to import African
  slaves, believing them more capable of performing
  physical labor.

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• As Spain conquered new regions on the mainland of
  the Americas, its interest in Hispaniola waned,
  and the colony's population grew slowly.
• By the early 17th century, the island and its
  smaller neighbours became regular stopping points
  for Caribbean pirates.
• In 1606, the king of Spain ordered all
  inhabitants of Hispaniola to move close to Santo
  Domingo, to avoid interaction with pirates.
• Rather than secure the island, however, this
  resulted in French, English and Dutch pirates
  establishing bases on the now-abandoned north and
  west coasts of the island.

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European Colonization

• In 1665, French colonization of the island was
  officially recognized by Louis XIV of France
• The French colony Saint-Domingue
• 1697 Spain ceded the western third of the island
  to France.
• Saint-Domingue quickly came to overshadow the
  east in both wealth and population.
• Nicknamed the "Pearl of the Antilles," it became
  the richest colony in the West Indies.

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European Colonization

• In 1791, a major slave revolt erupted in
  Saint-Domingue
• In 1801 the island was unified again and became
  the Dominican Republic and abolished slavery
• In 1804, following a failed attempt by Napoleonic
  troops to reestablish slavery on the island, the
  Republic of Haiti was proclaimed
• Haiti is the second oldest country in the
  Americas after the United States and the oldest
  independent nation in Latin America.

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Republic of Haiti

• Formation
• 1697 as Saint-Domingue
• 1804 - Independence from France

• "Unity makes Strength"

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Flooding in Haiti

• Republic of Haiti
• a French and Creole speaking Latin American
  country
• located in the Greater Antilles archipelago
• on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola
• Shares the island with the Dominican Republic.

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Each of Haiti's ten departments is sub-divided
into arrondissements.

• An arrondissement is an administrative division
• There are a total 41 arrondissements
• 133 communes

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Each of Haiti's arrondissements is sub-divided
into communes.

• Communes serve as second and third level
  administrative divisions
• There are 133 communes

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History

• A formerly prosperous French colony
• Several historical feats
• Haiti became the first independent black-led
  republic
• The only nation ever to form from a successful
  slave rebellion
• Haiti is also the second oldest non-native
  country in the Americas, after the United States
• the first (and therefore the oldest) nation in
  Latin America to declare its independence
  (January 1, 1804)

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History

• Haiti has recently undergone a state of
  transition following the forced ousting of
  President Jean-Bertrand Aristide on February 29,
  2004.
• The circumstances surrounding his departure from
  office are disputed.
• René Préval was elected president in his place on
  February 7, 2006, and took office in May of that
  year.

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Geography

• Situated on the western part of the second
  largest island in the Greater Antilles,
  Hispaniola.
• The 3rd largest country in the Caribbean (Cuba
  is largest and the Dominican Republic 2nd)
• Haiti is only 80km from Cuba.
• Haiti's terrain consists mainly of rugged
  mountains with small coastal plains and river
  valleys.

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Geography

• The country's largest crop-producing and one of
  Haiti's most fertile river valleys is the Plaine
  de l'Artibonite.
• The east and central part of the island is a
  large elevated plateau.
• The highest point in Haiti is Pic la Selle at
  2,680 m.
• The 360 km border is shared with the Dominican
  Republic.
• The famous island of Tortuga (Île de la Tortue)
  is located off the coast of northern Haiti.

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Haitis other islands.

• Gonave Island is moderately populated by rural
  villagers.
• Île à Vache (Island of The Cow) It is a rather
  lush island with many beautiful sights.
• Cayemites
• Ile de Anacaona.

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Geography

• In 1925, Haiti was a lush tropical paradise, with
  60 of its original forest covering the lands and
  mountainous regions.
• Since then, the population has cut down all but
  2 of its forest cover, and in the process has
  destroyed fertile farmland soils, while
  contributing to desertification.
• Erosion has been severe in the mountainous areas.
  
• Pictures from space glaringly show the stark
  difference in forestation between Haiti and the
  neighboring Dominican Republic
• Most Haitian logging is done to produce charcoal,
  the country's chief source of fuel.

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Geography

• The plight of Haiti's forests has attracted
  international attention
• Has led to numerous reforestation efforts, but
  these have met with little success to date.
• Despite the large environmental crises, Haiti
  retains a very high amount of biodiversity in
  proportion to its small size.
• The country is home to more than 6,000 plants in
  which 35 are endemic and 220 species of birds in
  which 21 species are endemic.

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Geography

• The country's high biodiversity is due to its
  mountainous topography and fluctuating elevations
  
• Each elevation harbors different microclimates
  and its own endemic fauna and flora.
• The varied scenery include
• lush green cloud forests (in some of the mountain
  ranges and the protected areas)
• high mountain peaks
• cactus-strewn desert landscapes (due to the
  deforestation)
• palm tree-lined beaches.

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Environmental issues

• In addition to soil erosion, the deforestation
  has also caused periodic flooding
• On 17 September, 2004 Tropical storm Jeanne
  skimmed the north coast of Haiti
• Leaving 3,006 people dead in flooding and
  mudslides
• Earlier that year in May, floods killed over
  3,000 people on Haiti's southern border with the
  Dominican Republic
• Currently the country is seeking to implement a
  bio-fuel solution to its energy problems.

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Economy

• The least-developed country in the Western
  Hemisphere
• Largely due to political instability and repeated
  episodes of violence.
• Comparative social and economic indicators show
  Haiti falling behind other low-income developing
  countries (particularly in the hemisphere) since
  the 1980s.
• Ranks 154th of 177 countries in the United
  Nations Human Development Index (2006).
• About 80 of the population were estimated to be
  living in poverty in 2003.

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Economy

• Haiti is the only country in the Americas on the
  United Nations list of Least Developed Countries.
  
• Economic growth was negative in 2001 and 2002,
  and flat in 2003.
• About 66 of all Haitians work in the
  agricultural sector
• Consists mainly of small-scale subsistence
  farming, but this activity makes up only 30 of
  the GDP.
• The country has experienced little formal job
  creation over the past decade, although the
  informal economy is growing.

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Since 1995, Transparency International has
published an annual Corruption Perceptions Index
(CPI)

• Ordering the countries of the world according to
  "the degree to which corruption is perceived to
  exist among public officials and politicians".
• The organization defines corruption as "the abuse
  of entrusted power for private gain".
• A higher score means less (perceived) corruption.
  
• The results show seven out of every ten countries
  (and nine out of every ten developing countries)
  with an index of less than 5 points out of 10.

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Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI)

• Denmark, Findland New Zealand are tied for 1st
• Canada - 9th
• United States - 20th
• Mexico ranks - 72nd
• Dominican Republic - 99th
• Haiti - 177th

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Economy

• Foreign aid makes up approximately 30-40 of the
  national government's budget.
• The largest donor is the United States, and
  European nations also contribute.
• Venezuela and Cuba also make various
  contributions to Haiti's economy, especially
  after alliances were renewed in 2006-7.
• U.S. aid to the Haitian government was completely
  cut off in 2001-2004 after the 2000 election was
  disputed and President Aristide was accused of
  various misdeeds.
• After Aristide's departure in 2004, aid was
  restored, and the Brazilian army led the United
  Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti
  peacekeeping operation.